By Alexis Navarro
As the end of the year is coming around, every student who has ever had the best dressed and nicest teacher on campus (Mr. Coyne), knows what time of year it is! The Cold War Project by far the best and most crash out worthy project of the year. This project brings students into the time of the Cold War and gives them the same amount of stress and paranoia as the people who were actually living during the Cold War.
The project consists of students receiving a letter which is written in a secret code written with historical terms that only Mr. Coyne knows, the first part of the project is to figure out the coded alphabet and find out what your secret and message mean, which leads you to a historical landmark in Benicia. Not only is it a very interesting take on a scavenger hunt where you still learn about the Cold War but it also brings students together as they all share the common goal of finishing and passing the project.
A junior in Mr. Coyne’s first period AP U.S. history class, Tanya Bik says “I like the cold war project because it is interactive and so whatever I learn I am better able to retain and remember and also the interactiveness of it makes it fun and actually makes me want to go to school and attend Mr. Coyne’s class specifically more” and another junior in Mr. Coyne’s 5th period U.S history class, Francine Mader says “I like the cold war project because I think it makes information and concepts easier to understand the nuances of the cold war and how people might have felt during this time in history. Also everything you do in the project teaches you the information you need in a way that is very memorable and fun.”
After an interview with Mr. Coyne about what made him make this project he said “It goes back to when I was a kid, we would play with squirt guns and try to kill each other” he also said “I try to think of terms from all the history classes I teach and terms my students are exposed to and make connections to the alphabet.” This was his response to being asked how he makes a new code every year. He was also asked what he would like to say to students who are currently taking his project and he responded with “Communicate with each other and try to see patterns for the clue and secret” and finally to close out his interview with a coded message he says “The order of the President’s”
beniciapaw.com 