Next school year, Sharpsville Area Middle School sixth-graders will find that their lessons in Pennsylvania history hit a little closer to home.

Since January, social studies teachers Robert Stahl and Chad Anderson have been working to weave Sharpsville history into the sixth-grade state history curriculum.

"We decided it was time to start incorporating more Sharpsville history into the Pennsylvania history curriculum," Stahl said. "It's something I've always wanted to do."

Stahl spoke about the project Thursday at the Sharpsville Area Historical Society's monthly meeting.

The project started with a meeting of Donna Murray, school director and historical society vice president; historical society member Karen Myers-Tilletson, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Douglas Hazlett, middle school Principal Walter Karsonovich, Stahl and Anderson.

The middle school had previously done a thematic lesson on Sharpsville history in the early 1990s, when Hazlett was middle school principal. For several days, Sharpsville history was incorporated into every class.

"That was our first experience," Hazlett said. "We collaborated with the members of the historical society."

Sixth-graders typically spend nine weeks studying Pennsylvania history, with the other three quarters of the year devoted to world geography. Sharpsville history lessons will fit right into the Pennsylvania history unit, Hazlett said.

"Integrating Sharpsville and Pennsylvania history class seemed like a natural thing," he said.

Eventually, Stahl said, world geography lessons will also be tied in with Sharpsville.

Stahl said it's important to start the local history lessons while the local mills are still standing, as almost every student has a parent, grandparent or relative who worked in a mill.

One of the first steps of including Sharpsville history in the curriculum was to create a link between the Web sites of Sharpsville Area School District and Sharpsville Area Historical Society.

Stahl and Anderson began their project three months ago by interviewing life-long Sharpsville resident and former mayor Pete Joyce about Sharpsville's history. They videotaped the interview and showed it to historical society members Thursday.

Stahl and Anderson followed up with a second meeting with the 91-year-old Joyce in February at the Sharpsville Veterans of Foreign Wars Post, where Joyce identified every one of about 150 to 200 pictures hanging on the wall.

Stahl said the pictures will eventually be laminated, labeled and put back up on the walls at the VFW post.

Once Sharpsville history is part of the curriculum, sixth-graders will study their hometown's history for years to come, Hazlett said.

"We wanted to have something that would be integrated into the curriculum long-lasting," Hazlett said. "Every sixth-grader will experience it."

As part of the Sharpsville curriculum, students will study the history of the iron industry in the borough, as well as the Pierce family, who were integral in Sharpsville's founding.

The presence of old buildings in the borough -- such as the Sharpsville Opera House and the former Seventh-day Adventist Church -- will also provide pictorial history for the students and give plenty of opportunities for walking tours.

"It will personalize it. It makes it almost come alive for them," Mrs. Murray said.

"It will strengthen the child's sense of community," Hazlett said.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Erin Remai at

eremai@sharon-herald.com.