Major Cannon of Great Britain and America from 1780-1880 as a Model to Promote the Concept of ‘living History’
Fred Kerson and Eugene Johnson
Guide Entry to 81.02.04
It is our belief that practical work experience, directly related to material to be studied and taught, will bring meaningful activity to subject matter usually relegated to reading and lecture only, within the classroom environment. Activity is Life. As technology advances and many basic skills become more relegated to automation’s processes, a realistic sense of man’s accomplishments can be lost forever to the general population. It is our experience that this historical sense can be revived and spread when the departments of History and Industrial Arts coordinate and consult to produce a curriculum unit. History provides a vast wealth of major artifacts for a period study. The various areas of Industrial Arts afford graphic and mechanical experiences. A cooperative effort can result in a vital and moving unit of study.
In our unit we have presented an abbreviated historical segment and a practical work experience directly related to this segment. Our historical segment is entitled, ‘Major Cannon of Great Britain and America from 1780 to 1880’; our related practical experience is How We Made a British 3-Pound Field Piece in the Industrial Arts Department’s Shops. When taken together as a unit of study, one compliments and enriches the other. We believe that this approach, tailored or geared to any subject area, will enhance the study and teaching of that subject area by breathing the life of activity into it.
(Recommended for 6th—12th grade Industrial Arts and History.)
Key Words
Artillery American History British Industrial Arts Cannon Construction
