You
say you want a Revolution?
Interactive program teaches students about
America's struggle for independence
CHINO HILLS - While many of his fellow Country Springs Elementary School students wore T-shirts and jeans Wednesday, fifth-grader Trevor Corsello bore a striking resemblance to Paul Revere.
Playing the early American patriot for an interactive social studies program, the 10-year-old was clad in replica colonial gear from the aluminum foil buckles on his black Vans to the construction-paper tricorner hat he wore.
A participant in the Walk Through the American Revolution program presented to the school's 128 fifth-graders Tuesday and Wednesday, Trevor was excited by the opportunity to play his character.
"You get to ride a horse and say `The Regulars are coming,'' he explained.
Classmate Alyssa Santiago, 10, wore a bonnet to
go with her white-collared shirt and skirt. She was eager to act out the
different scenes.
"You get to learn stuff but have lots and lots of fun," she said.
Alyssa's mother, Tonya, appreciates the innovative program.
"I think putting on the costumes brings out an eagerness to learn," she said.
To complement their attire, many wore vests or had their hair frosted with white powder.
Once inside the classroom, presenter Drew Wheeler smoothly blended education with entertainment throughout the 2 1/2 hour program. Jokes, sound effects and funny British accents were among the tools he used to evoke laughter from the 33 students in the afternoon session.
Whether assembling a wooden jigsaw puzzle of the 13 Colonies or re-enacting the Battle of Lexington or Boston Massacre, students boisterously laughed and cheered each other on while learning concepts such as customs and tariffs, the Sons of Liberty and writs of assistance.
Wheeler made an effort to cast colonial concepts into contemporary terms. When explaining the Quartering Act, for example, he said it would be like the Marines coming into their homes unannounced, eating their dinner and playing with their Nintendo.
Wheeler
admits history was not his favorite subject in school. That is why it is so
important for him to use humor to keep the material interesting to
schoolchildren.
"I love it when I see a kid laughing in school," he said. "When I get a chance to make history fun, I think it's pretty cool.'
Walk Through the American Revolution is a Social Science Discovery Days program sponsored by California Weekly Explorer Inc. The Tustin-based educational company, founded in 1979, offers social studies programs statewide to fourth- through sixth-grade schoolchildren.
Program topics include California, American, and ancient world history and geography, all three of which are used at Country Springs.
Fifth-grade teacher Krista Landgraf lauded the program.
"It's learning in a different way because they're part of history instead of just reading about it,' she said. "The program is just phenomenal."