Gator Clan (Day 4)

Day 4
Day four of the dig was very eventful for the gator clan. We found many piece of pottery, points, pieces of arrow heads and fire cracked rock. The gator clan moved around a lot, we started out at 3B and finished at 4B. 4B was the most successful spot we ended up at. Our leader, Terry, was really good at pin pointing where most of the artifacts were. We have worked very hard even though its been really hot. Together as a team we did really well. We would work together and never claimed a certain persons name on our finds. To us if one of us found something we all had put in a part when finding it and the tasks were divided up evenly. I am very thankful I got to be a part of Community Studies this year and if I could do it again I would.

Raven Clan Day 5

The community studies dig is always a big success with the students and the teachers. During the dig, every group found some great artifacts to show the town of Roanoke. During the week, some days was hot and some were cold, but most were hot. On day one, it was really hot and that was the day were we just got the stuff ready for the dig. The rest of the days were really hot and we had lots of fun, we listened to music, had mud fights, and also had fun on the back of Lexis truck. We even went to the swamp and had a good time there and also got very muddy there. All in all, we had a good week and found some great amazing artifacts.

Ravens Day 5 ( Entire Dig Experience )

  The annual community studies dig, from what I've heard, is always a success. The students usually find great artifacts to show the citizens of Randolph County. The Ravens didn't find many "great" artifacts to present this year, but we found something a little better than that. Not only did we learn the procedures of an archaeological dig, but we found a way to work together and form friendships within our groups. While participating in the dig, we worked super hard digging and sifting, but while doing that we found a way to make it fun. We went from "hitting the quan", to having mud fights, to riding around in Lexi's truck listening to music. I am very thankful for this Community Studies class and the educational, yet fun, archaeological dig and even though we are no longer together everyday, we will always be "Ravens".

Gator clan Day 5

This picture is of the gator clan and our group leader, Terry. I believe that our whole group had a great time during the dig. Terry taught us how to find artifacts and always kept us laughing. Terry would actually help us do stuff and he tried to help us with whatever he could. He told us about stuff that we didn't know about, and in my opinion, is the best group leader we could have had. our group was the group that found the drills, and some knives, and flakes from points and knives. My faorite quote was from Terry. He said "We don't put just an individual name on the bag, we put the group name on the bag because everyone found it. The people who shovel dug it out, the sifters found it in the dirt, and the cleaners cleaned it off." our whole clan learned more on this dig than we ever could have learned by ourselves. It kind of threw us off that the corn wasn't cut, but we made the most of it. We had tons of fun and would definitely do it again if we could.

Day 5 - Wide Awake

This picture doesn’t have everyone in it, but it pretty much sums up how the dig went for the wide awake clan. We are the swamp people of Handley High School (tours are $5 a person). Anyway, Heather was usually capturing a funny moment to post on her snap chat story. As you can see, Ken and Jenae had made it as far as they were going; they were going to live to tell the story if something happened to us (lol). Elizabeth and I were laughing about something most of the time. In this case, it was because my boot was stuck in the mud and the chances of it coming out didn’t look to promising. At this point, we could barely see Will because he was so far away. I guess we all trusted his outdoor skills when we continued following him through the marshy area (except for Ken and Jenae who were going to be the survivors). Coach Glass surprised me when he too was following Will through the muddy swamp. Apparently, he has different shoes besides his white Nike’s and likes playing in the mud. Devonta, in his polo boots and all, was walking along with Coach Glass and Will. He was a pretty fearless group leader. Mrs. Awbrey didn’t accompany us on this adventure into the swamp, but she was very helpful to our group. On a serious note, the wide awake clan found many artifacts and were in search of more. We were digging in what we believe to be an old house that burned down. We found many broken dishes, old bottles, pieces of a tiny child’s tea set, a bird pendant, and other unique pieces. I would say the dig was a huge success for the wide awake clan. I am glad I had the opportunity to discover historical things and grow closer with my group members. However, I doubt any of us were wide awake after the dig was over.

Bears Day 5

Throughout the week, us bears were quite busy conducting several different tasks to make the dig successful for not only our group, but for others as well! We weren't as stationary as the rest of the groups because Dana, our group instructor, told us we will be doing things differently from everyone else. On the first day, we were told that we were to set up a dig site. At first, we weren't sure on how to begin, but we immediately picked up on how to complete it on our own. Doing this required using lots of math skills and different tools along the process of completion. Each stake we used had a specific location and direction to be placed. Each day we set up these digging sites for each group. For about two days, we had to look at different rocks to determine if those very rocks were used to grind corn with and find out how long they've been there. By working together, we successfully completed this assignment. Another thing us bears completed was setting up stakes in different directions (North, South, East, and West) along the corn field by using a compass and tape measure. Speaking for the entire community studies class, I think we would all enjoy coming back to do this dig again if we had the opportunity. It helped us bond and build stronger friendships that will last us a lifetime.

The Ravens day 4

Day 4 of the dig the Ravens had a lot of fun. From the pottery findings to the mud fights in the hot sun, we continued to work very hard. We mostly screened all day long checking to see if anything was in the mud, and we also went down another view inches in the dig site. Day 4 was not as good as day 3, it was a long tiring day. It was extremely hot with the weather at 84 degrees but we continued to work hard. Us Ravens, were determined to find stuff and come to find out when we probed in one of the spots we found some water, which was neat. The Raven clan is ready to see what day 5 had in store, and what other fun we have on day 5 since we already had mud fights on day 4.

Bear Clan Day 4

      Upon arrival on the site with good attitudes for the day, Dana immediately told us we had something to be done. Today, we learned the process of using the scope to measure the depth of the holes of digging sites in respect to the surrounding ground level. Following that, measuring the distance from the corners of the hole to the artifacts found. All of this contributes to pin-pointing the exact location of artifacts found in order to gather as much evidence of the ancient "neighborhood" as possible. Having the responsibility of the recorder/draftsman, this gave me a lot to record in my notebook. Next, the clan worked together using math, handy-dandy square rulers, and hammers to correctly expand the digging squares of site 3B. This proved to be a challenge for us to figure out. We helped the 3B group dig some, then were called to duty again. Using the measuring tape, compass, a good eye, and a hammer, the team constructed a professional, archaeological connection with stakes of two dig sites. As depicted in the image included, this took teamwork to be done right. At first, we all honestly wondered what the purpose of spending our time on this was; I thought it would be to improve our understanding and mapping of their village, since some sites were supposed to be houses. After completing this task, Dana let us know multiple times how proud he was of the precision and professionalism of our job well done; I ended up being pretty proud of it, myself. Finally, the bears ended the day by conjoining with another clan to help dig and sift through the dirt. Ending on a positive note, many of us found pottery, drills, and points. We wrapped up in prayer, discussion, and good-byes to Dana and Nana to conclude Day Four of the experience.

Day 4
Ragor aka (alligator/ raven clan)
Even though I haven't been with my official group I believe that they have been doing very well. The Raven Clan have done a great job at cleaning out the spots and and we have sifted and sifted and sifted some more. We have found many little pieces of fire crack rock, pottery, arrow heads ,some broken some not, and the weight of an atladel. Today I found a half broken arrow head. We have worked hard and and very carefully. I am just really sad that the dig is almost over, but it was really hot today and this week but it was worth it. Doing the dig has made me feel like I was in the movie Jurassic Park because you don't know what to expect. In all This has been really fun, busy, annoying, and a team building exercise. It has given us time to learn about each other and to learn that we could be walking on Indian grounds everywhere or even right behind our houses. I am very happy that I got to go on this dig.

Day 4 wide awake clan

Today's dig was extremely interesting.I'm pretty sure everyone in the wide awake clan can agree to saying that. Today was probably the most they have ever gotten dirty all this year .First we gathered all of our tools from the previous site, and began or walk to the creek . Mostly we were all just trying to see what all we could discover along the creek. And actually trying to see where the creek eventually ended at.Once we accomplished our plan we began digging along the creek trying to see what all slwe could find near the creek .In all each and every one of us had a blast today !

 "My group and I have learned so many things over the past couple of days from being taught how to correctly use a metal detector to perfecting our knowledge of the Pythagorean Theorem. We've learned to tell the difference between a point and an actual arrowhead, and how to use tools, in the appropriate ways. We've been taught how to determine if what we've found is pottery, just by a little spit too, who knew right? We've also learned that just by paying attention to our surroundings we can learn so much about the history of an area. By the way the soil looks and the changes that occur within it. By satellite images we've distinguished that we are digging inside of a village, and the horseshoe shaped creek surrounding the area is just more evidence. Speaking for myself I never realized opening my eyes and paying attention to my surroundings could tell me so much about a given area, especially after getting below the plow zone! As this week has progressed I couldn't speak more highly of my bear clan, anytime one of us has been discouraged or down in the dumps someone is always quick to crack a joke or be at someone's side. We've become more or less a family and I myself am thankful for the relationships that have developed in the days that have passed. I'll never forget the experience that has been provided for us this week. I've learned so much about everyone in my clan and how funny it is when you pretended to be Tarzan and swing on a vine and land right on your back but no one hesitated to make sure I was okay before we all got a great kick out of it, being put in the woods with six other people on the first day was a bit intimidating, but it forced us in a way to get to know one another, and I couldn't imagine this experience with any other clan."

Day 3 Raven Clan

Today was a fun, interesting, and hot day for the raven clan. We are quickly learning that being an archaeologist involves a lot of hard work and patience. We found a lot of interesting things in our area today, but the most interesting thing we found today was a part of an atlatl. An atlatl was a type of spear that native american's used to hunt. The Raven clan is getting a long well an we are finally realizing that working together can do a lot when it comes to archaeology. Today was a really great day and I am looking forward to tomorrow.

Day 3

     Today was a great day of laughter and ache for the Wide Awake clan. We have learned that being an archaeologist is hard work, and you have to be patient and determined to find new things. I, Will, learned that sometimes the shovel can slip and you can fall on your back giving everyone a good laugh, and Heather learned that a Benadryl can knock you out after you have an allergic reaction too a bug bite! Archaeology is a task that is very fun and it always turns out real good when you find interesting things. We found a lot of old bottles, a spoon, and a bird that might have went on a necklace. We have all realized that when we work together we can accomplish a lot. We've learned that we get along with each other and we work well together, even if we don't hang out much at school. The Wide Awake clan is ready to get back at it tomorrow and we are hoping for a successful day!

Day 3 Alligator Clan

Today was a good day for the Alligator Clan. We moved to a new site and found some good stuff ! We have been bonding, working together, and having a great time. We have learned that archaeology takes hardwork, teamwork, and WORK !! We've learned that the old houses sunk into the ground, and we even found a piece of the wall. We also learned that when u square off your plot, flatten it out, and leave it over night, if u come back and the dirt changes color it could have been a stream there. We're ready to go back tomorrow to see what we'll find next! #TeamGators 🐊

- Kira & Alexis 

The ravens

I've learned a lot of things these couple of days, I learned that there is a lot of a hard work.
We have found interesting things, I thought when I got there that we was just doing a whole lot of digging, I thought that we wasn't going to find anything, we've found points and other things as well.
I also learned that it was several Indians that lived in the corn field we may find where they built there house from years ago.

Day 2- WideAwake Clan

Today we had a very good day. I think out of everyone we have one of the best spots in my opinion. It seems to me that we have found a old house that has burnt down. We have found types of clay and also very old unique types of plates. Everything that we have found looks very good after it was clean. We also found a old Clorox bottle like wow who would have known. I am very must looking forward to finding more things on day 3.

Day 2- Raven Clan

Today could have possibly been described as slow and tiring for the Raven Clan. Mrs. Baldwin said that some days are just like that- some days are stones and some days are gold. Today was just stones, but that's okay. This morning we started out in our first site, and found a bunch of firecrack rocks. I believe that that site was very close to an old fire pit. Then we decided that there wasn't much to be found, and started digging in the corn field beside the Alligator Clan. It was still slow there, and the dirt was much wetter and clumpier. We did find a few things though: Lindsey found three Creek points and I found one, and one point was especially pretty. Dana said that it had been traded to the creeks. We're supposed to be looking for houses but we may have gotten into a grave, I'm not too sure yet. But I do believe that tomorrow will yield many more results now that we've gotten a nice foothold. At least I hope we find what we're looking for, because it sure is a lot of work to move sites.

Day 2 - Alligator Clan

Today was a good day for the alligator clan. First we started out in the corn field and started digging there. We then began to move on down a little further and started to dig some more. Once we started digging at the point we was at yesterday we wasn't finding anything but sand rocks. So we dug some more and we found some coal were we believe the Indians once had a fire pit. We didn't only find coal but we found the start of some points and some fire-cracked rocks. We stopped digging for a while and took a little walk, while walking we found some more rocks that the Indians could have used. I believe we will find more interesting things on day 3 and we are looking forward to it!

Day 2- Bear Clan

Today was a successful day for the bear clan. We found many things being that we set up all the sites we are usually the first to inspect where is the best place to dig. During the morning we cut our way into the cornfield to probe the ground for soft areas. We found an amazing spot to set up a double site. Later today we headed to the beginning of the road to analyze the boulders on the shoulder of the road. Our task was to look for bowl shaped indentions in the boulders that could have been used bowls to grind corn. We found many pieces of Quartz and sandstone. As we dug a little deeper we found pieces of what looks to be hand sized grinding rocks. Day 3 I believe will be the day and we will "strike gold".

Day 1- Wide awake

Today my group and me wasn’t expecting to find much on the first day, because today we just use the metal detector to see what we can dig later on.  We experienced well working together in the wide awake group and working well with other groups having a great time. My group and I learn what to look out for the next day when we dig. We know its hard work to be digging all day, but it’s great to start finding some cool artifacts. Today we started digging close to the corn field, but we didn’t find anything besides fire crack rocks and some nails. We start to dig where the road was divided at and we use the metal detector to see can we pick up anything interesting. We pick up a lot of things and we started digging, but we haven’t found anything interesting yet. Hopefully through this week we can start to find some cool interesting artifacts. I’m ready to start digging again its very fun and I can’t wait to start doing the corn fields tomorrow. Quote from Devonta Foster, “Wide awake let’s dig and dig till we can’t dig no more.”

Day 1 Ravens

My expectations on the dig was to learn more about the Creek Indians. Everyone in our group worked hard to find as much as they can. We expected that the jobs was tougher than was done. Everyone broke a sweat, but not because of these jobs being as hard as manual labor. My experiences on this dig was learning these humps were and piled up dirt were. We also got to test pottery on finding the date by licking it. Most of my expectations were met except realizing that there was still a lot of corn left in the fields. Day 2 I expect that we will go different places that the other groups went and experience new things.

Day 1- Bear Clan

    Coming into the dig I think we all thought we were just going to be digging with no extra work other than that.  I have now learned that there is much more to it than that.  Everyone has their role yet no one person is ever left to do a job by themselves.  I came to the dig first of all expecting there to be a clear corn field for us to work with.  My expectations were way off with that one.  On Day 2 I believe that we will all be a little more prepared and a little less confused.  Hopefully Day 2 comes with a clear corn field!

Community Studies Dig Day 1 (Alligator Group)

 Today my group and I  expected to not find much because today was a day of setting up our dig areas. We experienced how well everyone in the Alligator group and other groups around us worked together. We also experienced that the Creek Indians used to river reeds to make their arrows. My group and I expected to learn how to create and measure out a dig site. The expectation to create the perfect dig area were met today on dig day 1.  We expect for the job to be tough but in the end for it to be quite worth it. Today we went to the end of the corn field close to the Wedowee Creek and set up our dig area. In this area the map shows the signs of a possible Indian home. We got to experience that looking at the date on the trash you find can tell you a good bit of information about the area it was found in. Our expectations were met because we were taught how to create a dig area, we learned how to spot artifacts, and we experienced how tough this dig is going to be. My group and I anticipate that we will start to find more fire cracked rocks and other signs of Indian artifacts as we begin to dig deeper into the soil.  Quote from Cailey Holloway, " Lets get diggin' gators".

I enjoyed being part of the downtown tour because I got to learn about things I didn't know about Roanoke. I also got to meet new people and experience what its like to in charge of other kids and I also experienced being a teacher. I am looking forward to doing this again because it was really fun and I got to go in places I never knew Roanoke had, I had a good time.

I really enjoyed being a tour leader and teaching the 6th graders about downtown. It is really important to pass down history so that people in future generations don't take things for granted. The most interesting thing to me that we learned in the tour was about all the fallout shelters we have in Roanoke. The 6th graders were actually excited to learn about the history of downtown Roanoke.

DownTown Tour.

Being in the tour was very fun. I enjoyed the time I had helping the kids learn about some things that used to be in Roanoke. It was fun because Some of the things I did not know I got to learn. It was easy because the kids that I had was very nice they was understanding they knew alot of the things which was easy on me because i was able to teach them things to add on and i enjoyed it.

Being a tour leader of downtown Roanoke was an experience I enjoyed. It was an opportunity for me to be a leader, answer questions, and give new information and fun facts to children who were willing to learn about the place we call "home". Being a "passer down" of history caused me to learn in the process of teaching others. Telling of the past allows us to share an understanding of what came before us- the marvels and struggles- and how the town came to be. This experience honestly deepened my appreciation for the still beautiful structures of downtown Roanoke and the stories of their prime. The information can also spark an inspiration as I had one girl in my group tell me "We could bring all this back" (meaning the old companies, stores, etc. on Main Street). Having someone to teach future generations of our past can  honor the people and efforts of the past; it can also give pride to the future generations for knowing the past, passing it along, and analyzing it to improve the future as well as preserve. The most interesting thing I learned while preparing was discovering the still-remaining lobby floor of the Bonner hotel!

Downtown Tour

I enjoyed my experience as a group leader, and teaching younger students about our town's past. It is very important to teach our future generations about the past, because if you don't teach then it gets forgotten and seems like it never happened. By far the most interesting thing I learned about, while preparing for the tour was that there once were 85 businesses in downtown Roanoke. This is interesting to me because our population has increased since then and we can barely keep those businesses running. All  in all I think this class in a great, learning experience for anyone taking the class.

Downtown Tour

      I really enjoyed the downtown tour this week. I loved learning about the history of our town and it made it even more enjoyable to be able to share it with the sixth grade. Learning the history of Roanoke is so much more exciting when you have a great group like I had.  I learned so much about how our "little town" was at one time not so little. The most interesting thing I learned is about how Roanoke used to be a very popular city that was home to three theatres. Teaching the kids about downtown Roanoke was an amazing experience and I hope community studies continues this tradition for the years to come. I think it is important to keep the history of Roanoke alive, considering that most people do not know the history themselves. Community Studies is doing the future generations a favor, by passing down historic information. 

Downtown Tour

My experience as a tour leader was fun. Being able to help these 6th graders learn more about Roanoke also helped me too. I learned how Roanoke was a big city around here compared to what it is now. The significance of having someone to teach future generations about our past should mean a lot to everyone. As a parent you would won't your to succeed in life. By doing this, we need to have someone to teach things so it would take us far in life. The most interesting thing I learned was that we had a Belk in Roanoke. People living in Roanoke in this day time go shopping at all the other big cities. Back then, you was able to shop somewhere just around the corner. These are the reasons why I enjoyed teaching these 6th graders more about Roanoke.

 Being the person who gets to pass down the history of such a great place is so amazing and exciting. Preparation played a huge part in telling the history of our great town. We teach these things so that they can be passed down to generations to come. History is made everyday and the past needs to be preserved. You see I'm not from Roanoke, so learning about how booming Roanoke was back in time is amazing to visualize. The most interesting thing about what I learned was that Roanoke had 85 business at once. It's hard to believe looking at how small Main Street looks today.

Downtown Tour!

My experience as a tour leader was fantastic. I really enjoyed teaching the kids about the history of Roanoke. I just love how the kids were interested with the history and how they already knew some of the facts we was telling them. I think it was very important to teach the six graders about the history of Roanoke because they should know what the town of Roanoke use to be like and how it was operated back in the day. Now that I did all that I could to teach them about our history, I hope they can later on in life take that information and tell someone that don't know the history of our hometown. Some may think that Roanoke is a little town with no history but once they learn what I have learned these past few days they would be surprised like I was when I was learning about our history. While preparing for this tour the most interesting thing that I learned was about the bus station that Roanoke once had. As long as I have been living here I never knew that Roanoke had a bus station. One more interesting thing that I learned is that Roanoke had three theaters, I only knew about one of them and that is because of the big theater sign that lights up at night on Main Street.  

     I enjoyed being the group leader for Maya, Cheyenne, Ella, and Ansley. They were a great group the teach about the history of Roanoke. I enjoyed this project because I got to work with others and I get to help them learn about new things. I felt important being a "passer down" of history because they might not have every learned about Roanoke if it wasn't for this project. They need to know the history about Roanoke so that they can know where they came from. They got to learn all the things about the buildings and they will always know these so that they can pass down history to their kids. The most interesting thing I learned was in the Phillips Brothers building, where they had Toy Land. This was interesting to me because I know I would have enjoyed this as a kid and I can imagine how all the other kids felt about all the toys. Overall, I had a great time with the sixth graders and it was a great learning experience.

Downtown tour with 6th grade

                               

                               Teaching a younger group of people from the same community as me is so fun and exciting to me. The history of this small town is filled with many things that some people wouldn't even imagine. Learning the history of our town is important because when the later generations come, they'll be curious to know where building came from, what was there and what happened. When I was passing down this information the students seemed so interested and fascinated with what they learned, as I did when I myself learned it.  It was a good feeling to know that we are preserving the past!

Downtown Tour

    I enjoyed being a tour leader and having the opportunity to pass down the history of Roanoke to the 6th graders. When I would tell the history of all the stops we made on Main Street the eyes of the 6th graders in my group would light up with fascination. Just to see them so intrigued by learning things they didn't know about Roanoke made me smile. I loved being able to talk about how Roanoke was once a bustling city. It is important for someone to teach future generations about our past because once you teach them, they will be able to teach the next generation. Learning all the things about Roanoke will save the history and keep people more interested in our community. Even though our town isn't what is use to be, teaching and preserving its history will make younger generations want to serve their community to keep the history alive. The most interesting thing I learned while preparing for the downtown tour is that there use to be a place where men gambled on games of pool. Also I learned that whenever they would play pool women and children couldn't look toward where they gambled when they walked or drove by because it was frowned upon. The kids in my group thought that the Elephant Station which was once the shape of an iceberg was once an actual iceberg and they asked why the ice had not melted yet!

I had a great time as a tour leader. I enjoyed teaching the kids about our community's past and how Roanoke use to be. I think it's important to teach the future generation about our community's past. One reason is that they know how our community came to be and that they will treat our community with respect. I also learned a lot of things about our community. I learned that our community had a bus station, dairy queen, belks, and etc. The most interesting thing I learned about our community is that it had 3 movie theaters. I never knew Roanoke Alabama had 3 movie theaters. The Stars Theater, Liberty Theater, and Martin Theater were the 3 theaters in Roanoke. I had an amazing time learning about my community, and would like to keep learning things about it.

Downtown Tour 2015

As a tour leader, I enjoyed getting to interact with the sixth graders and teach them my knowledge of downtown Roanoke. From preparing to teach them in the classroom and downtown, I learned more about our small town. I've obtained a greater appreciation for the buildings and history of this town. I hope that taking the sixth graders on a tour and passing down my knowledge has given them a greater appreciation of Roanoke as well. Most students thoroughly enjoyed the tour and were engaged in learning the whole time. History is important to pass down through generations, especially history of the place you live. Now that these sixth graders know some history of Roanoke, they can pass it along to their siblings, friends, cousins, and others. History is important to plan for the future; we must know the history and preserve it. With the information learned, the young students hopefully gained a sense of pride for this community. Our town will need leaders from this generation one day, and these students already have a jump start on knowing the history. Roanoke had at least two fallout shelters that we know about; one is in the old leader office and the other in old post office which is now a museum. It was fascinating to see the materials and provisions in the basement of the post office. Someone could've done away with those things years ago, but they kept them for future generations to see. I find it interesting to see how items have changed overtime. Hopefully each student had a great time and will pass down something they now know about the history of downtown Roanoke.

Downtown Tour- Heather Cook

I had a very fun experience working with the 6th graders. As a tour leader I felt like they looked up to me as I told them about the history of our town. I had a great time getting to know them. I had a very active group who loved to ask questions, which made me feel good because it seemed like they actually wanted to be there. They were very respectful and always found a way to make me laugh. I think it is very important to have someone teach our future generations about the history of our town. This is because I've learned how important our town has been in the past and the important things/people that has come through our town. I think it's a fun experience for the younger kids especially, because they would rather be out doing something than sitting in a classroom anyhow. They just found a way to make every stop fun for themselves and for me. One of my favorite stops was the old city cafe. As I was talking about the cafe, and the history of the "Gone With The Wind" character who liked to eat there, one of my students says "That's my momma's shop, I'm gonna be famous!" That was probably the most interesting thing I learned that day.

Downtown Tour Experience

While touring the 6th graders around Roanoke, I had a good time. The experience I had is definitely one to remember. I was amazed at how much the 6th graders were interested in learning about the past of our historical town. The 6th graders I had were respectful, eager to learn, and cooperative. It is important that we teach our younger youth about the history of Roanoke so they will be able to pass it down as they begin to get older. Although we live in a small city, I'm proud to live here because there is so much history about this place that served as a big piece of the past. The most interesting thing I've learned while preparing for this project is how much history Roanoke, Alabama has. For such a small town, there is a ton of history and possibly some yet to be discovered. If I had the opportunity to do this again, I wouldn't hesitate to do so. I'm thankful to have educators such as Mrs. Sears, Coach Glass, and Mrs. Baldwin to have given me the chance to find out more about our town.

   My experience as a tour leader and a "Passer Down" of history was great. I really loved the experience of being able to interact with the kids. While they were actually learning things about our  very on town that they live in! It's very important to have people who are able to teach and really know about their town. So that we can pass down this information to generation to generation, so that it will never be forgotten. The most interesting thing that I learned while preparing for this downtown tour. Was that Roanoke at one point and time actually had three movie theater's. Every since I have been living in Roanoke the only theater I actually knew about was the Martin theater. But thanks to the community studies class I now know that Roanoke had the Martin theater, Liberty theater, and Star theater. Which were all mostly on the same corner. One thing that I would like to add was that I was very impressed with the  group that I had. They all was well behaved and exciting to learn about the history of downtown.

Downtown Tour

The most interesting things that I learned during the Downtown Tour were the fascinating facts that I uncovered while preparing for the tour. I learned about how busy and fast-paced Roanoke was in the past. It was very interesting comparing life in Roanoke today to life in Roanoke in the late 19th and early 20th century. I also enjoyed learning about the different businesses that were located downtown and the families that owned them.
Being a tour leader was a very enjoyable experience, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to teach this great group of sixth graders! I loved seeing their reactions to some of the information, and they were very engaged with the scavenger hunt we assigned them.
I hope that these students were as fascinated by this experience as I was. The history of our town isn't necessarily something you can find in a textbook or even on the internet, and I believe that it is very important to learn and pass down our community's past to the generations of the future. If these students learn as much as they can about our history, then they can use that information to improve our community in the future.

Downtown Tour

    My experience as a tour leader was pretty great for the most part.  My group of students was very interested in learning about Roanoke's past and listened to everything I had to teach them.  It is very significant to have someone to teach future generations about our city's past to make them want to help serve the community.  Our town was once very lively and had many thriving businesses.  We only have one fourth of the businesses now that we had back then.  I feel like if we had more people learning about how successful our town was in the past they would want to help restore it back to the way it once was.  The most interesting thing I learned while preparing for the tour was that Clark Gable, one of the main actors from Gone with the Wind, loved to stop and eat at the City Cafe that we once had in Roanoke.  I think this Downtown Tour is a great way to teach children about our past and make them interested in learning by doing things differently than just listening to teachers in a classroom.

Downtown Tour

  It's very important to for the future generations to know about History. Our teachers told us, we told the 6th graders, and the 6th graders will tell the future generations. I think they enjoyed learning more about Roanoke and will tell others about what they learned. I think the most interesting thing I've learned is how much more we had in Roanoke than what we do now. It was very interesting learning that we had 3 movie theaters, a dealership, a dairy queen, and even a Belk. I enjoyed learning about the history of Roanoke. It's very interesting to  see how things were in the past, so teaching the 6th graders was very fun for me. 

The most interesting thing I learned during this whole experience was the lead man actor from Gone With The Wind used to love coming to Roanoke's City Cafe for lunch so much he'd time his trip just right to make sure he could stop and eat there. During the tour I enjoyed teaching the children about Roanoke's history because one day they might need to know those things. The little boy in my picture below was also one of my favorites to show around. We didn't have the best class, but he was well behaved and ready to learn. The downtown tour is a really good idea and should continue in the years to come, because it gives these kids a new appreciation for our little town. Roanoke may not be a big city or well known but its our town and that's what matters.

Downtown Tour

My experience as a tour leader and a "Passer Down" to history was fun. My group members was very cooperative and was very well respectful. They done everything they was told to do. I really loved the experience of being a teacher and teaching other kids things about history. It's a good feeling knowing all the important and past facts about downtown. I never knew the things that I know now. It's a great feeling knowing you can help your community and tell them about the history of downtown because most adults don't know most of the things that's happen in downtown. There's a lot of history and I think people should look more into their history. The most interesting thing I've learned was about the Masonic building, where there was meetings held there.

Downtown Tour

As a tour leader and a "passer down" of history, it was an exciting experience. It was interesting and exciting because it was exciting to learn about our history of our town, and that we have people that are "famous" in our town. Plus, I found out things that I never knew before, and places that were once there are now gone down and the buildings are falling in or scary looking. Sharing this information to the 6th graders was fun because they did not know about our town and now they can pass down to generations about our town, so it lives on. Also the 6th graders seemed excited to find out that we had so many more things and that their grandparents or great grandparents were apart of this wonderful time in Roanoke. Being able to pass down this information makes sure that people, for instance, from 2033 know the history from the 1900s of our town, and know that we were something other than just a city named Roanoke. The most interesting thing I learned about Roanoke is that we actually use to have stores! We had a Belks, a bus station, and a hotel! Who knew that we had a hotel or that a bus station was in Roanoke and buses use to stop by? I loved getting to share the many things about Roanoke and how it use to be because we can actually say that at one point and time we had stores and other businesses. We also had someone "famous" who lived in Roanoke and made porcelain/Ella Smith dolls.  And yet them dolls are now worth a million dollars and are known all over the world! I loved spending time and getting to know our town and loved being able to teach it to the younger generation, for them to pass on!  

Down Town Tour

     My experience as a tour leader was fun and also challenging. The fun part about it I got to joke around at times and other times I had to be serious. The challenging part about being a leader is you having to remember everything and make sure you don't forget nothing. The significance of having someone to teach others kids and students about the history of Roanoke is after you teach them, they can go and teach other people and it can keep getting passed down. One of the most interesting things I learned preparing for this tour is what I learned about the old leader office, I learned that there was an old dentist office up in the top of the building.

   Being a tour leader was a new experience for me. It was fun being a tour leader because of how we went around and telling the 6th graders about our town history. The significance of teaching a future generation about our past is so that they can learn and fix our community in the future and then when they get older they can pass down what they learned to more future generations to come so that we can keep the history alive and going. One of the most interesting things that I learned was that we used to have a Dairy Queen, 3 movie theaters, and a pool hall. Teaching the 6th graders was interesting because they knew about some of the things we were talking about and they could teach us about some things. I had a great time learning and teaching about our town history.

Downtown Tour 2015

Being a tour leader and 'passer down' of history is a hard job, I won't lie. It's a lot of work and there are so many things you have to remember. But I think it's a very important job so that the younger generations can know their history and have the same knowledge as the ones that came before them. It can teach the kids pride of a place they weren't very proud of before, a place that may look run down and shabby to them. Roanoke is shabby, yes, but there's also a lot to learn about this place.

I guess the most interesting thing I learned while studying this topic was how many disastrous things have happened to Roanoke. A lot of things have burned and fallen to the ground. Somehow, though, it still stands today. That has to mean something in the way of perseverance.

It was a wonderful experience being a tour leader for a day. Sharing the history I know to the 6th graders was very interesting. They were excited to see what was next, especially finding the items on the scavenger hunt. The 6th graders thought we were really important because they listened to me, and they participated in what I asked them to do. Once I told them to get away from the road, they listened right then and never got close to the road again. The most interesting thing I learned about while preparing for this project was the Ella Smith house. I got to go in her house and look around at some of her dolls, and I loved how the pigeon house was still there. Something that popped out to me was that her husband bought her that house as a wedding gift. It was a privilege to be able to teach 6th graders about our downtown Roanoke and it was a great experience for me as well getting to know about our downtown Roanoke.

Downtown Tour

Yesterday, on September 15, I had a group of 6th graders that I had to take on a tour of downtown Roanoke. My experience as a tour leader was quite enjoyable because it felt like I was passing down our local history. It felt like I was making a difference in young peoples lives, and I felt that we had fun while learning also. I think that it is very important that someone teaches the younger generations about our local history, just as Mrs. Baldwin and Mrs. Sears taught me. I think that if we don't teach them about it, then our history could be forgotten, and that would not be good. the most interesting thing that I learned about Roanoke is that downtown used to be where everything was. You could just go to downtown and buy you some shoes, groceries, and watch a movie if you wanted to. I think that this tour helped me grow as a student and as a "leader". 

Class Post #1 Due Sept. 8 before 8 a.m.

What do you think about the class so far?  What have you learned?  Compare this class to your more traditional classes at HHS.  Comment away!