Chelsea Intermediate School Colonial Market  

Chelsea Intermediate School fifth grade students proudly displayed their handmade goods at a Colonial Market held at the school recently. The Colonial Market involved the entire grade level of fifth graders.

To prepare, the students studied about the American Colonies and chose an artisan to represent during the Colonial Market. They researched their artisan and had to describe precisely what the artisan did in his or her occupation. They wrote an essay about the trade with quotes to support their research, created a diorama depicting the setting or environment where their artisan worked, made a signboard to set up their shop and created mini-products that were a representation of the products their artisan made.

The Colonial Market was located in the gymnasium and it was filled with student bakers, chefs, milliners, blacksmiths, schoolmasters, candle makers, potters, limners and representatives of other occupations of Colonial times. Students were encouraged to dress in costume to represent their artisan.

Students sold their mini-products to their classmates using especially created “Colonial dollars.” There was also a good turnout of parents visiting the Colonial Market in support of the students.