A Teacher and A Tavern Owner
7th grade Bible and Social Studies teacher Mr. Duncan can be called many things. Christian. Husband and father. Friend. Civil War buff. But today, he is a tavern owner.
Mr. Duncan has given new life to a decades-old tradition at ICS called Tavern Day. Each year, during the waning weeks of second quarter, students prepare speeches based on research done on important people who lived during the American Revolution. If you were to walk into ICS this afternoon, you might pass Benedict Arnold, George Washington, Ben Franklin, Abigail Adams, even lowly redcoat foot soldiers sharing a conversation over a pint of root beer.
Not only does Mr. Duncan encourage looking the part, he encourages sounding it, too. Students are expected to know their personas backwards and forwards and field questions from classmates on why they acted a certain way or fought for a certain cause. For instance, this morning, Thomas Jefferson was met with hostility when it was revealed that though he championed liberty, he still owned slaves! Gasps were heard around the room.
So, weary traveler, we invite you to step inside the Duncan Tavern (albeit virtually). Sit a while and debate the Boston Tea Party. Listen to well-prepared students give thought-provoking soliloquies backed by scripture. Watch the master, Mr. Duncan, bring history alive for a new generation of Americans.
Blog post and photos by: Erika McKellop, Librarian and ICS Blog Enthusiast