History comes alive in LC classroom
Voltaire mingled with his cane in hand. Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe wore tinfoil instead of the usual gold and silver nose he used to cover his disfigurement from a dual. Baron de Montesquieu came wrapped in his usual attire of a toga, a nod from the French philosopher for his love of Rome’s laws.
Lewis and Clark High School classes in Advanced Placement European History took on a more animated flavor Thursday as students throughout the day portrayed 16th and 17th century philosophers of the Enlightenment in a modern salon.
“A salon back then would have been like a cocktail party,” said teacher Susie Gerard.
Pairs of students were required to walk up and present themselves to other students and guests for the day’s assignment. Some would chatter away and take questions in stride. Some paused and blushed slightly at questions.
Some students emulated philosophers by acting and talking as if they were channeling historic figures. Gerard started the salon 10 years ago to get her students actively involved with learning.
The classroom during third period was packed wall-to-wall and filled with chatter about astronomy, political theory and mathematical concepts.
The exercise of the Enlightenment salon was the last bit of review before a test today.
To avoid flopping as a Jean-Jacques Rousseau, students had to prep for several weeks to think on their feet.
In the past few years, more and more parents have been showing up, Gerard said. The salon has become something that more students have shown an enthusiasm for sharing with their families, she said.
About 10 parents and friends came for each class.
Christy Beiber came at her daughter’s request. She smiled as a student came up to her and said, “I’m Rene Descartes. I’m the father of modern geometry.”
“Some of them are pretty shy,” Beiber said. And obviously, some students were not shy at all. “I wish I had more questions to ask them.”
Her daughter was Montesquieu and wore a toga that tied her daughter and another girl together, which helped them embody the philosopher as a single entity.
The AP course is one of eight offered at LC.
AP classes are among the most challenging offered by high schools. Students spend the year preparing for a test at year’s end that, if they score three or higher on a scale of five, earns them credit at most colleges.
“There’s no guarantee they’ll earn any college credit,” said school counselor Jon Patton.
That depends entirely on their test performance.
The AP courses are recognized nationally for their rigorous demands. “It’s a national standard,” Patton said.
On top of that, students made unexpected discoveries.
Rachael Hoak, 17, was surprised to learn of Galileo’s devout religious beliefs, especially considering his scientific research landed him in hot water with the church.
Hoak said Galileo struggled to balance science and religion. He ended up in house arrest by the church for 30 years, she said.
“You just never hear about the personal lives of scientists,” Hoak said.
Nathan Williams, 17, appreciated the ability to get up and move around during class, a welcome break from lectures.
What he heard from other student philosophers was mostly a rehashing of material already covered, he said. But when he goes to take the AP test, he’ll know his philosopher, Johannes Kepler, backward and forward, he said.