Why do you call it a "non-field" trip? Well, unfortunately this trip has to be done on a Saturday and it is not a school sponsored event. You will have to provide your own transportation. I know what you are thinking, "that's three strikes against going, I'm not interested." Not so fast my friend. If you like history in the slightest, or if just you like riding around in a car for two hours to a remote place near the Tennessee River, I promise you will love the experience of being able to walk in the foot steps of those who fought & died at the Battle of Shiloh over 150 years ago. You'll be learning about a very significant event in our nations history, firsthand. The Battle of Shiloh changed our thinking about warfare in this country (side note- there were more casualties at Shiloh than all the other wars in American history put together, up to that point: that includes the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Texas Revolution and the Mexican-American War)
Well Mr. Mann, why would you take the time on a Saturday morning to drive, over two hours, to meet your students and their families at Shiloh National Park? Very good question. I am extremely passionate about teaching history. One of the things I love more than teaching history is my desire to learn more about history, especially U.S. History (all the good and the bad that this country has had in our over 240 year history) It is my sincere goal to create a love of History in all of my students, in and out of the classroom. What better way to increase my students love of history, than to actually get out there and show them history up close and personal. Because of this, more than happy to take one Saturday a year to have my annual "non-field" trip to Shiloh. Plus this is a great opportunity for me to get to know my students and their families better and for you all to spend some quality time together at the Shiloh National Civil War Battlefield (and of course during the two hour drive over there and the two hour drive back- that is a lot of quality time together :)
When will this "non-field" trip take place? We will be going on a Saturday in either late October or early November. I'll finalize the date as soon as I can. I'm in the process of trying to set up a rifle or cannon demonstration or a park ranger to show us around. Since it isn't a school sponsored field trip, this is very challenging to try and talk the Park Rangers into doing this for us but I am involved with the Civil War Trust and I'm trying to pull some strings to make this happen. Even if I can't, I know enough to make the trip interesting enough to want to come out.
Why go in October or November? The weather is usually perfect, cool but not too cold. Plus if we hit it at just the right time, the changing of the fall leaves is absolutely amazing. I'd say that the fall scenery is worth making the trip all by itself.
I'll be sending out more information as soon as I find out anything more. I hope to see you all at Shiloh National Park this fall.