SLU history workshop focuses on Louisiana disasters

New Orleans CityBusiness, Oct 31, 2005 by CityBusiness Staff Report

In the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Southeastern Louisiana University is sponsoring a workshop for history teachers on Hurricanes, Epidemics and Floods: Natural Disasters in Louisiana History. The workshop, scheduled for Nov. 19, is available through the Teaching American History Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education to Southeastern, Tangipahoa Parish Public Schools, Louisiana Public Broadcasting and other educational partners. The workshop will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Fayard Hall, Room 101 at Southeastern. It will provide teachers with knowledge, resources and hands-on activities exploring past Louisiana disasters from epidemics and hurricanes to the 1927 flood. Sessions, presented by Southeastern history, geography, sociology, psychology and education professors, will also detail the geography of natural disasters and environmental challenges in Louisiana's past. Southeastern public historian David Benac and psychology professor Matt Rossano, whose research focuses on memory, will present a session showing teachers how students can conduct oral histories as a learning experience and as therapy. Ann Trappey, director of the TAH project, said participating teachers can earn a $65 stipend and receive a six-hour certificate of instruction. She said teachers can also apply hours toward Continuing Learning Units. Teachers will also receive the Louisiana Public Broadcasting video and book, Louisiana: A History and a teacher's guide for classroom use.The workshop is open to teachers in the grant's 14 school districts: East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Washington, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana and Tangipahoa parishes, and the cities of Bogalusa, Baker and Zachary. Given the workshop's timely focus on Louisiana natural disasters, Trappey and Bill Robison, head of Southeastern's Department of History and Political Science and academic coordinator for the grant, said teachers from parishes not included in the grant are also welcome to attend. The response to the workshop has been amazing, Robison said. We have had heard from more than 150 teachers and expect the number to go higher.To register or for more information, contact Trappey at Cynthia.Trappey@tangischools.org, by phone at (985) 748-2443 or by fax at (985) 748-2445. Information is also available online at www.selu.edu/news/fall05.html.>