Miller Middle School teacher visits WWI sites in France
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO <br/> Miller Middle School teacher Ann Jackson reads a eulogy she wrote for Pvt. Frederick Eckstrom, a Swedish immigrant who moved to Marshalltown before joining the service in World War I.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO <br/> Jackson visited many historic World War I sites in France this month, including this German trench.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO <br/> Miller Middle School teacher Ann Jackson reads a eulogy she wrote for Pvt. Frederick Eckstrom, a Swedish immigrant who moved to Marshalltown before joining the service in World War I.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO <br/> Jackson visited many historic World War I sites in France this month, including this German trench.
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PARIS - June has been an exciting month for one local school teacher and history buff.
Last week, Miller Middle School Extended Learning Program teacher Ann Jackson landed in France for a history-filled trip to explore World War I sites as part of Memorializing the Fallen, a National History Day program.
"We've spent our time going through all of the American cemeteries and speaking with superintendent's of those cemeteries," Jackson said. "It's been such a rich time of learning, not only about World War I but also collaborating with other teachers."
The program included 16 other U.S. teachers. Jackson was chosen out of 334 applicants to take the trip. Along with American cemeteries, the group also checked out German war trenches, chapels, monuments and more.
This year is of particular significance when it comes to World War I. Exactly 100 years ago Friday, the warring nations signed the Treaty of Versailles, bringing an end to one of the bloodiest wars in human history.
The treaty was monumental in 20th century history. According to National Geographic, the treaty included harsh terms for one of the primary nations in the conflict -- Germany.
Specifically, the treaty stripped a large chunk of land from German territory, dwindled the country's military and demanded war reparations totaling about $37 billion in U.S. dollars, among other demands.
Many historians say the treaty was, in part, responsible for the dire financial situation Germany soon found itself in. With an economy struggling mightily, figures like Adolf Hitler were able to rise and take power.
Jackson said it was interesting to see the areas directly impacted by World War I and to think about how decisions made 100 years ago shaped future events.
"We get to study the lessons of the Treaty of Versailles and think about how the international community should communicate to one another," she said.
As part of the trip, Jackson studied a soldier from the war in order to right a eulogy when visiting that soldier's grave. She chose to write about American Pvt. Frederick Eckstrom, who emigrated from Sweden to Marshalltown before joining the service.
"Frederick was killed on his first night in the front lines," Jackson said.
Her studies and journeys around France gave her a new perspective on a century-old war. Specifically, Jackson said that visiting grave sites and speaking about Eckstrom made her focus on how the war impacted individual people, not just nations and the world.
"Those are people, not just faceless soldiers," Jackson said.
She said she is excited to bring back all that she has learned in the last several months of travel and study to her XLP classroom. The XLP program sees Marshalltown do many academic tasks, and a common one is to do historical research projects.
Jackson said her new knowledge and perspective about one of the most influential wars in history will benefit students at Miller. She thanked National History Day, the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum and Library for the opportunity.
"I know that my students will be impacted tremendously in the fall," she said.