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By Patrick Webb
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Edgewood Middle School’s seventh and eighth grade classes took to the water in cardboard boats as part of the class’ unit based on the book “The Boys in the Boat” by Daniel James Brown.

“The Boys in the Boat” is a nonfiction story about “how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant,” according to Brown’s website. The book was adapted into a PBS American Experience documentary “The Boys of ’36,” and a 2023 film “The Boys in the Boat.”

Edgewood Middle School Principal JoElla Hauselman said a staff member proposed students read the book, and that a discussion with staff resulted in the reading becoming a Project-Based Learning Unit, which covered topics such as music, cooking, science, math and history.

“It is just a fun experience, a learning experience to finish up the year well,” said Hauselman. She said that 500 students participated in 30 teams which designed the boats.

Each team was composed of a teacher’s student resource time class, and had a theme ranging from Batman to Hawaii, the U.S. Olympics, the video game “Fortnite,” and fairies vs. pirates.

“We wanted the USA theme from the beginning, even before we read the book,” said Edgewood Middle School student Ellie Greene. She said they read the book for two weeks, and built up to building the boats.

“The Boys in the Boat” follows Joe Rantz, one of the rowers for the University of Washington’s team that went to the 1936 Olympics.

“(Rantz) grew up in the Great Depression,” said Edgewood Middle School Student Morgan Gabrich.

She added the book “showed us how life was for him and the only way he could get a job and get money was if he joined the rowing team. He’d never rowed a day in his life before.”

Gabrich said Rantz’s rowing improved and he moved from the freshman team to the varsity team that went to the 1936 Olympics.

Edgewood Middle School student William Thornburgh shared that his team’s boat “started by building a box, and then we added the bow. and lots of duct-tape and layers to the floor and the boat.”

Thornburgh said he enjoyed reading “The Boys in the Boat,” and the related lessons.

On Friday, May 17, students were judged in a variety of sections for their boat teams: team theme, best boat and racing.

During the race section, each team had two rowers compete separated by grade in a timed contest at the Warsaw Community High School’s pool. All students were required to wear life jackets, and lifeguards were on standby.

The Warsaw Police Department also participated to demonstrate the rowing and raced against the winners of the 8th grade races, the Ninjas. The Ninjas defeated the Warsaw Police Department team to cross the pool.

Hauselman said Edgewood will have a different unit next year, then do a second “The Boys in the Boat” unit, taking lessons from the first year. She added she hoped to give students a positive experience they wouldn’t forget.