7th Graders Save Texas History! Grayson County Students and Teachers Work to Conserve Historic County Map at the Texas General Land Office
Teachers fulfill an incredibly significant role in the lives of Texas’ schoolchildren. They provide them with critical lessons in history, math, science, and reading — but equally important is the impact teachers have on their students’ values. Luckily for Texans, there are teachers like Mrs. Jill Rodarmer, who teaches 7th grade Texas history in Gunter, TX (Grayson County) and values saving Texas history enough to give students a hands-on lesson in how to do it.
Mrs. Rodarmer attended a Texas history educator’s workshop in 2017 at the Texas General Land Office to learn about incorporating primary source documents into her curriculum. Part of the workshop included a tour of the GLO Archives. When Mrs. Rodarmer and the rest of the tour entered the map vault something sparked — she was inspired to help save a piece of Texas history.
Staff explained that many of the maps housed at the GLO are, in many cases, one-of-a-kind works of art that help protect title to every square inch of Texas — including Gunter. GLO staff also expressed that, due to their condition deteriorating over time, many of the maps needed to be “saved.”
“I was hooked at ‘save a map,’” said Mrs. Rodarmer. “I love maps and use them as a visual any and every time I can while teaching. I asked if there were any maps of Gunter or Grayson County that needed to be conserved.”
GLO Commissioner George P. Bush applauded Mrs. Rodarmer’s efforts:
“Some donations to the Save Texas History program honor a loved one, while others are from Texans wanting to secure a permanent home for a family treasure handed down through multiple generations. Donations like this one from Mrs. Rodarmer’s 7th-grade class at Gunter Middle School inspire younger generations to learn about our community and work together towards a common goal by conserving a piece of our past. Teachers, like Mrs. Rodarmer, are some of the most important members of our society because of their role in educating the future leaders of this great state. I commend her for taking the lead on this project, and I am inspired by the young people in her classroom for doing what they can to Save Texas History.”
GLO Staff identified several maps of Grayson County, including the 1913 Outline Map of Grayson County. The map “Shows all Public Roads, Rail Roads, Creeks, Churches, Schools, Towns, and Villages in said county,” as well as all of the original land grants. Several towns, including Sherman, Denison, and Mrs. Rodarmer’s own Gunter, are drawn on the map to indicate their boundaries, original land grants and more.
After the workshop, Mrs. Rodarmer thought that raising funds to conserve this map would be a great way to teach her students that they can help make a difference in saving Texas history for future generations. Additionally, she thought the children would learn about the history of the county, the importance of service to the community, using primary source documents, and working towards a goal. She consulted with Gunter Middle School Principal Kim Patterson to make sure that she was allowed to organize a service project for her students to adopt a map at the General Land Office. “She gave me a thumbs up,” said Mrs. Rodarmer.
“Mrs. Rodarmer’s love of history and desire to connect with her students through real-life experiences constantly keeps me guessing on what she will do next,” said Kim Patterson, Principal of Gunter Middle School. “Mrs. Rodarmer initially began talking with me about the opportunity to preserve a local map with her classes last Spring. Through months of planning and research, she, along with partners in the community have launched this initiative. This is a great learning opportunity for our students! Not only are they learning the history behind each map, but also the importance of preserving our history for future generations. Through their service in this project, they can look back and be proud of their contribution.”
Part of the project for Mrs. Rodarmer was to engage the community of Gunter so that everyone could be involved. Coryann Johnson, an agent with Herrin Real Estate, immediately came to mind. “I spoke with her about partnering with my 7th grade Texas history class. She said YES! I’m so grateful for her willingness to join our adventure. The 2018–2019 school year has allowed for this project to become a reality.”
Mrs. Rodarmer discussed the conservation project with her students, explaining that it is important to study and protect our shared history. She then ordered a copy of the map to share with the students. “The kids thought this was a cool idea. Adopting a Grayson County map makes this project personal to them.”
The goal of the project is to raise $850. If you would like to help Mrs. Rodarmer and her 7th-grade class meet their goal, please contact Mrs. Rodarmer at jrodarmer@gunterisd.org, or make a donation at savetexashistory.org, and indicate that your gift is in honor of “Gunter Middle School.”
