8th grade students traveled to Oak Glen to learn about the American Revolution.
Activities included:
- blacksmith shop,
- the dreaded “taxes” related interactive activities,
- playing old games,
- weaving,
- grinding flour and making biscuits because of the quartering act,
- secretly signing up to fight for freedom using a real quill,
- being brought to trial for smuggling and getting a trial by judge (with lots of interaction and discussion about why no jury or lawyers is bad),
- learning to march and “fight” with pretend musket/bayonets,
- soldier rations lunch,
- and a final battle re-enactment involving all the schools present (Bunker/Breed Hill) (Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!). We were British, so we got to die at the end this time. 🙂
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Student Reports on the Field Trip
“On our class trip to Riley’s Farm, we reenacted the Revolutionary War and got to see how the people back then lived. The two parts that interested me most were being in the courtroom and taxes. I like being in the courtroom because it showed how different things were back then. In the 1700s, it was trial by judge and not trial by jury. The judge could have thrown anyone in jail for anything. In the courtroom, we saw the judge send the witnesses to jail and he didn’t even let the accused speak to defend herself.
When they were acting out taxing people, the actor was very energetic and entertaining, which made it a lot more fun and attention grabbing. He taxed people on church books, marriage licenses, ship licenses and more. It was educational and fun at the same time, which made me remember more.”
-Sophia G., 8th grade
“Yesterday, we went to Riley’s Farm to do a history reenactment of the Revolutionary War. We learned how the colonists felt when they got unfairly taxed, how the American women felt when they had to house the British soldiers in peace time and war time, and how unfair trials could be.
In the courthouse, they showed us how unfair a trial by judge was instead of a trial by jury. The Magna Carta stated that we are promised a trial by jury, so that the accused person could not bribe the judge. In a trial by judge, one person plays all the parts: the attorneys, the judge, and the jury. It was unfair because there were not multiple opinions.
At Riley’s Farm, we learned how the British and Colonists felt and lived during the Revolutionary War. Instead of just talking about the war, we acted it out, so I, and the class, soaked in all of the information really well.”
-Sophia W., 8th grade
Flash Fiction Writing
“My Friend Sam” – The Boston Tea Party
“John, shh! They shall hear us!” It is the sixteenth of December in the year 1773.
“Samuel,” I stage whisper, “Tis time to board the ship.” The waves lapped softly against the boat that held 342 crates of tea. “Alright men, tonight we show King George that we will not pay his taxes!” We all adjusted our feathered headbands as we boarded the ship, the air abuzz with excited whispers and anxious breaths.
“My dear friend,” Samuel Adams began, but his voice was drowned out my the sounds of crates of imported tea hitting the cold harbor and the chants of, “Rally Mohawks, bring out your axes. Tell King George we’ll pay no taxes on his foreign tea!” I join in as well, but as I do, I realize that I shall never know what Samuel wanted to say to me.
-Bella S., 8th grade
“From a Revolutionary Soldier” – before the First Battle of Trenton”
It was cold and dark. I was barefoot and hungry. My cause could be lost. The people wanted independence, but we were losing. Yesterday I saw my friend get shot and die. This war is awful. My general, George Washington, is a brave man, but how are we, a total of 2000 people, hungry, barefoot, and short of guns, going to defeat the British army? Tonight my general is planning a sneak attack! May God be with us tonight!
-Bree K., 8th grade
