Fifth grade students at East View Elementary are busy this week preparing for the battle of freedom. The three fifth grade classes bring together 80 students with some portraying "British Lobsterbacks" and others "Colonial Minutemen".

I was invited out to East View Monday morning to see what the students were up to. They certainly were busy and very into getting it right. One class was busy creating weapons, another worked on uniforms while the third class was busy with "Leather Diaries or Ledgers".

The event is the brainstorm of teacher Amanda Davis. "My Mother taught for 30 years and this is something she did every year. Last year two other teachers and I went to observe how they did it at her school. We learned from watching and listening. Mom retired last year and now I want to continue the tradition at East View," said Davis.

The Students are taking things seriously. Photos of uniforms serve as a guide toward creating their own for Friday. Flags are another thing the students are creating using history books as a guide.

During the work session Davis and the other teachers asked students questions such as "why didn't the minutemen have nice uniforms like the British?" or, What was the nick-name given the British Soldiers?".  It is all part of the learning experience.

Most everything used in Fridays re-enactment will be created in the classroom. The only thing the students had to make as home were satchels, perhaps with a little help from Mom or Dad.

I've included some photos of the kids working on the project.

Friday should be an exciting day at East View. The camps will be set up early with each "Army" having three tents set with lunch outside served "soldier style" on tin plates with water from canteens. I understand Paul Revere's  "Famous Ride" will kick things off.

Here is the full day's agenda:

8:45-9:00 Camp setup/sleep                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

9:05 Marching practice                                                                                 

9:10 War meeting                                                                                                          

Hero reports- Sam Adams and Paul Revere                                                             

Choral Reading- “Paul Revere’s Ride”                                                        

War update: Lexington, Concord                                                                

9:35 Journal writing #1 in camp                                                                   

9:40 British paint shirts and Patriots make flags                                      

10:10 War update                                                                                                         

Battle reports: Bunker Hill, Trenton, Long Island, and Cowpens           

Hero reports:  Washington and Cornwallis                                                          

10:25 Patriots paint shirts and British make flags                                    

10:55 Declaration of Independence reading/signing                               

presented by Heroes: T. Jefferson and J. Hancock                                  

11:10 War update                                                                                                         

Battle reports: Ticonderoga, Brandywine and Saratoga                             

Hero report: Nathan Hale

11:25 Battle reports: Winter at Valley Forge and Yorktown

British uniform and weapon inspection

Patriots marching practice and journal writing #2

11:40 Patriot uniform and weapon inspection

British marching practice and journal writing #2

12:00 War update

Battle reports: Bonhomme Richard/Serapis and Kings Mountain

Hero reports: John Paul Jones and Benedict Arnold

12:15 lunch

12:45 British battlefield medical training

Women hero reports

1:00 Patriots battlefield medical training

Women hero reports

1:15 Stars and stripes, Treaty of Paris, & Pledge

1:40 Journal writing #3 & TAPS

If you are a parent and can attend please do so. If not, talk with your student about the event. Show interest in what they do and make these hard working students feel good about learning.

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