tophat Susan Heeg

Background: Susan Berg Heeg has dedicated herself to the art of teaching and to kids for 34 years. She graduated from Augustana College, Rock Island, IL and received her MS degree from National College of Education, Evanston, IL. Susan just retired from teaching, having spent the majority of her career in Naperville, Illinois. She has had numerous award nominations for the Illinois Those Who Excel Award, the Chicago area Golden Apple Award, the Disney's American Teacher Award, and has been listed many times in Who's Who Among America's Teachers.

Publication: Susan's first book, Voyage to Victory: The Voice of a Sailor in the Pacific 1943-1945, grew from a collection of letters which her dad wrote during World War II to the members of his family. The voice changes in the letters depending on the family member receiving the letter. Susan Heeg has woven these letters together with chapter introductions, photos, a glossary, and a timeline to help the reader catch a glimpse of what it was like to be there in boot camp, on a tug in the Pacific during WWII, or in Nagasaki after the atomic bomb was dropped. Beyond teaching about the war, Heeg's book can help students synthesize what is truly important in life. The ISBN is 0-938682-79-2. The book is available from River Road Publications, Inc.

Presentation: Susan Berg Heeg has developed an hour presentation using the many World War II artifacts which she has collected, weaving them together with some of the letters from her book.  The presentation about WWII and the homefront shares original artifacts such as posters, gas masks, captured flags, uniforms, trench art, jewelry, homefront literature, music, ads, ration books, war bonds, old radio spots, and toys. Making history come alive, she not only informs about the war, but talks in depth about how the whole country (including the children and teachers) worked together during WWII. The presentation is appropriate for 5th graders through adult groups.

Contact Information:

E-mail: sdheeg@aol.com
Website: http:// www.riverroadpublications.com

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