Academic Decathlon
by Jane Antholz
November 15, 2007
What is the
common thread between the following: Gangrene, Winslow Homer, the
Tall Soldier, the Virginia Minstrels, National Banking Act, and
conscription? This yearâs topic for Academic
Decathlon: The Civil War.
Academic Decathlon provides students of all learning levels an
opportunity to excel and broaden their academic knowledge and
skills. It also fosters teamwork, competitiveness, research and
life-long learning.
The students are learning about the Civil War period by studying
the following subject areas: literature, social science, art, math,
economics, music social impact, and how medical science played a
key role in events. Students look at how society and the war were
impacted by advances and creations in these subject areas.
In January the Decathlon students will match their intellects with
students from others schools by taking six exams over art,
economics, language & literature, math, music, and
science. Super Quiz, a fast-pasted quiz bowl
like event, will cover social science and is the only event that is
open to the public.
The following is a sampling of what Decathlon students, in
preparation for January, will be focusing onâ¦
- Causes of the Civil War
- John Brownâs role in the Civil War
- Photography and its use as a documentary device
- Art and its use by abolitionists to strengthen their campaign
- Rise of minstrel shows
- Dr. Joseph Listerâs contribution to germ theory
- Gangrene: how it was treated and its effect on soldiers
- Stephen Craneâs Red Badge of Courage
- Music in the African-American community
- The costs of the war
- Viability of the slave system
