This October, the Fifth Grade class spent two exciting days in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Since the start of school the students have been exploring the pilgrims in their social studies class. In Plymouth, history came to life!
The first afternoon was spent touring the Plymouth Plantation. At the plantation every day is 1627. The town folks are dressed in authentic attire and speak in character. The students had the chance to chat with William Bradford, John Alden and William Brewster. Nearby was the Wampanoag homesite where Native interpreters provided a contemporary point of view of life in the 17th century. Each boy and girl had the opportunity to take part in the building of a canoe from a burned out log. The afternoon concluded with a delicious harvest meal served in the plantation dining room.
The class also visited the Mayflower II, the recreation of the ship that brought the colonists to America. The “men and women aboard the ship” shared stories of the difficult voyage across the Atlantic. Everyone was amazed by the tight quarters. Another exciting highlight was the Pilgrim Hall Museum, where hundreds of pilgrim possessions are stored. Searching the museum for many artifacts during the scavenger hunt proved to be an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
Ask any fifth grader about their Plymouth experience and they will certainly have a story to share. The children returned to school with a wealth of knowledge beyond any textbook.