Students bring history alive with radio dramas

(Above) John Jaszewski, from KCMR in Mason City, meets with CLHS students to record their original radio dramas.  The students’ projects will air on FM 97.7 beginning Tuesday, March 8.-Submitted photo.

Projects will air on KCMR Radio in March

History has come alive for Clear Lake High School students, and soon the public will share in the experience.

Juniors in an English class taught by Sarah Raymond and an American History class taught by Kate Richtsmeier have combined the two fields of study to create Civil War radio dramas.  Their work will be aired on KCMR 97.7 FM starting Tuesday March 8, at 7 p.m.  That  program will be rebroadcast on Wednesday, March 9, and one more time on Saturday, March 12.  The second program will then air the following week on the same days and times.  Subsequent 15-minute programs will air on the same schedule.

The idea to create radio dramas was presented to schools by John Jaszewski, a volunteer announcer and special projects producer at KCMR.  Jaszsewski recently went in to the classrooms to record the dramas for airing.

Raymond and Richtsmeier explained the project spanned three weeks, allowing students time to work in small groups to develop a storyline, characters and screen play about some aspect of the Civil War era.  Twenty-four students worked to bring stories based in Iowa, New York, Georgia or Alabama to life.

“They had to use their notes from our classes to build storylines.  I think the most fun was seeing the information we shared with them pop up in unusual ways,” said

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Richtsmeier.  “They were not just preparing a report, they were writing a play.  They had to think about people and incorporate personal life experiences into their story.”

Students used the internet and books on the Civil War to learn about details ranging from the types of weapons used, to medicine and even slang used at the time.  They also incorporated music and sound effects to help transport the listener to the story setting.

“The kids were eager to ask questions and wanted our input as they worked,” added Raymond.  “It was an interesting process to see a group take input and advice and add in the history.”

The project has even created a few new fans to the relatively lost art of radio drama.  Students have continued to visit the National Archives on-line to listen to suspense stories, according to the teachers.

That’s the outcome Jaszewski was hoping for.  The goal of the radio drama partnership with schools was to draw young listeners to the radio station.

“The students responded well to John and seemed to like the challenge of this project.  I think the value beyond school was immense,” said Richtsmeier.  “This would be a project we’d like to continue.”

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