Students uncover history

On this day, they’ve gathered beneath a cloudy blue sky at the local cemetery. Slowly and methodically, they move past headstones looking for clues. The Washington Senior High School students aren’t just reading about history — they’re out trying to uncover it. They hope information gleaned from the cemetery will somehow lead them back to Granville T. Woods, an Ohio inventor born in 1856 whose life is partly shrouded in mystery.

Suddenly, a student notices a modest grave marker etched with the name, “Francis Brown.” Based on their prior research, the students deduce this woman may be Woods’ mother-in-law.

“I think Francis Brown might be our next lead,” said LaRue, echoing the students’ conclusion. “I would look in the 1900 census under Brown and see who you find listed living in that house.”

LaRue, like his students, is unsure where the lead will take them — it could be a breakthrough or a dead end. That is the nature of LaRue’s class, which emphasizes inquiry and investigation. For 14 years, LaRue has challenged students in his Research History class to try and write new pages of history. The project-based, hands-on class has taken students in the rural central Ohio school district in many directions. They’ve earned recognition for African-American Civil War soldiers, testified before the Ohio General Assembly, documented the lives of World War II veterans and unearthed history in their own community.

“I think my students will remember these kind of experiences a lot more than they will remember things like names and dates,” said LaRue, who has taught at the same school for 27 years. “I’m not saying forget about the textbook. I’m saying this kind of experiential, project-based learning has a lot of benefits.”

The class has put LaRue and his students in the state and national spotlight over the years. Their work has earned them an Innovation in Education Award from the History Channel, a grant from Time Warner Cable and a wealth of media coverage.

Chasing history

The roughly 20 students in LaRue’s Research History class are investigating the life of Granville T. Woods this school year. The Columbus-born African-American is sometimes called the “Black Edison,” a reference to the dozens of patents and inventions credited to him during a time when few African-Americans had access to a formal education. While Woods is fairly well known today, parts of his life are scarcely documented. LaRue’s students are researching the nearly two-year period Woods spent in Washington Court House, with hopes of making sense of the largely blank section in the inventor’s biography.

“We’re trying to find out what led him to leave here, what he did here, who he interacted with and most importantly, if he got any ideas for his inventions here,” said senior Cole Sizemore.

The class, which is only open to seniors, gives students the flexibility to go to the local library, cemetery or wherever their investigation takes them. Research History students are using local newspapers and primary documents — such as census records, patent filings, court records and railroad reports — to research Woods. They’re also reading the book Black Inventors in the Age of Segregation. LaRue has been in touch with the author, who supplied the class with some critical research documents. Students are poring through the documents they’ve collected and trying to make sense of them.

“It’s basically like detective work,“ said senior Clayton Lane. “We’re not always sure what we’re looking for, we’re just looking for connections.”

Research History students are working in groups of two or three to investigate different parts of Woods’ life. One group, for example, is researching a local railroad Woods is believed to have worked for. Another group is researching Sadie Turner, the Washington Court House woman Woods married.

“I think she (Turner) had a role in Granville T. Wood’s life,” LaRue said. “Apparently, he was not inventing before he came here and then he starts inventing after, so clearly the time he spent in Washington Court House had some
impact. These are great things for high school students to examine.”

Through researching cemetery records, students have identified the unmarked burial site of a Sadie Turner in nearby Washington Cemetery. They are now trying to determine if it is the same woman who married Woods.

“As one of the end goals of this project, we’re going to try and put a headstone in for Sadie,” said senior Sarah Nestor.

Students theorize Turner may have been buried in a family plot, but her family did not have enough money to buy her a headstone. They will learn more about her resting place this fall when they use ground-penetrating radar in the cemetery. The students will use the technology under the guidance of Dr. Jarrod Burks of Ohio Valley Archaeology.

“We have a STEM grant from Time Warner Cable and the History Channel, so they’re giving us funding for the project,” LaRue said. “I think it is important for students to know technology applies to history just like it applies to math and science, they’re not separate disciplines.”

Engaged in learning

Every school year, LaRue comes up with new projects for his Research History students to explore. Students, he said, carry the projects forward. They set research goals, manage their time and work largely self-directed.

LaRue has structured Research History so students can take the class any period, a choice he made so as many students as possible could participate. LaRue is typically teaching an economics class while a handful of Research History students work quietly on the side of the room. He works with the Research History students when he has down time, essentially teaching two classes at once.

“This isn’t a project where mom and dad do all the work for you,” he said. “I’m up there teaching and they’re working independently. My students are great and that’s what makes this class work.”

Last school year, LaRue’s students researched Ohio African-American veterans of the Civil War. They documented more than 500 black Ohioans who served with the 54th and 55th Massachusetts regiments. Ohio, at the time, did not allow African-Americans to serve in the war, so they had to travel to other states to fight for the Union army. The story of the 54th was depicted in the 1989 feature film “Glory.”

As a result of the students’ research, resolutions were introduced in both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly honoring the black soldiers because they “have not been recognized for their contributions to the Union cause.” Rep. Jim Butler, a former student of LaRue, sponsored one of the resolutions. LaRue and his students testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee in support of the resolution last spring. OSBA captured video of their testimony, which can be seen online at http://links.ohioschoolboards.org/42765.

Washington High School students have seen the impact their research can have — and that motivates and excites them.

“We’re used to history always being presented to us, but now we’re discovering history, so it’s a whole new twist and a really awesome learning experience for all of us,” said senior Jessalyn Rife.

Senior David Harvey said he has looked forward to taking Research History for years. “From freshman year on, I always knew I was going to sign up for this class and that’s true for a lot of people,” he said. 

Some Research History projects have carried on for years, with one group of students handing their work off to the next to continue. On and off since 2003, students have interviewed local World War II veterans.

“We interviewed 60-some veterans and almost half of them have passed since,” LaRue said. “I’m so happy that we did that because those interviews were made into transcripts that are now housed at the Library of Congress. So many people in our community have thanked us for recording these stories.”

The Research History class has become a point of pride for the city of 14,000 residents and school district of 2,600 students.

“We’re very proud of it,” said Susie Bailey, district director of curriculum, data and assessment. “I hope that it gives the kids the bragging rights and the confidence that something they do in little Washington Court House can matter not only to a wider community, but also across time.”

Caring instructor

LaRue is quick to credit students for the outstanding work they’ve performed in his Research History class, but students and administrators heap praise on the teacher for his leadership.

“Paul believed in project-based learning way before our Common Core standards came along and said we should be doing it,” said Beth Justice, district assistant superintendent. “It is evident this is the way to reach kids, because if they’re doing something hands-on, then they are more likely to remember it and have a desire to perform.”

LaRue — who is more commonly known as “Lash,” a nickname given to him in the 1980s by a school guidance counselor — has built a rapport with generations of students based on trust and mutual respect.

“I think Lash is the teacher most students stay in touch with,” said Keith Brown, district superintendent. “They respect him because he respects them and encourages them to be active, engaged learners.”

LaRue has received widespread recognition for his work as a teacher. He was one of five finalists for the 2012 Ohio Teacher of the Year, and OSBA’s Central Region named him one of the 2012 Outstanding Teachers of the Central Region.

He also has been named Ohio teacher of the year by the African American Civil War Memorial, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, as well as American History Teacher of the Year by the Ohio Daughters of the American Revolution. LaRue has lectured at various conferences nationwide and his work has appeared in numerous publications, including the Ohio Civil War Genealogy Journal and Black History Bulletin. In addition, the History Channel has featured him in its publications and on its website, and he participated in a C-SPAN panel discussion about African-American Civil War soldiers.

“The way Lash approaches his classes is just so unique,” said Rife. “You just know that he has a passion for what he’s doing so you know you’re going to have a passion for learning too.”

Kenneth Upthegrove, president of the Washington Court House City Schools Board of Education, said LaRue not only inspires students, he has inspired him as well. The board president credits the teacher with sparking an interest in researching his own family history.

“He shared with me some information about a great, great uncle of mine and that got me started,” Upthegrove said. “He’s encouraged a lot of his students to research their own genealogy, too.”

LaRue hopes schools across the country will encourage students to discover history in their own families and communities. He created a two-page guide to help teachers get started as part of the History Channel’s Preservation on a Shoestring campaign. It is available at: http://links.ohioschoolboards.org/88446.

LaRue recommends teachers start with small projects that take a class period or a few days and involve local history. He encourages teachers to work with community partners, such as local historical societies or governments. The beauty of both big and small projects, LaRue said, is they often involve little or no cost.

“We have ordered and installed 70 headstones for veterans (with unmarked graves) in five cemeteries in southern Ohio,” he said. “There was zero cost involved — the government provides them and we just have to install them.”

LaRue said research projects make history come alive for students, but also instill valuable life skills.

“The research skills they picked up are going to help them with whatever they do,” he said. “Most of these kids are not going to be historians, but using inquiry, collaboration and teamwork will be important no matter what they do with their lives.” n

Editor’s note: A video from OSBA’s visit to Washington Court House City Schools’ Research History class is posted at http://www.ohioschoolboards.org/WCHHistoryClass.