The revolution raged on

Mike Sciacca

Kaylin Omo not only learned some valuable lessons about an important

piece of our country’s history, she dressed and played the part, too.

Kaylin was one of 32 students in Rebecca Broussard’s fifth-grade class

at Hope View Elementary School to take part in a fun and educational

project called, A Walk Through the American Revolution.

She played a key role in the production and dug into her own family

history to play the part designated to her.

Dressed in her mother’s blue skirt and white blouse, and wearing a

shawl that had belonged to her great-grandmother, Kaylan portrayed one of

the key historical female figures in the American Revolution -- Betsy

Ross. She sat intently as she watched her classmates act out skits

depicting key events from the revolution, then went front and center

stage, where she gave a speech dotted with pertinent facts about Ross and

why she figured so prominently in this segment of American history.

A replica of the flag Ross designed was on display for the students to

see.

“The big thing I learned about her was that she wasn’t the one who

thought up the idea of that flag,” the 11-year-old explained between the

day’s activities. “She didn’t do it on her own but did it because an

uncle asked her to help sew the flag.”

Kaylan’s speech proceeded to inform her classmates that Ross has the

distinction of designing the five-pointed star that now graces Old Glory.

A Walk Through the American Revolution is part of a national program

called, Social Sciences Discovery Day. The program features skits,

speeches, historical facts, and group quizzes, which are all presided

over by a master of ceremonies.

Study of the American Revolution is part of required fifth-grade

curriculum and her class’ participation in the program was just “the tip

of what they will be learning of that period of history,” Broussard said.

For the revolution, students split into three teams -- the Red Coats,

Blue Rebels and White Tories. They gained points for every correct

answer. They had two weeks to prepare. Each group was assigned a general

to lead them and each student was given a part to portray, learn

vocabulary from that time period, study revolution skirmishes such as the

battles of Saratoga, Trenton and Yorktown, learn the words to the

Declaration of Independence and perform a skit to the patriotic song,

Yankee Doodle Dandy.

Broussard’s students were the first of three, fifth grade classrooms

at Hope View to take part in the program.

Michelle Lanning hobbled up to the podium to tell her classmates what

she learned about the character she was portraying, Deborah Sampson.

Donning a costume that included male attire such as slacks and an

overcoat, she was armed with a toy rifle and sported a tourniquet just

below her right knee. The 11-year-old went on to tell classmates that

Sampson had dressed up as a man in order to fight in the war.

* MIKE SCIACCA is the education and sports reporter. He can be reached

at (714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.