Dinner Party of the Century: AP History Seats Historical Figures

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Carlie Wolfer, Staff Writer

Students in Mrs. Ratledge’s AP U.S. History and AP European History have been working on a challenging project titled “Dinner Party.”  Dylan Pierce, a junior, said, “Mrs. Ratledge assigned us a list of people in American History, and we had to pick people to place at the dinner table where they would argue the least.”  Each person who is at the dinner party is a character in history. Each student has to figure out the seating arrangement for the historical figure. Mrs. Ratledge said, “The dinner party is an intimate setting, so you don’t want to sit certain people beside one another because it may cause arguments or conflict. In order to do this accurately, you have to understand their point of view when it comes to politics and research information to back your placements.” Students had to find specific details on why each dinner guest should be placed beside another guest  and why certain people in history would not work placed next to one another.”

Students were given a month to complete this project. With every project comes challenges. One of the most challenging aspects of the Dinner Party project is placing Andrew Jackson at the dinner table. Pierce said, “Finding a placement for Andrew Jackson was difficult, as he caused some sort of conflict with everyone.”

Aside from the struggle, this project benefits study habits, AP test preparation, and thinking outside the box. Parker Campbell, a sophomore, said, “ I would recommend students taking this class if they are willing to put in the work and effort. You have to be prepared to work for your grade,” Mrs. Ratledge said, “It makes students analyze, which I think is a harder skill to obtain in history. My AP test is set up around analyzing history and you truly have to understand the analysis of each historical figure, as an individual.”

Though this project is challenging, students explain that it has been important in their development as students. Parker Campbell truly enjoyed this assignment. He said,“It was like a puzzle. I liked the logical aspect of it, and though I found it very difficult, it helped me develop as a student,” The project requires researching the lives and accomplishments of figures in history, providing an interactive way to learn. “Previously, my study habits were nonexistent, so this class prompted me to put in the extra effort,” said Pierce.

Mrs. Ratledge defines this project as one that prepares students for the long run. “60% of the AP test is writing, so you’re going to have to be able to pull in some specifics. This project is hard, and I can’t lie about that. But, I try to give all the students enough time and when they have questions, we will discuss it, and I’ll definitely help them.” Students at Armuchee High School enjoy these rigorous courses taken with Mrs. Ratledge and look forward to projects in the future.