E. Claiborne Robins, Jr., Teachers Institute 2011
An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia
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2010 Teachers Institute participants and VHS staff pose for a picture. |
The 2011 E. Claiborne Robins, Jr., Teachers Institute was held in conjunction with the Virginia Historical Society’s major exhibition, An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia. From 1861 through 1865 Virginia stood at the center of a military and social revolution. How we define freedom, liberty, patriotism, and nation today is directly related to the diverse experiences of the individuals who participated in the Civil War. The Institute will explore how a single event, separated from us by 150 years, so fundamentally reshaped American society that its impact is still experienced today. What was gained by the Civil War, what was lost, and what is left for us to resolve.
The 2011 Robins Institute consisted of six separate evening programs held on Thursday evenings in the Fall. Teachers had the option to attend some or all of the programs.
The E. Claiborne Robins, Jr., Teachers Institute is open to all Virginia public and private elementary and secondary school teachers but is targeted to teachers of Virginia Studies, USII, & VA/US History. Participants were selected by members of the society's educators advisory board.
Sponsored by The National Endowment for the Humanities, the M&M/Mars Education Fund, and the Robert Hill Carter Fund for Virginia Local History.
Secession
"Showdown in Virginia: The 1861 Convention and the Fate of the Union" by William H. Freehling
Thursday, September 22, 2011 | Time: 5:00 p.m.–7:45 p.m.
The debates at the Virginia Convention of 1861 offer a window into the Upper South’s struggle over the issue of disunion, in contrast to the overwhelming secessionist sentiment in the Lower South. William H. Freehling, Singletary Professor of the Humanities Emeritus at the University of Kentucky will explore the secession convention in Virginia and its long, tortuous road to disunion.
Following the presentation, VHS staff will conduct a workshop on the subject using letters, diaries, and documents from the Society’s collections.
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The Civil War in Art
"Winslow Homer, Civil War Correspondent," by Beth O'Leary
Thursday, September 29, 2011 | Time: 5:00 p.m.–7:45 p.m.
At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Winslow Homer was a twenty-four year-old freelance illustrator who worked for such publications as Harper’s Weekly. On assignment as an artist/correspondent to that New York news magazine, Homer journeyed to Virginia with Union troops. This lecture follows the young artist to the front and explores his written and visual responses to war during the Yorktown and Petersburg campaigns.
Following the presentation, Teachers will tour the Civil War artwork at the Virginia Historical Society and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. For this program, attendance is limited to 50 teachers.
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Music in the Civil War
"Music in the Civil War", by Al Neale
Thursday, October 20, 2011 | Time: 5:00 p.m.–7:45 p.m.
This workshop focuses on both the music and the instruments of the Civil War era. Neale will demonstrate how to make simple instruments to use in class, how to write song lyrics to teach history, and how to use lyrics as marching chants. He will help teachers understand America's popular musical culture at the time of the Civil War and explore how that popular culture affects us today. He will also examine how song lyrics are a form of storytelling and will distribute lesson plans and song sheets.
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Women in Civil War Virginia
"Beyond the Call of Duty, Women in Civil War Virginia," by Liz Varon
Thursday, October 27, 2011 | Time: 5:00 p.m.–7:45 p.m.
When the Civil War began, female patriotism was defined narrowly as a willingness to sacrifice one’s men folk to the cause and to support the troops. But as the war unfolded, Confederate and Unionist women went far beyond this definition. Many took on new responsibilities and dangers, in the fields of war work, medicine, espionage, and even soldiering, while many others protested conditions in the Confederacy, blurring the distinction between home front and battlefront.
Following the presentation, VHS staff will conduct a workshop on the subject using letters, diaries, and documents from the Society’s collections.
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The Civil War on the World Wide Web
"The Civil War on the Web," by Andrew Talkov
Thursday, November 3, 2011 | Time: 5:00 p.m.–7:45 p.m.
Not surprisingly, our 150 year obsession with the American Civil War has migrated to the world-wide-web. Over 75,000 books have been written on the subject, but a simple Google search for “American Civil War” returns nearly 10-million results. Historians, teachers, and students increasingly use the internet to conduct research and we’ll look at the best [and worst] online resources and learn how to tell the difference.
Following the presentation, VHS staff will conduct a tour of American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia.
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Medicine in the Civil War
"Civil War Medicine," by National Museum of Civil War Medicine
Thursday, November 10, 2011 | Time: 5:00 p.m.–7:45 p.m.
During the Civil War, 416,000 soldiers died of disease while 206,000 soldiers died from wounds. Antibiotics and antiviral drugs had not yet been discovered. This workshop will focus on diseases and how both sickness and war-related wounds were treated during the war.
Following the presentation, VHS staff will conduct a workshop on the subject using letters, diaries, and documents from the Society’s collections.
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How to Apply:
Please contact clegros@vahistorical.org to register for the program.
Testimonials from past institutes
I've been meaning to write you all and properly express my thanks for the fantastic job you all did with the summer institute. I have participated in many of these, but this was by far the most professional, well-planned, and engaging seminar that I've attended in my career. I recently used many of the resources from the institute in planning a county-wide inservice on teaching the Brown decision. I'm also planning on replicating the Farmville walking-tour on a field trip with my students this Spring. The institute greatly influenced my classroom teaching because I now use the Farmville story as a case-study for students to learn about Plessy, Brown, and Massive Resistance. I'm not trying to write a resume here, but I only mention this because I believe it is a testament to the hard work of you and your staff.
—Beau Dickenson, Rockingham County
"This topic was of particular interest to me—I loved the way so many aspects of Virginia Indians were examined. I was very excited to participate—the week exceeded my expectations! I learned more in one week about Virginia than I have in twenty years of living here. This was better than any college course I have taken. It was a true gift. Thank you."
— Marcia Hunt
"Exceptionally well-planned, executed institute that provides a history teacher with superb tools, regardless of the subject he/she teaches. My enhanced knowledge of archaeology, anthropology, ethnology, and linguistics will definitely benefit me in my World History classroom."
— Milondra Coleman
"The afternoon with Doug Owsley was a powerful experience. It was a privilege to meet a man who is so passionate about his work. Working with human skeletons was an unforgettable experience."
— Betsy Saunders
"I can't wait to share your wealth of resources with other staff members at my school!"
— Melissa Hallowell
Past Institutes
Read about previous Teachers Institutes
Also related:
Brenton S. Halsey Teaching Excellence Award
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