Each year the third grade studies the Life of a Colonial Child. We spend a semester reading, studying and researching literature and history of the times. The classes visit local museums and make crafts of the time period. We plan and organize Colonial Day as a way of celebrating and sharing our knowledge with parents and friends. These web pages are intended to give you a behind the scenes look at what goes into the project. Please enjoy the information and photographs.
Mrs. Wyszomierski’s third grade classroom was transformed into a ballroom at the Governor’s Palace for a 12th night celebration. Preparation began by researching daily life, colonial instruments, dances, and songs. Each child had a specific role to research. The children wrote and memorized their scripts, which were performed as a play before dancing and singing. The children learned and performed three dances, the Minuet, Virginia Reel, and a country-dance. The play closed with singing, Here We Come a Wassailing. The students created the decorations in the ballroom. They painted portraits to cover the bulletin boards, which created the look of a portrait gallery within the ballroom.
Visit Colonial Celebrations
Mrs. Herold's third grade classroom was converted into a Colonial
Marketplace. The children began preparing for the Marketplace by studying their trade
classroom books and information on the Internet about colonial times. Each child selected
a trade and were responsible for bringing in items, at least four that would have been
pertinent to their craft. These included tools and materials used to create their
products. Then the children developed scripts to be memorized and recited on Colonial Day
to guests as they visited the trades people's stalls. While the children were preparing
their scripts and booths, they also spent time prior to Colonial Day painting backdrops of
a market place and creating life size paper dolls of various trades people that were
displayed around the classroom on Colonial Day.
Visit the Colonial Marketplace
Mrs. Vieille's classroom was converted into a colonial tavern. To
prepare for this transformation, the children began researching colonial cookbooks and
information about taverns. They collected information and anything that might be
helpful for a tavern. The class decided upon the foods that should be served and each child created a menu to offer customers when they arranged at the inn.
Everyone lent their skills as we painted backdrops. Many walls of the classroom
were covered to resemble an actual tavern. While these activities
were underway, each child was assigned a specific role in the tavern. Some children became waiters, others served drinks from a bar
or taught colonial games to our visitors. Children
wrote and memorized scripts to fit their colonial roles. In the evening the students cooked food for the tavern with their parents. Many
families contributed and parent volunteers helped staff our kitchen on Colonial Day.
Visit the Colonial Tavern
