Fifth Graders Gain Appreciation for Colonial Times

Anyone who entered the Berkley School gym on Friday, May 27, might have thought they had been transported back in time to colonial days. Actually, the fifth graders were enjoying their turn at this annual event that culminates months of studying American History.

“This day is hands-on and brings together a whole year of learning,” said Brenda Martin, one of the fifth grade teachers.

Throughout the morning, students clad in bonnets, wigs, long skirts and knickers rotated among eight stations that were in and outside of the gym. At each table,  a fifth grade parent gave children an opportunity to make something using the techniques the colonists used.

Most of the activities taught kids practical skills they would have needed to live in those times. These included stenciling, sawing wood to make tools, weaving yarn and “tin punching”. At the latter table, students hammered stencils into tin sheets to make holes. These tin sheets would have been assembled to make lanterns in colonial days when candlelight was used. The light shone out of the holes hammered into the tin by hand. Through this activity, fifth graders  experienced some of the work required to create something that for them, is so simple--turning on a light!

Fifth grader Collin Rodgers summed up some of the impressions when he spoke as a colonial child, “We simply did not have advanced technology. We had to use hand-made tools.”

Two tables were designated for cooking. At one, kids shook little glass jars filled with heavy cream until it turned to butter. At the other, batter for pound cake was made.

“The kids really gain an appreciation for life in colonial times today,” said another fifth grade teacher, Kathy Palumbo. “Making cake was an all day event. Colonists had to gather the eggs, churn the butter, grind wheat into flour and cook the cake all day long on an open fire. Today also teaches them that you don’t need electricity to have fun.”

Fifth graders also realized the time it took colonist to write and send letters. At this station, they dipped quill pens in ink to write. Then with the help of a parent volunteer, they sealed the letter with hot wax. “This is fun,” said fifth grader Sahna Nassiry. "It gives us an opportunity to see how colonial people used to work.”

Two of the stations showed students what making toys entailed. At one, they made cloth dolls using a wooden spoon that they wrapped with cloth and pipe cleaners. At another, they used a cup, ball and string to make “ball in a cup”. Even when children learned about toys or other activities that appealed to them, they gained an appreciation for the differences between their lives and those of people back then. “They had a lot of fun things like cooking, but it was harder than I thought because they had to use their muscles to do everything,” said student Sae Almeida. 

A common colonial custom was for women to gather for tea in the afternoons. Dancing was something some colonists enjoyed on Sundays. The fifth graders celebrated colonial times and all of their learning with their own tea and dance in the afternoon. They enjoyed the pound cake they made earlier in the day. Again, these activities brought students an understanding of colonists’ lives.

Fifth grade teacher Vanessa Iseman said, “Students look forward to this day all year. It is one of the big fifth grade events they enjoy.”

Upcoming Berkley Events:

• June 7: PTO Meeting at 7:30 p.m. in Media Center.
• June 10: Berkley Field Day.
• June 14: Flag day…wear red, white and blue.
• June 17: Last day of hot lunch.
• June 20: Fifth grade Moving Up Ceremony at 9:30 a.m.
• June 21: Last day of school…12:35 p.m. dismissal. School spirit day…wear green and white.