History Day

Yesterday I had the most marvelous experience at Zalud Park. I was one of 56 presenters in the annual Butterfield Stage History Education Day for 4th Graders of the area.

1,400 or more of active 10-year-olds came, with their teachers, to be led to a different presenter's station every 20 minutes. High School students were utilized as guides or escorts for the classes, taking them around the class's next presentation in various locations all over Zalud Park.

Long lines of students waiting to be served a hearty lunch. But, waiting time in line was only about 15 minutes or less. 

The variety of presentations was diverse and covered many different subjects. Subjects ranged from tanning hides, an Indian TeePee, Corn Husk Dolls, Playing Stringed Instruments (like banjo, zither, etc), branding pieces of wood, cooking in a Dutch Oven over a fire, Indian dances and games, and old tools used by pioneers.  These are only the ones I could see, as I didn't get an opportunity to go around and look myself.

My subject was "Reading Cattle Brands." The basic rules of reading brands are simple, but if you don't know how it can be confusing.  I was raised in the cattle industry so grew up around it, and learned how to tell the difference between a Lazy R or a Hanging S.

I created a PowerPoint (actually it's in Keynote, a Mac application) presentation, which could be used in a classroom if there were a TV to use.  Because I was to be outside, I printed mine out on paper so each "page" could be held up for kids to see. I also took a handful of old brands to show as well.

I needed a helper to hold up the pages while I stood in front of the kids to show the brands, and explain everything.  I went to the folks running the show and asked for someone to come be my assistant for the entire day.  Very quickly Lao, a young man in his second year with the California Conservation Corp (CCC), showed up, "You needed some help?"

Lao standing ready for action.  Some of the kids approaching our station. Pages are all in the box in order, ready for him to hold them up for me.  His Red Hat indicates he is a Crew Leader, and not a Blue Hat, or a "newbie."
Notice the yellow fire truck beside his hat in the background.

Lao was quite impressed with the affair, and commented to me, "Gee. I wish we'd have had something like this in Fresno where I went to school."

It was an excellent day for the students and teachers from both the Porterville Unified schools as well as several of the outlying schools.  When I asked, I was told the Porterville schools provided 800 attendees, and the remainder came from places like Burton, Terra Bella, and Springville.  A teacher and their entire class of 4th Grade students moved between the presenters as a group, staying together during the entire time.

The students were made into four different teams (colors of Red, Blue Green, Orange) and moved to a new location when the fire truck parked in the parking gave a blast on the siren. The high school student knew where they were going next, and would take the class to their next assigned location all over Zalud Park.

We started the first presentation at 9:00 a.m. doing 6 by 11:00 a.m. then broke for lunch for an hour.  The school district had made a really nutritious "goulash" sort of meal of hamburger, corn, macaroni elbows, seasoning etc, and then a serving of Apple Betty, a nice muffin, and milk.  Not gourmet, but very decent, and filling.

At 12:00 p.m. we started up again, doing another 4 presentations in the afternoon.  Everything ran like a well-oiled machine, and literally zero problems.

I had a ball, thoroughly enjoying watching the kids, and presenting to them.  Most were wonderful, and none were a problem.  Some were more attentive than others, but almost all went away knowing a little more than when they arrived 20 minutes earlier.

A real tip of the cap to the folks at PUSD for putting this on for the 13th year.  It was originally started by the Porterville Chamber and was a 2-day affair, general public on Thursday, kids on Friday.  When they dropped it, the schools thought it so valuable an addition to the education of the kids, they have continued it, but only as a 1-day affair and only for 4th Graders.