American Revolution Reenacted at Murrieta Elementary

Friendly fire rang out when the rival White Coats, Red Tories and Blue Rebels of the Revolutionary War met last week at

For the second year in a row, fifth-graders in Mark Zavodnik's class spent a month preparing for "Walk Through the American Revolution," a history outline provided by California Weekly Explorer, Inc., in an interactive setting.

Students picked historical figures and were tasked with coming up costumes while learning everything there was to know about their characters.

"The kids make their own costumes," Zavodnik said. "They each become a historical figure and become an expert on that person. When you put all of that together, they really get an interactive understanding of the American Revolution."

The Murrieta Elementary PTC paid the expenses for the program.

The culmination was a two-and-a-half hour showdown in the school's multipurpose room when the teams competed for points by acting out scenes and answering questions correctly.

Students took an audience of family and friends through key parts of the Revolution, such as the Battles of Saratoga.

Many parents spent hours helping their children make costumes for the special day; others recruited grandparents to help.

Madison Kast was dressed as Abigail Adams in a red dress her grandmother made especially for the occasion, said Madison's mother, Amy Kast.

Grace Smith dressed as Patrick Henry, requiring a white wig. Jeff Smith, Grace's father, explained that his wife glued cotton balls on a painter's cap.

Smith, who stayed to watch the reenactment, said he learned a lot.

"I forgot all this stuff," Smith said.

Dressed convincingly as Benjamin Franklin in a jacket made by his grandmother, his grandfather's shoes and a gray wig from a zombie costume, 10-year-old Seth Nagel rattled off a list of Franklin's accomplishments.

"He started the Declaration of Independence, he invented the light rod, and he invented bifocals," Seth said.

In studying her character, Thomas Jefferson, 10-year-old Deanna Hames learned Jefferson was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence. He went on to become the third president, she said, start the Library of Congress, and is the face on the nickel.

"She was really excited to get here today," said Deanna's mother, Nora-Anne Hames. "She worked hard on memorizing her lines."

Murrieta Valley Unified School District Board President Paul Diffley stopped by and was impressed with the details the students were learning.

"I like how he (the host) talks about the contributions of the women, the blacks, the whites, and how in some cases people lost their fortunes, their homes," Diffley said.

He said he'd like to see a similar program in the high schools on a sophomore level.

"It is good to remind ourselves how this country was formed, that all these people were real."