Revolutionizing history lessons

Danette Goulet

A battle was won Tuesday at Harbor View Elementary School in Corona

del Mar in the war teachers fight every day to capture the interest of

students.

Children in Penny Norton’s fifth-grade class were fascinated and

excited by their “Walk through the Revolutionary War” with their guide,

Kate Warren, from California Weekly Explorer, a Tustin-based company.

“It just makes the whole Revolutionary War period come alive,” Norton

said. “I would venture to say any child who goes through this program

will have a much stronger foundation for what it is to be an American.”

Students acted out the roles of the founding Americans and their

nemeses.

They wore powdered wigs, tricorns, wool coats with gold piping, kingly

crowns and robes, and white bonnets with lace edges and colonial dresses.

They attached facial hair and wore shoes that in some cases were at

least five sizes too large, all in an effort to look their parts.

Chase Edwards, 11, stuffed pillows in his shirt and wore a wig,

glasses, a tricorn and his father’s shoes to play the role of Ben

Franklin.

Thomas Jefferson had made his wig out of square cotton swabs.

Students went all out to look realistic, but it did not stop there.

They took great care in reciting their characters’ speeches and roles,

and they memorized the definitions for subjects, which they were to be

“experts” on, such as the Continental Congress, Tories, loyalists and

militia.

They were also given the opportunity to act out the scenes they were

talking about.

After explaining his role in history, Paul Revere, played by Mike

Kidushim, 11, galloped around the room on a horse shouting, “The Redcoats

are coming, the Redcoats are coming, the Redcoats are coming.”

“I think it helped a lot of people learn because it’s fun and you’re

not just reading it out of a book,” said Julie Khosh, 11.

Warren made the whole experience exciting and dramatic through the use

of great detail.

She described the blistering heat of the room America’s forefathers

sequestered themselves in to write the Declaration of Independence and

urged all students to interrupt Patrick Henry’s impassioned speeches with

shouts as they would have done in the day of the dynamic and inspiring

speaker.

“It’s so good and fun,” Chase said of the program.

And if that didn’t hold students’ interest, there was always the

contest.

Students were divided into three teams -- the Redcoats, the white

Tories and the blue rebels. Each time a team was awarded points for a

speech or correct answer, they were to stand and cheer.

“I’ve taught fifth grade for many years, and I think this is one of

the greatest learning experiences I’ve ever seen students have because

they get to live the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the

events leading up to the Revolutionary War,” Norton said. “U.S. history

becomes a part of them.”