With fake wooden muskets in hand, several fifth-graders
fervently act out a key battle from the American Revolution while
their classmates watch showing both fascination and amusement on
their faces.
With fake wooden muskets in hand, several fifth-graders fervently act out a key battle from the American Revolution while their classmates watch showing both fascination and amusement on their faces.
It’s hard to think of history as dry when one of your classmates is running around on a wooden horse as Paul Revere and another has just feigned their own death from musket fire.
That was the scene Tuesday, as students in Calaveras School’s Accelerated Achievement Academy got a hands-on history lesson by acting out the American Revolution and California history.
“It was like learning and having fun at the same time,” said Isabel Laguna, 10.
The school hired California Weekly Explorer, Inc., which provides these in-depth history lessons. Erin Cordero led the lesson and she walked students through vocabulary, had them act out different scenes and characters important to the revolution and – important to any fun learning experience – incited some healthy competition. The students answered questions for points, and the winning team was awarded a certificate.
Tiffany Bianchi, who teaches the fifth-graders at the Accelerated Achievement Academy, said she was pleased by how immersed the kids were in the play acting.
“The kids really got into it,” Bianchi said. “I was surprised at how they put it all together.”
Although the students will not officially begin learning about the revolution until later in the school year, the class ran over some key historical points previous to the event. The students were also given their characters to research.
Jack Eisenberg, 10, said prior to the event, he had spent several hours reading about King George III. He said he liked learning about the king and acting out the character.
Plus, he said, he liked wearing the crown and carrying the scepter.
The play acting, most students agreed, was one of the big draws for the lesson.
“I liked acting out my battle scene and acting out my characters,” Isabel said. “I really thought the revolution was just fighting, but now I know that it’s more than that.”
Cordero helped to make the revolution more applicable to the students’ lives as well.
In order to better understand how the colonists were feeling at the time of the American Revolution, a question was posed to a group of the fifth-graders: How would they feel if they had to pay $5 to the English in order to go to recess?
But before waiting for their reply, Cordero turned to the other group of students, posing as the English, and asked them their opinion.
“All those in favor of the $5 Recess Act say ‘aye,'” she said, to resounding “ayes” from the students.
Cordero explained that the colonists were frustrated that laws were passed by the British directly affecting them, yet they were unable to vote. This was the idea behind ‘no taxation without representation,’ she said.
Parents were invited to come watch the Walk Through the American Revolution.
Jack’s mother, Gloria Eisenberg, said it was fun to come and watch him act out bits of the revolution after seeing him study and prepare.
“I think it was a lot of fun,” said Gloria Eisenberg, who’s son, Jack, participated. “It’s a hands-on experience and a good learning experience.”
While not everything learned in fifth grade will be recalled years later, Bianchi said she is fairly certain the students will recall this lesson for years – not only the fun, but also the history.
“I really think it made it come alive for them. When they’re in high school studying the American Revolution, they’ll remember this,” she said.
