Walking through the auditorium of St. Bonaventure Catholic School on March 15 was like traveling through a time portal. A mini-time portal.

Dressed up like pint-sized versions of Ben Franklin, Betsy Ross, George Washington and others, and backed by historical American flags, fifth-graders at the school were ready for their "Walk Through the American Revolution" program.

The day is created for students to have fun while learning about the dawn of this country, and is overseen by Jason Sluyter, of California Weekly Explorer Inc., a company that says it's "the field trip that comes to your school."

In the interactive presentation, the students act out battle scenes, becoming experts on historical terms and acting as figures intrinsic to the American Revolution. The students became part of history instead of simply having the stories unfold in a textbook.

"I think the kids just learn so much more ... once they become part of it [American Revolution]," said parent-helper Rocio Griley. "They will remember something about it, maybe not all the details of it, but ... something's going to stick."

The students are broken up into three teams -- the Redcoats, the White Tories and the Blue Rebels. They have to answer questions about the war correctly, in complete sentences, as well as memorize important definitions to score points for their team and win the day's events.

"It gives history more flavor," said Vice Principal Carole Inzitari.

Students must memorize definitions of key words or phrases, like tariff and Stamp Act and, when Sluyter said the word, they'd run to the "expert chair" and recite what they learned. The kids worked on acting like their characters during speeches and made every effort to pin down each detail of their costume.

"The kids are so competitive," said Maureen Martinelli, the students' teacher. "Fifth-graders just love the competition."

This program is a far cry from an ordinary classroom game. The students practiced and researched for about six weeks, anticipating the day they were able to put their newfound knowledge to the test.

"[We practiced] for a long time, like a month," said Ricky Castaneda, a fifth-grader wearing a slightly crooked white wig. Ricky played Gen. George Washington.

After researching the American Revolution, the students practiced their acting and public-speaking skills twice a week for four weeks with Griley's help.

"Any time any child does public speaking, it just gives them confidence later on," Griley said.

St. Bonaventure has participated in the program for seven years and Martinelli said the students and program get better with each year.

Sluyter leads about 250 programs from October to June and has traveled to St. Bonaventure in years past. Martinelli said he was one of the best presenters the school has had.

She wasn't the only one captivated by Sluyter's presentation. The enthusiasm he brought excited the students and their families.

"I was in the audience and I was paying attention the whole way," said parent Mary Barron with a chuckle. "My mind wasn't even thinking about what I was going to cook for dinner."

Parents, teachers and administrators said they thought this kind of learning will be lifelong. The students had fun, making it seem less like school and more like playtime.

"My favorite part was being here with my friends and going for the glory," said Lauren Padama.

At any given moment during the program, Sluyter picked a child who was being especially respectful and attentive to "go for the glory." A siren would sound, students would squeal and a light would spin, signaling the chosen one to run and pick a lollipop out of a replica of the Liberty Bell. If the bottom of the lollipop stick was gold, that team received extra points. If not, the student was able to eat the candy after school, a win-win situation.

Although Griley said she was nervous the kids would get scared and not remember their lines, they performed with all the guts and, of course, glory they had. Even the most reserved students blossomed during the performance, she said.

As each colonial character left the building at the end of their theatrical debut, they were abuzz with how much fun they each had. Even days after, parents and teachers reported their kids and students were still talking about the program.