Satellite Broadcast Seeks To Enliven Study of History

By Candice Furlan

Employees and supporters of the Gettysburg National Military Park are gearing up for a live satellite broadcast from the Pennsylvania battlefield to schools across the country on May 3, when 4th through 8th graders can travel back in time to the battle of Gettysburg in July 1863.

The goal of the broadcast, according to its organizers, is to help students gain a greater understanding of the common Civil War soldier, the organization of the Civil War armies, and the battle’s historical context.

"Gettysburg: The Soldier’s Battle" will focus on one soldier from a Confederate regiment and one from a Union regiment during one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Scott Harwig, the military park’s supervisory historian, hopes the broadcast will demonstrate the war’s "human element" to students. "Usually in a textbook it just says, ‘This many people were killed at Gettysburg, and Lincoln gave his address here,’ " he said. "They’re looked at as just facts and figures...