Students bring Revolutionary War to life

By Penny Williams
Staff writer

June 10, 2008 05:55 am

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SANDOWN — Cathy Riley's fifth-graders brought the Revolutionary War to life for schoolmates, family and friends Wednesday.

Some students took on the roles of Revolutionary War characters in a wax museum setting at Sandown Central School. Others worked on The Independent Times, a newspaper representative of the period.

After a month of preparation, students invited people in to see and hear what they had learned.

The wax museum participants struck a pose — and held it — for an hour and a half. Guests could push a button near each student, which prompted them to give a short speech about their character. A second push of the button allowed visitors to ask students questions.

"I think that doing the project as a living history museum was a great idea," fifth-grader Megan McDonald said. "Even though I got very tired, I enjoyed letting everyone else know who Lydia Darragh (her character) was."

The students really got involved in their research, Riley said. Students in the living history museum had to design their own costumes, too.

"I thought the living wax museum was a good thing to do, Conor West Heary said. "I liked doing it and would want to do it again. I learned a lot and I think the kids who came learned a lot, too."

Enrichment teacher Cindy Wood worked on the project with Riley.

"The children came to really understand the characters they had chosen and this will be a piece of history they'll never forget," Wood said. "It just tied so many curriculum areas together and, within the overall project, every child was able to find something to do that fitted their own unique style and ability."

The Independent Times included ads, a gossip column, news about the war and local events in the Colonies.

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