Here lies.... cemeteries as historical and artistic lessons for primary-age children: a teacher's K-W-L plan.

Stop as you pass by my grave here, I John Schockler, was born in New Orleans the 22nd of Nov. 1811, was brought up by good friends, not taking their advice, was drowned in this city in the Alabama River the 27th of May 1825. Now I warn all young and old to beware of the dangers of this river, and now I am fixed in this watery grave. I have got but two good friends to mourn.

(Epitaph of John Schockler, 1811-1825. The headstone is constructed as a wave.)

Field trips provide active learning as children have firsthand, experience with information they had previously encountered only in textbooks. As a kindergarten teacher for 14 years, I treasured field trips as culminating lessons on zebras and elephants (with trips to the zoo) and cows, pigs, and horses (with trips to the farm). Later, as a college professor, I was confronted with a much different kind of field trip idea as I prepared to teach my social studies methods class. The textbook I used, Dynamic Social Studies for Elementary Classrooms (Maxim, 2003), described social studies content as anthropology, geography, history, civics, sociology, and economics. The chapter concerning history illustrated the motivation of one teacher, Ms. Roe, in taking her 6th-grade students on a trip to the local cemetery:

Mrs. Roe bases her overall approach to teaching history on a conviction that history is not confined to memorizing "who did what to whom, when, or where," or to an outline of events commonly found in textbooks. She believes history can be found in cemeteries, museums, or newspapers. Ms. Roe wants her students to know that the past is not just a list of names and dates, but also a story that tells of life in other times. (p. 45)

But a Field Trip to a Cemetery?

Still feeling apprehensive about the idea, I consulted the course of study objectives for the state of Alabama. I realized a field trip to the cemetery would correlate with the objectives to have elementary students learn our state's history. With this insight, I made a call to Oakwood Cemetery in Montgomery (Alabama) to arrange for a tour. It seemed a likely place to visit and pique student interest, since Hank Williams, the legendary country singer, was buried there. The groundskeeper politely offered to mail me a copy of a 27-page list and map of those buried at Oakwood. He added, "Call Mary Ann Neeley. She can teach everything about Oakwood Cemetery." What great advice this was.

Mrs. Neeley was, in fact, a treasure chest of knowledge, using cemeteries as history lessons--a pursuit I would come to find she had enjoyed with children and adults for many years. On a warm spring day, dressed in khaki shorts, a safari hat atop her graying hair, and with a megaphone at her lips, Mrs. Neeley conducted the cemetery tour for my college class. Her tour focused on soldiers who fought with Napoleon, state governors, Hank Williams, and many more who had found their final resting place at Oakwood. During our tour, we reflectively read the epitaph of John Schockler, 14 years old at the time of his drowning, warning other children of the river's perils. Mrs. Neeley helped us realize the importance that this same river had in the lives and economics of the people and community surrounding it. We marveled at the grave labeled "Here Lies Jim--slave of S. Schuessler," as placing a slave's name on a tombstone was not customary in 1851. (See the photo on page 89.) We were also surprised to discover the use of artwork in this setting. We saw statues of doves, fish, and lambs, as well as objects on headstones, including hourglasses, setting suns, and shells. My students and I left that day filled with newfound knowledge about city, state, national, and international history and an understanding of cemetery art that we would share with primary-age children. As Maxim had stated, this rich history revealed story after story of people's lives.

Our successful field trip experience did bring up several concerns about such activities, however. First, the pleasant spring day soon became humid and sweltering hot. We all wished for a bottle of water, but had none. Second, had it not been for Mrs. Neeley's direction, we would have spent the day wandering around the cemetery without clear-cut objectives or information. Finally, a week before our trip, Jenny, one of my students, shared with me that her father had recently passed away. She was worried the cemetery trip might be too emotionally difficult for her. I suggested Jenny do whatever was comfortable for her--she could come with us, or not, that day. Ultimately, Jenny made the trip with us and was one of the last to leave. She told me it was the first time she had regarded a cemetery as a tribute to human life. In reflection, the hot weather, my dependence on Mrs. Neeley as our guide, and Jenny's initial hesitation helped me understand that for classroom teachers considering a cemetery as a field trip, much planning is necessary. You need to consider the weather conditions, provide appropriate guidance, and have an understanding of child development as well as prior knowledge about experiences with close ones' deaths.

Traditionally, teachers use the K-W-L chart to determine what children already know about a topic (K), what they want to learn about a topic (W), and what they have learned as a result of a lesson (L). This article describes how the K-W-L chart is implemented by classroom teachers for use in creating powerful historical and artistic cemetery investigations for primary-age children.

K-W-L Teacher Plan

K-What We Now Know. When our class met on campus the following week, the conversation quickly centered on highlights of our cemetery field trip. We followed a project approach (Katz & Chard, 2000) as we brainstormed and organized our information. A web served as our outline. (See Figure 1: Cemetery Web.)

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

We also developed a Venn diagram about what we already know (K) to help us compare our information (see Figure 2: K-What We Already Know--Teacher Venn Diagram). We agreed, as with every lesson, that child development must remain our underlying consideration and that a trip to a cemetery would be inappropriate for very young children. Therefore, our focus would remain with primary-age children. Our objectives were clear and modeled on local and state standards, as well as those from the National Council for the Social Studies (1994). Additionally, we agreed with the National Center for History in the Schools standards (1996), which state that educational strategies must be implemented so that "stories, myths, legends, and biographies that capture children's imaginations and immerse them in times and cultures of the recent and long ago past" (p. 3) enhance the teaching and learning of history.

[FIGURE 2 OMITTED]

We had learned the importance of making an initial visit to a cemetery to find resources, determine concerns, and identify a contact for getting permission to make a subsequent visit. Finding a "Mrs. Neeley" would be a top priority; however, with careful study and research, we believed we could lead our own cemetery field trip. After an initial visit, we sought permission from all stakeholders, including cemetery caretakers, our school principal, and the parents of our classroom children. To highlight information and establish our objectives for the stakeholders and our children before the trip, we used digital pictures taken during our initial planning visit of interesting gravesites and art. We also formulated a list of weather and environmental concerns, based on our experience. With Jenny's concerns underscoring the importance of addressing students' prior knowledge and experiences, we also sent home a parent information letter before the trip, to find out if any parents were apprehensive about the trip, and thereby help the classroom teacher deal with their concerns in a positive manner. Finally, we decided that we would need to teach the children respect for the gravesites, tombstones, and the quiet nature of the cemetery setting they would encounter before making the trip. Although Maxim (2003) suggests that children make gravestone rubbings (paper is held on the tombstone and children then use pencils or markers to rub the inscription onto the paper), we agreed this would not be in keeping with our view of respect and chose not to include this activity.

W-What We Want To Learn. Our next step was to extend our knowledge through research to enhance our experience and teaching. We collected resource books, names of Web sites, and children's books dealing with death. We found examples of cemetery art and symbols with definitions. (See Figure 3: Resources for Research.) We designed a student study guide as an outline for what children may discover at the cemetery and included other aspects of social studies (geography and economics) into the lesson. (See Figure 4: Cemetery Study Guide.) This guide included extension projects, such as comparing our burial traditions to those of the ancient Egyptians. Clipboards would serve as "field trip desks" to help the children write as they walked about the cemetery. Partners could work together to collect information.

Figure 3
Resources for Research

Books

Green, J. (1992). Epitaphs to remember: Remarkable inscriptions
from New England gravestones. Chambersburg, PA:
Alan C. Hood and Company.

Meyer, R. (1992). Cemeteries and gravemakers: Voices of
American culture. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan
Press.

Worpole, K. (2004). Last landscapes: The architecture of the
cemetery in the west. London: Reaktion Books.

Web Sites

www.gravestonestudies.org

The Gravestone Studies Web site is dedicated to the investigation
and conservation of gravestones. It includes a
clearinghouse for research and offers a lending library
of hard-to-find books.

www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/classroom/class_
stone.html

From the Public Broadcasting System Web site, this link
highlights the lesson plan "Written in Stone." Language
arts, science, social studies, math, and technology are
integrated into lesson plan activities.

www.coalcreekaml.com/cemeteries.htm

This Web site includes a link (Historical Cemeteries)
describing a 1902 mine disaster that killed 184 people.
The cemetery gravestones, with unique epitaphs, are
preserved by local Boy Scout troops.

Children's Books Dealing With Death

Buscaglia, L. (1982). The fall of Freddie the leaf. Thorofare,
NJ: Slack Incorporated.

Clifford, E. (1985). A remembering box. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin.

DePala, T. (1978). Nana upstairs Nana downstairs. New
York: Putnam.

Jukes, M. (1985). Blackberries in the dark. New York: Alfred
K. Knopf.

Miles, M. (1971). Annie and the old one. Boston: Atlantic,
Little, Brown.

Park, B. (1995). Mick Harte was here. New York: Scholastic.

Stevens, M. (1979). When Grandpa died. Chicago: Children's
Press.

ART SYMBOLS             COMMON INTERPRETATIONS

Angel                   Welcoming, resurrection
Door                    Heaven's gate
Dove/Bird               Soulful flight, purity
Lamb                    Childlike, innocent
Pineapple               Life eternal
Setting sun             Deceased
Shells                  Heaven's resurrection

Figure 4
Cemetery Study Guide

Name: --     Partner: --

Here are some ideas to help you begin your cemetery research. Add
to the list with your own cemetery field trip experience.

1. Draw a geographical map of the cemetery, including interesting
   trees, gravesites, and water (if present).
   Label the cardinal points of north, south, east, and west on
   your map.

2. Compile a list of first and last names found on gravestones. Do
   some show up more frequently, based on a specific time frame?
   (Example: The name Mary is used several times during the following
   years of birth: 1920-1930.)

3. Select and record five different life spans you note on tombstones.

4. Record the following from the five tombstones:

a. Cause of death (if available). If your data indicate an epidemic,
   consider researching this topic further when we return to
   our classroom.

b. Ethnic and religious symbols, if present, on the headstones.

c. Community leaders or people of special recognition.

d. Veterans and the wars they served in.

e. Earliest/most recent grave dates.

f. Place of birth, if available, to show migration
   patterns to our community.

5. Compare and contrast the cemetery art that you find. Record
   tombstone styles, ironwork (fences, gates, etc.), and carvings,
   including those of animals and symbols. Research the symbols and
   their meanings when we return to the class. Evaluate family or
   personal economic influences, as indicated by resources used for
   each grave (example: elaborate fencing).

6. Extension Ideas:

   a. Have weather conditions affected gravesites and gravestones?
      If so, how and why?

   b. Chose one gravesite of personal interest. With the information
      you collect in the cemetery, or from the Internet, books, etc.,
      "become" that person. If possible, research the person's life,
      appropriate dress, and economics of the time. Present a character
      presentation to the class. How would this person reflect on
      his/her life?

   c. Consider your own life goals. What would you hope your own
      epitaph would reveal about your beliefs, work, and attitude
      toward life? This will require that you think ahead and make
      appropriate choices in your life. How will you be affected by
      morals and values? Share a possible epitaph of your own life
      with the class.

   d. Relate the information you have collected and then compare it
      with other cultural burial rituals--for example, those of the
      ancient Egyptians.

L-What We Learned. Initially, classroom teachers may feel apprehension about using cemeteries as historical and artistic lessons for primary-age children. They may alleviate some of their concerns by constructing K-W-L charts to outline, organize, and plan successful cemetery field trips. Additionally, with many cemeteries neglected or even lost, trips to cemeteries will develop children's sense of responsibility for the conservation of these important tributes to people's works and lives. In summary, it is through teaching and learning that our experiences become chapters of our own lives. As Graves (1998) offers,

From the time we get up in the morning until we retire in the evening, we are surrounded by teaching/learning events. Thousands of stories become part of us during our lifetime. The question is, can we recall these stories with any profit? Can I reach back and recall stories that might help me not only to understand myself, but also to assist others in teaching and learning? (p. 5) Cemetery field trips help us all recall and remember the lives of those lost, but never forgotten.

References

Graves, D. (1998). How to catch a shark and other stories of teaching and learning. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Katz, L., & Chard, S. (2000). Engaging children's minds: The project approach (2nd ed.). Stamford, CT: Ablex Publishing.

Maxim, G. (2003). Dynamic social studies for elementary classrooms. Columbus, OH: Merrill Prentice Hall.

National Center for History in the Schools. (1996). National standards for history. Los Angeles: Author.

National Council for the Social Studies. (1994). Expectations of excellence: Curriculum standards for social studies. Waldorf, MD: Author.

Shelly Hudson Bowden is Associate Professor, Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, and Reading Education, Auburn University Montgomery, Montgomery, Alabama.