At Mackay High School in Mackay, Idaho, history teacher Jess Johnson is turning traditional classroom lessons into immersive experiences. After hearing an audiobook about the USS Indianapolis on a family trip, Johnson discovered the story of Lt. Cmdr. Earl Henry Sr., the ship’s dentist, bird painter, and taxidermist. Henry perished when a Japanese submarine torpedoed the vessel in July 1945, sinking it in roughly twelve minutes and claiming hundreds of lives.
From a personal connection to a classroom unit
Johnson learned that Henry’s son, Earl Henry Jr., still sells prints of his father’s work. One painting, “American Eagle in the Pacific,” was finished aboard the Indianapolis before it sank and shows an eagle clutching a tattered Japanese flag. Johnson ordered a copy, and within twenty minutes the senior Henry called him. That conversation sparked a lifelong friendship between the teacher and the octogenarian, and it became the foundation for a new unit in Johnson’s military‑history class.
“It’s our lives—it’s what happens,” Johnson said. “I try to make the connection between the old and the new.” The unit uses the original painting and Henry Jr.’s stories to help students visualize the human side of a historic tragedy.
Hands‑on projects that link past and present
Johnson’s teaching style is anything but textbook‑driven. He designs projects that let students physically engage with history. Over his 35‑year career, he has guided students to craft homemade Roman armor, bake period‑accurate hardtack, build functional gas masks for fog‑machine tests, and stage a 1920s speakeasy with authentic flapper attire. At 65, he says the projects keep his enthusiasm alive and make learning meaningful.
For the Indianapolis unit, Henry Jr. sent each student a print of his father’s most famous painting, ensuring every child could hang the artwork at home. When he learned some families lacked frames, he even mailed money for frames, saying he wanted the students to have a lasting reminder of the story.
Rooted in community and family
Johnson’s own life mirrors his commitment to community. He grew up on a farm outside Preston, Idaho, and after high school worked nights as a cheesemaker while raising six children. It took him seven years to complete his teaching degree at Utah State University, graduating in 1990. He began his career in Yuma, Arizona, before returning to Idaho, where he spent two decades at American Falls High and later served as principal of Mackay High Jr./Sr. School—where his own children graduated.
When his sons moved back to Mackay three years ago, Johnson “said heck yeah” and returned to teach history, government, and coach junior‑high football. He continues to prioritize relationships, noting, “I care about the kids first, and I try to build those relationships, and you don’t reach everyone. But I try to make an effort to reach everyone that walks through my doors.”
Looking ahead
Johnson is already planning the next immersive experience: a “Night at the Museum” event where students will dress as historical figures and share their stories in a simulated museum setting. He hopes the project will further cement the idea that history is a living narrative, passed down through generations.
By blending personal anecdotes, community involvement, and tactile learning, Jess Johnson exemplifies how dedicated educators can turn local classrooms into portals to the past, helping Idaho’s youth understand the world around them.
Original reporting: Idaho Education News — read the source article.
