From the Civil War, great American heroes emerged: Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglas, Clara Barton, Harriet Tubman. Their stories are well documented, and their life histories are preserved.

But what about the “ordinary” Americans who lived during this extraordinary time? Onekama Elementary School fourth grade students, under the direction of their teacher Gretchen Eichberger-Kudlack, recently completed a letter writing activity to explore the roles ordinary citizens play in making history.

The lesson was part of the students’ study of Michigan and its role in the Civil War. The unit began with a class reading and examination of the book Pink and Say, written by Michigan author Patricia Polacco. Pink and Say is the true story of two Union soldiers—one black and one white—during the Civil War. Patricia Polacco is Sheldon Curtis (Say)’s great-great-granddaughter, and this powerful story of two ordinary soldiers and their great sacrifices and personal discoveries was passed down in her family.

Eichberger-Kudlack used the book to launch her students’ study of Civil War, to investigate racism, conflict, and slavery, and to initiate a conversation about respecting and supporting those who are different from oneself. Students were then asked to write a letter to someone who lived during the Civil War, such as a Confederate or Union child, a Confederate or Union soldier, a slave, a freed slave, a slave owner, or a family member of a soldier. They were encouraged to ask thoughtful questions, to imagine what life was like at that time, to figuratively walk in this person’s shoes, and to try to make a connection with this individual.

The results of the activity were sensational. Student Sydnee Hrachovina wrote in her letter to a former slave, "Did you get any breaks to rest? Did you ever try to escape?" Hanna Hughes wrote to Pinkus Aylee, a Union Soldier and a title character from Polacco’s novel: "How did it feel to be pulled away from the hand that touched Abraham Lincoln? How did it feel to know that you would never be able to finish your fight?" And Caden Johnson asked a slave, “What did you think of your owner?”

Though they are separated by generations and a world very different from the one we live in today, the students gained valuable insight into the emotional costs and harsh realities of the Civil War, as well as the power of the written word to bridge these distances.