COEUR d'ALENE - Students from Pascal Academy dueled with the Duke of Alhambra.

The close combat was part of a medieval history lesson the students will long remember.

The Post Falls-based academy paired up Saturday with the local chapter of the Adrian Empire, a nonprofit educational organization that re-creates history from the years 1066 to 1603, also known as the Middle Ages.

Together they put on a mini-Renaissance fair at Lutheran Academy of the Master in Coeur d'Alene. Some students from Lutheran Academy also participated. It was about a dozen kids in all.

Academy teacher LaRinda Chapin said, "Students have a choice of what (events) they want to participate in. It's meant to be educational."

The academy has students from sixth grade to 12th. It currently has nine total students.

Some of the events Saturday included fighting demonstrations, archery, and shoe making.

Chapin, who teaches at both schools, has been teaching her Pascal Academy students about the Middle Ages, from the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Renaissance.

The local Adrian Empire chapter members had already visited Pascal Academy, helping each of the students create a persona, a Middle-Ages character they'd like to dress up as and become.

"It's always nice to see when the kids light up," said Michelle Flowers, a member of the Medieval re-creation organization. It has about two dozen members in its local chapter, called the Duchy of Alhambra, which covers much of eastern Washington and parts of North Idaho.

"So many of these kids already know a good portion of history," Flowers said. "So they're just diving in."

The students primarily learned about combat during this lesson.

The Duchy of Alhambra members brought out armor, shields, swords (bamboo or foam), and bows and arrows (foam tips).

The partnership between the academy and Duchy of Alhambra provides the school a fundraising opportunity.

With the help of the chapter, the academy is working to organize a much-bigger Renaissance fair in Coeur d'Alene for June 23-24, an educational event that will be open to the public at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds.

"We want to do something with the community, and it ties right in to our education," Chapin said. "With the way that we educate, we like the hands-on learning, the ability of students to dress up."

To immerse the students in the action of history makes learning more interesting and fun.

Chapin wants the interaction with Duchy of Alhambra members to help foster a love of learning for the students.

Chapin said, "It makes history come alive."