Post by title1parent on Nov 26, 2008 8:05:51 GMT -5
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/1300165,6_1_NA26_GRAHAM_S1.article
Graham students experience colonial life
18th century food, games and survival skills in the lesson plan
November 26, 2008
By TIM WALDORF Staff Writer
Her lesson plan complete, Graham Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Sharon Cody began to ad lib as she served students her johnnycake samples.
"And remember," said Cody, wearing 18th century garb, "even if they didn't taste good, colonial children would never tell their mothers that it tasted bad."
Meanwhile, on the stage at Graham, a different group of fifth-graders were learning about weapons commonly used in colonial times by shooting toy slingshots and bows and arrows at targets made of colorful construction paper.
"Pretend that's a deer," Joshua Santos shouted at a classmate as she struggled to fire the suction-cup-tipped arrow from the tiny plastic bow. "That's you dinner! Kill it! Kill it, or you won't eat! Kill it! It's getting away!"
Then, in the library, students who'd mastered the most difficult video games struggled to understand the age-old game of jacks.
"When I grew up, we didn't have electronic games," said substitute Diane Smith. "But we had a blast!"
These activities have highlighted Graham's Colonial Days Experience for years now. Each year, when students study the era, the teachers break out their costumes and begin teaching their students how to hunt, cook and even quilt, just like the colonists did.
The purpose, said Graham fifth grade teacher Svetlana Concannon, is to have the students experience some of what they've read.
"Instead of giving them the picture books to have them learn that way, we thought we'd give them some hands-on activities to help them remember it better," Concannon said.
Graham students experience colonial life
18th century food, games and survival skills in the lesson plan
November 26, 2008
By TIM WALDORF Staff Writer
Her lesson plan complete, Graham Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Sharon Cody began to ad lib as she served students her johnnycake samples.
"And remember," said Cody, wearing 18th century garb, "even if they didn't taste good, colonial children would never tell their mothers that it tasted bad."
Meanwhile, on the stage at Graham, a different group of fifth-graders were learning about weapons commonly used in colonial times by shooting toy slingshots and bows and arrows at targets made of colorful construction paper.
"Pretend that's a deer," Joshua Santos shouted at a classmate as she struggled to fire the suction-cup-tipped arrow from the tiny plastic bow. "That's you dinner! Kill it! Kill it, or you won't eat! Kill it! It's getting away!"
Then, in the library, students who'd mastered the most difficult video games struggled to understand the age-old game of jacks.
"When I grew up, we didn't have electronic games," said substitute Diane Smith. "But we had a blast!"
These activities have highlighted Graham's Colonial Days Experience for years now. Each year, when students study the era, the teachers break out their costumes and begin teaching their students how to hunt, cook and even quilt, just like the colonists did.
The purpose, said Graham fifth grade teacher Svetlana Concannon, is to have the students experience some of what they've read.
"Instead of giving them the picture books to have them learn that way, we thought we'd give them some hands-on activities to help them remember it better," Concannon said.