Haunting chalk drawings from 100 years ago

One of the chalk drawings that came alive at Emerson High School in Oklahoma City. Photo / OKC / Twitter

Teachers and students scribbled the lessons - multiplication tables, pilgrim history, how to be clean - nearly 100 years ago. And they haven't been touched since.

This week, contractors removing old chalkboards at Emerson High School in Oklahoma City made a startling discovery: Underneath them rested another set of chalkboards, untouched since 1917.

"The penmanship blows me away, because you don't see a lot of that anymore," Emerson High School Principal Sherry Kishore told the Oklahoman. "Some of the handwriting in some of these rooms is beautiful."

Music lesson from 1917. pic.twitter.com/bVRqU2hmT0

— OKC Public Schools (@OKCPS) June 5, 2015

The chalkboards being removed to make way for new whiteboards are in four classrooms, according to the Oklahoma City Public School District.

A spokeswoman said the district is working with the city to "preserve the 'chalk' work of the teachers that has been captured in time."

A wheel that apparently was used to teach multiplication tables appears on one board. "I have never seen that technique in my life," Kishore told the Oklahoman.

The boards carry not just teachers' work, but also that of students, and every room has a lesson on pilgrims, according to the district.

Counting down until Christmas 1917. Drawings nearly 100 years old found during MAPS construction. pic.twitter.com/2nV7hq8foL

— OKC Public Schools (@OKCPS) June 5, 2015

"Their names are here; I don't know whether they were students in charge that day that got to do the special chores if they were the ones that had a little extra to do because they were acting up," Kishore said. "But it's all kinds of different feelings when you look at this."

Incredible historical discoveries found inside Emerson High School during renovations!! #OKCPS pic.twitter.com/Uf3qL1NhAn

— ChristineVanTimmeren (@C_VanTimmeren) June 5, 2015

Stuck in time. Drawings from 1917 uncovered during MAPS renovations at #Emerson pic.twitter.com/QDd2IlL3Sx

— OKC Public Schools (@OKCPS) June 5, 2015

You find a lesson on pilgrims in every classroom. There was #aligned curriculum in #1917. pic.twitter.com/MurjKd8n6i

— OKC Public Schools (@OKCPS) June 5, 2015