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.

The students studied about the American Colonies and chose an artisan to represent at 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 gymnasium was the location for the Colonial Market and it was filled with student bakers, architects, milliners, blacksmiths, schoolmasters, candle makers, potters and representatives of other occupations of Colonial times. Students were encouraged to dress in costume to represent their artisan.

The project did not allow the use of real food items so there were many items made of clay or other household materials that looked like real food but were not really edible. Students sold their mini-products to their classmates using especially created “Colonial dollars.” There was also a good turnout of parents to visit the Colonial Market in support of the students.