The Sons of Liberty Museum and the Army Air Corps Library and Museum have a new approach to teaching military history within the scope of our mantra of "Saving Military History One Soldier at a Time".
While it is a given that history and military history are part of the equation many aspects of service have been overlooked. It is widely accepted that the US military has been the most well equipped and trained of any country. What has been overlooked is the training that we are going to redefine as the "education" of our forces. Nowhere do you find more engineers and other advanced degrees than in the present day military, but it was not always so. So what happened in WW2 for instance?
Take for example the navigator in the Army Air Forces. Typically from the point of induction and reporting for duty it took 9 months of training and a soldier was able to be sent overseas. So how would one without any experience or knowledge learn how to navigate their aircraft from their base to the target and back? They learned the science of weather, the physics of flight, the geography of terrain and the mathematical calculations required to navigate an aircraft from point to point to point.
The Navy trained navigators as well in their craft of the seas. They read the depth charts, currents, maps and calculated direction and timeframes. The Army artilleryman calculated projectile size & weight, powder charge, wind and elevation to deliver his payload to a target. Today, payload and jumpmaster calculate cargo weight, aircraft speed and height, wind directions to be able deliver a payload of supplies and even vehicles via parachute to a target.
Cryptographers leveraged math and analytical skills to create and break communication codes of the enemy. In fact, the American Revolution saw the documented use of codes and ciphers by George Washington.
Engines and Gears increased horsepower enabling vehicles to go farther and faster.
The education in Science, Math and the application of new and advancing engineering technologies are behind them doing their 'job'. History books have ever shrinking sections on America's wars. Yet, there is so much science, technology, engineering and math associated with them that it would be negligent to ignore these innovations that have advanced society and won wars.
The military offers great real-world examples of the implementation of various foundational concepts that students are taught. A student may find a member of their family used a technology or method of their time; making a familial connection to the instruction, capturing the student's attention in a new way.
This section of our website contains learning materials for educators with links to primary source materials, documents, tests and much more.
In September 2023 we launched our new Mobile Museum designated MM-1776. We can bring this fieldtrip directly to your school.
This page contains a link to the first exhibit / program. number 1 and other educational topics. We will continue to add eductional material on this page throughout the school year.
No industry over the last 100 years has leveraged these concepts more and placed them into practical application than the US Military. The traditional connotation of a military museum is one of static displays of tanks, aircraft, boats, old uniforms and weapons. The Sons of Liberty Museum and Army Air Corps Library and Museum want to turn this thought on its head and consider the concept through an entirely new lens. While the slogan of "Saving Military History One Soldier at a Time" is at the core of our existence, it is how that Citizen Soldier applied STEM subjects along with the disciplines of History and Geography in performing their particular function or military occupational specialty (MOS).
Using technology and creative storytelling the Museum will present the history of various service members and their military units blending in the influence and application of the educational components in a phrase that we have coined as STEM-HG.
Children and the community are fascinated by the military; their vehicles, equipment and soldiers and "how does it work or how was it used". However, they probably don't consider the background and the concept of "How was it made and what enabled it to be made". Using this as a blueprint for our enhanced education programs we will provide foundational learning of STEM-HG and its applications from past through evolution to the present. We hope to stimulate critical thinking and evaluation skills whereas students will find new enthusiasm for their core educational math and science classes and pursue more engineering and technology careers.
- learn research skills
- enhance critical thinking skills
- learn practical & historical application of mathematics
- learn practical & historical application of physics
- learn practical & historical application of chemistry
- learn practical & historical application of applied sciences
- learn through history, innovation, and forced solution seeking
- learn all through the evolution of technologies and breakthroughs in various fields
- understand and evaluate context including history, geography through the lens of civics, government.
- experience this through the eyes of a citizen soldier and their real-world problems and solutions.
- bringing the person to life with artifacts and many primary source materials in the museum's collection.
So how do STEM-HG education concepts fit in a Military History Museum? We believe that they are inextricably linked. Material will be added to this section of the website as we explain the influence and application of these disciplines through the service of individuals:
A large number of educational concepts can be presented under a few banners: "how does it work, how is it used", "how was it made and what enabled it to be made", "advances and improvements" and "who used and did what and where".
Programs would be tailored for age specific demographics. A few examples follow including possible disciplines for consideration.
Based on the symbols of American patriotism, requires students to collect “pieces” of our history while identifying major historical figures. Following a gallery exploration, small groups work to solve the “puzzle.” A math graphing activity may be used to extend the experience at school.
What Is It? allows students to expand critical thinking skills through an artifact identification program. Students use their senses to identify hidden objects, trying to discover who used it, how it was used, and why it was important. After making tactile inferences, students explore galleries to find the “real things” and put them into historical perspective.
How do I get from A to B. Navigating aircraft to a target. Identify methods of navigation and using math and geography determine routes and timing. Create an activity where students set an airline schedule for travel from Dallas to Washington and other parts around the globe.
How math was applied in the creation of ciphers and encryption. Exercises in solving and decrypting messages using different techniques.
Some topics that can be related to real world experiences by those in the military as well as the general public.
While a number of these topics may seem to only target high school and advanced placement; the components avail themselves in all types of lessons and exercises in much earlier grades. For example, patterning in elementary gives way to foundational elements of cryptography.