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Several years ago the principal at Vinton Northside
Middle School asked teachers to sponsor new clubs. I enjoyed traveling around the
state of Louisiana and teaching Louisiana History, therefore I volunteered to do an
eighth grade history club. I put together a plan to travel "only on weekends" to
various Louisiana sites. I chose the weekends because it would eliminate those
students only wanting to join a club because they could "get out of school". It
would also allow us to travel longer distances. Little did I realize it would soon
mean 5:30 am to 10:30 pm.
The club began a history of very successful trips. Seventh graders suddenly worked harder to be in the position to be accepted into one of the clubs 32 spots. Over the years students and parent-chaperones have gained a wonderful knowledge of our great state. Sites visited include rural life cabins to plantations, north Louisiana to bayou country, churches to haunted homes. Explorers have eaten Louisiana foods ranging from Natchitoces Meat Pies to New Orleans style Shrimp PoBoys. McDonalds fast food breakfasts to boiled crawfish with Cajun Dancing. Each year I'm asked, "Don't you get tired of going to the same places, year after year?" My answer is always, "No! You see, I'm the only one going back again. Seeing my student's reactions makes every year and every trip new again." |
| The mission of the Louisiana Explorers is to educate eighth graders about the sites, sounds, food, music, culture, and history of the state they live in through hands-on experiences and living of Louisiana history that others just read about. |
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