#InstructionalMomentMonday aims to recognize great instructional moments in Ohio County Schools and provide feedback on how to keep the instruction going at home!
Mr. Ryan Stanton teaches history at Wheeling Park High School, and for one period a day, he brings an elective close to home. “History of Wheeling” is offered as a history elective and is filled with students of different ages who aim to learn more about the history of the town in which they are growing up.
A graduate of both West Virginia University and West Liberty University, Stanton built the curriculum for History of Wheeling over ten years ago. The course covers our city and all the intricate pieces of information that has made it so unique over the last 100 years.
The class begins with a “Wheeling Warm Up,” and today’s warm up pertains to the 1914 fire of Wheeling High School. The students are engaged and listening as Stanton works through the differences in architecture and safety between current building codes and those of over 100 years ago.
Following the “Wheeling Warm Up” Stanton explains how The Intelligencer has digitized their archives, and begins a new project with students. They are finding headlines within the Ohio Valley from the day of their birth 100 years prior. He also discusses the original version of social media: the “About People” section. In the early aughts, Wheeling residents would submit social updates regarding their thoughts and travels.
Students use technology to pull materials from the Intelligencer and summarize their thoughts. “He knows a lot about Wheeling and it’s interesting to him, and that makes it interesting for us,” a junior reports. Thank you Mr. Stanton for bridging the gap between past and present!
Is your child interested in history? Locally, a visit to the Ohio County Public Library, West Virginia Independence Hall, or Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum features many exhibits that tie into the history of Wheeling and play into the interests of children. Exploring visitwheelingwv.com offers additional local resources for history lovers. More importantly, encouraging your child to listen to history through the respect of elders and an interest in their stories can cultivate a love for history.
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