Revolutionizing History Lessons
Harbor View Elementary students get a personalized look at the events leading to America's independence
Danette
Goulet
Daily Pilot
June 6, 2001
Children in Penny Norton’s fifth-grade class were fascinated and excited by their “Walk Through The American Revolution” with their guide, Kate Warren, from California Weekly Explorer, a Tustin-based company.
“It just makes the whole Revolutionary War period come alive,” Norton said. “I would venture to say any child who goes through this program will have a much stronger foundation for what it is to be an American.”
Students acted out the roles of the founding Americans and their nemeses.
They wore powdered wigs, tri-corner hats, wool coats with gold piping, kingly crowns and robes, and white bonnets with lace edges and colonial dresses.
They attached facial hair and wore shoes that in some cases were at least five sizes too large, all in an effort to look their parts.
Chase Edwards, 11, stuffed pillows in his shirt, wore a wig, glasses, a tricorn, and his father’s shoes to play the role of Ben Franklin.
Thomas Jefferson had made his wig from square cotton swabs.
Students went all out to look realistic, but it did not stop there.
They took great care in reciting their characters’ speeches and roles, and they memorized the definitions for subjects, which they were to be “experts” on, such as the Continental Congress, Tories, loyalists and militia.
They were also given the opportunity to act out the scenes they were talking about.
“I think it helped a lot of people learn because it’s fun and you’re not just reading it out of a book,” said Julie Khosh, 11.
Warren made the whole experience exciting and dramatic through the use of great detail.
She described the blistering heat of the room America’s forefathers sequestered themselves in to write the Declaration of Independence and urged all students to interrupt Patrick Henry’s impassioned speeches with shouts as they would have done in the day of the dynamic and inspiring speaker.
“It’s
so good and fun,” Chase said of the program.
And if that didn’t hold the students’ interest, there was always the contest.
Students were divided into three teams - the Redcoats, the white Tories and the blue Rebels. Each time a team was awarded points for a speech or correct answer, they were to stand and cheer.
“I’ve taught fifth grade for many years, and I think this is one of the greatest learning experiences I’ve ever seen students have because they live the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the events leading up to the Revolutionary War,” Norton said. “U.S. history becomes a part of them.”