Making local history personal, as well as quick and easy for teachers to access, are two of the goals of the free teacher resources developed by the University of West Georgia’s Center for Public History.

“A Walk Through Bremen: Documenting and Preserving Community History” is a collection of documents and activities designed for local teachers that can be found at www.westga.edu/cph. The teacher resources are part of a larger initiative for reviving the city of Bremen, made possible by a grant from the Georgia Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities and through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly.

“All teachers — elementary school, middle school, high school — could considerably find something on [the Web site] that could be useful,” said UWG History Professor Ann McCleary. “And, actually, anyone in the community might be interested.”

The Web site contains regionally relevant articles from the New Georgia Encyclopedia on the subjects of railroads, Creek Indians and Haralson County. It also has lesson plans about a variety of topics, such as using cemeteries to conduct historical research and how to document oral history.

“The idea is to try to get all the teachers to see how they could incorporate something about Bremen because if you make history more relevant to students [...] it will connect with them. You can connect with the community. They’ll be more engaged,” McCleary said.

History teachers aren’t the only ones who can use the resources. McCleary said the curriculum is adaptable for English, art and photography classes. For example, music teachers can plan lessons about Sacred Harp Music, a well-known shape-note song book published by west Georgians B.F. White and E.J. King in 1844, while drafting and art students can research historical architecture in Georgia. The lessons might also be of interest to civic and church groups researching local history, McCleary said.

The Center for Public History is available to provide consultations to teachers who are interested in including Bremen history in their lessons and need assistance.

On Jan. 11, Graduate Research Assistant Meghan Donahue shared information about the Center’s services with teachers at Bremen Middle School.

“Right now we’re trying to get the word out about resources for teachers. I’ve just been the one trying to talk to the teachers and get it out in the community,” Donahue said.

A Bremen travel trunk filled with historical artifacts, notebooks and props is being assembled and will include information on rail roads, textiles, mill life and Sacred Harp Music.

“I just think it’s about making those local connections. You’re teaching a history that they can see tangibly when they’re driving through their square and understanding all these things,” Donahue said.

Involving students in historical preservation is important to the future, McCleary added.

“If we want to think about history being preserved, we need to think about getting the younger people to realize that it’s important because they’re the ones who will be preserving it down the road,” she said.

For more information on “A Walk Through Bremen: Documenting and Presenting Community History” visit www.westga.edu/cph. The Center for Public History is located in Carrollton on the campus of University of West Georgia, Pafford Hall, Room 207, and can be reached by calling 678-839-6141.