On Monday, March 9, English teacher Maria Wishart brought a group of junior English students, and U.S. History teacher Chris Lindley brought his Advanced US History students on a Gatsby-inspired field trip. Students traveled just a few miles to travel back in time. The students visited the West Baden Hotel, French Lick West Baden Museum, and the American Legion to learn about the 1920’s and “The Great Gatsby”.
When students arrived, they split into two groups, with one heading to the West Baden Hotel and the other heading to the Museum. While at the hotel, students received a scavenger hunt to complete and learn about the history. When the other students arrived at the museum, they were greeted by a guide who led them through, while informing them of the history and facts about the town.
“I enjoyed this field trip because I like playing charades and other games with my peers. I found it very educational, and it gave me many ideas for the museum our History class will be doing in April. I also enjoyed the scavenger hunt we did at the Dome,” said junior Cheyenne Hopper.
After both groups finished attending both the West Baden Hotel and the Museum, students headed to the American Legion to have a Gatsby-inspired party.
Students participated by bringing food and entertainment and by dressing in 1920s-themed outfits for the party.
“I love watching the kids get into this trip. We had some students who really went all out with costumes and party food. It is a fun way to connect to the literature and to our local history,” said Wishart.
Lindley’s students are using this experience to plan for the annual Night at the Museum event coming in April.
“Even though there are always some logistical issues in a trip with this many students, we had a pretty good day. We would love to have had a tour guide at the Dome to fill us in on the more unknown details, but we still learned some new information. The museum tour definitely helped students appreciate our local area more, and the party was a great deal of fun,” said Lindley.
