EDUCATION & SCHOOLS

New program combines US history, Hamilton musical in Utah classrooms

Apr 17, 2018, 10:28 PM | Updated: Apr 18, 2018, 1:36 am

MONTICELLO, Utah – It’s a new craze hitting schools across the nation: EduHam. It’s a program combining U.S. history and the popular musical, Hamilton. In all, 40 schools from all over Utah are participating, with 2,300 students in total enrolled in the program.

“I love listening to the soundtrack. I’ve been listening to it for like a year,” Monticello High School student Aspen English said. “It is so great that we get to learn about our founding fathers in a unique way.”

This past semester, in their U.S. history classes, students studied Alexander Hamilton, the man and the musical, with the goal of seeing the show at the Eccles Theatre in downtown Salt Lake City. Each school had to submit an application to participate in EduHam.

East High School student Yreli Facio was ecstatic when her class was given the all-clear.

“Oh my gosh, I absolutely freaked out,” she said. “I really enjoy the musical, so I am glad we get to work to see the musical at the end of the semester.”

The program was adopted by Mr. Dimick’s U.S. history classes at the beginning of the school year.

“It’s fun to see them get stoked about something that happened a long time ago,” East High School teacher Matt Dimick said.

His students spent the semester learning about our founding fathers and creating a unique way to share that history through a performance.

“So just like the producers of the musical, they look at a primary source document, pull out the keywords and then they have to convey the meaning through a poem, rap, or act out a scene,” he said.

Student Jayden Paredes performed his final project in the form of a poem. He said this program has brought students with different interests together.

“Before I learned about it I thought, ‘Oh, it’s just a musical, it’s alright’ but then once I discovered it was hip-hop-based and it was a very poetic type of thing, I was extremely interested in it,” Paredes said.

Monticello High School history teacher Lynda Boyle said her students had a unique opportunity to explore a part of history that has been thrown in the spotlight because of the popular musical.

“We jumped on it and worked hard to get the curriculum in place, and the kids had a tremendous learning experience,” Boyle said.

The 2,300 students will be attending Hamilton at the Eccles Theater on May 4 for $10. Twelve student finalists will also perform their piece on stage, and attend a question and answer session with the musical’s cast.

KSL 5 TV Live

Education & Schools

The "Teach Hers" event in Davis School District hopes to keeps girls' interests in careers that are...

Mike Anderson

‘Tech Hers’ event shows girls they can seek careers stereotypically for boys

The Davis School District is making a special effort to keep girls interested in tech fields.

1 day ago

Prema Chruthoti, a third grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary in the Granite School District, is one...

Karah Brackin

Granite Education Foundation honors teachers, administrators with Excel Awards

Every year, the Granite Education Foundation honors nine teachers and one administrator in what is called the Excel Awards. 

2 days ago

North Davis Jr. High robotics team...

Mike Anderson

Anonymous donation sends Utah junior high robotics team to world championship

A robotics team at North Davis Junior High is headed to the World Championship.

5 days ago

FAFSA form...

Katie Lobosco, CNN

New FAFSA calculation error by Education Department could further delay some students’ college decisions

The Department of Education said Friday that it has identified a vendor’s calculation error impacting several hundred thousand financial aid forms.

5 days ago

West High School Principal Jared Wright speaking at the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new clinic....

Matt Gephardt

West High School clinic opens with ribbon cutting ceremony

A new clinic opened at West High School, offering students and teachers on-site healthcare.

6 days ago

a document cited in the story...

Lauren Steinbrecher

Park City School District pledges change after dozens of harassment reports in investigation

A U.S. Department of Education report details dozens of cases of reported instances of harassment within the Park City School District, along with an agreement as the school district pledges to change.

7 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Women hold card for scanning key card to access Photocopier Security system concept...

Les Olson

Why Printer Security Should Be Top of Mind for Your Business

Connected printers have vulnerable endpoints that are an easy target for cyber thieves. Protect your business with these tips.

Modern chandelier hanging from a white slanted ceiling with windows in the backgruond...

Lighting Design

Light Up Your Home With These Top Lighting Trends for 2024

Check out the latest lighting design trends for 2024 and tips on how you can incorporate them into your home.

Technician woman fixing hardware of desktop computer. Close up....

PC Laptops

Tips for Hassle-Free Computer Repairs

Experiencing a glitch in your computer can be frustrating, but with these tips you can have your computer repaired without the stress.

Close up of finger on keyboard button with number 11 logo...

PC Laptops

7 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade Your Laptop to Windows 11

Explore the benefits of upgrading to Windows 11 for a smoother, more secure, and feature-packed computing experience.

Stylish room interior with beautiful Christmas tree and decorative fireplace...

Lighting Design

Create a Festive Home with Our Easy-to-Follow Holiday Prep Guide

Get ready for festive celebrations! Discover expert tips to prepare your home for the holidays, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for unforgettable moments.

Battery low message on mobile device screen. Internet and technology concept...

PC Laptops

9 Tips to Get More Power Out of Your Laptop Battery

Get more power out of your laptop battery and help it last longer by implementing some of these tips from our guide.

New program combines US history, Hamilton musical in Utah classrooms