ODY eighth-grade students had an opportunity recently to immerse themselves in Civil War history with the help of two master storytellers as part of the Herkimer BOCES Honors Program.
Master storytellers Lorna Czarnota and Merri Lee Debanyas performed their “Letters Home: Civil War Stories” — a historical presentation that provides insight into the war from the perspective of fictional characters based on two real-life women — one from the north and one from the south — who disguised themselves as soldiers to fight in the war. The storytellers portray the women through their letters home, monologues and music.
During the second half of the program, eight-graders explored artifacts and pictures from the Civil War and participated in a storytelling workshop to develop their own fictional Civil War characters. They wrote and performed their own monologues that reflected on ways in which this conflict affected every facet of American society.
