Jason Anderson's history classes were covering the War of 1812, and more specifically, the Battle of Lake Erie. So Anderson decided to reenact the battle using wooden ships and a canvas map of the lake.

Anderson built all 15 boats involved in the battle by hand. Beginning in the spring and finished the boats last Wednesday, he prepared the masts, the main frame and the flags. He even made the famous battle flag created by Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, emblazoned with the phrase "Don't Give up the Ship." He put this flag on the Lawrence, one of the two large American ships. Anderson also created a replica of Lake Erie, a canvas painted blue and green, representing the lake and its surrounding areas.

Anderson got the idea for this activity after watching a special on the War of 1812 on the History Channel. He was surprised at how this battle was almost completely left out.

"I wanted to show how Ohio was involved in wars like this, and I thought the Battle of Lake Erie should be covered more thoroughly," he said.

Anderson wasn't always so passionate about the War of 1812. Then he went to the "Star- Spangled Weekend" event in Baltimore, Md., two years ago. That's when he became so enthusiastic.

"I realized how much honor there was in war, especially in our own state," Anderson said. "There is tons of history in Ohio."

He also has more plans for other wars and activities.

"I want to do something on the Revolution, flip the map over and paint the East Coast," he said. "You can teach with technology and Power Points every day, but a hands-on activity like this really grabs a student."