Sixteen fourth graders sit in pairs, poring over a mysterious document. "The people all signed it at the bottom," says one. "It lists a lot of things that they need to have," adds another. But who are the elusive "they?" This is the question my students at Sudlersville Elementary School were trying to answer one day last spring. Thanks to the Washington's Legacy Teaching American History Grant, these students were studying colonial history the way I often did as a student at Washington College before I graduated in 2003—through the use of primary documents.
On this day, students were seeing firsthand the commitment of American patriots to their cause by taking a nuanced look at some Revolutionary War Enlistment Papers. I obtained the copies of the papers, which came from Cobblestone's George Washington: Gentleman From Mount Vernon series, at a February workshop at the College, one of several I've attended through the grant. (Washington's Legacy is a joint project of Washington College and Kent County Public Schools and continues through Spring 2006.)
As students did battle with 18th-century handwriting and language, I circulated, staying out of their discussions as much as possible.
Slowly, students were able to combine their prior knowledge of the Revolution and the events leading up to it with some strong research skills to determine the papers' meaning and produce detailed answers to their focus question: how did colonists show that they were ready to fight for independence from England?
"The colonists had to really think they were doing the right thing," asserts a boy who struggles with "traditional" history activities like multiple-choice tests and essays, "because the king would be mad if he found out what they wanted to do."
It's this type of insight that heartens any teacher, especially one who sees the study of history as an invaluable way to develop critical thinking skills, as I do. These students didn't arrive in fourth grade with strategies to study primary documents and develop such insights from them; they were developed over months of consistent use of primary documents—slave narratives, historical and modern maps, and much more. We focused on how important events in Maryland history impacted the lives of the people who lived through them, and the students were that much better for it.
A few weeks later, we studied the War of 1812's Battle of Caulk's Field, using a lesson developed by Worton Elementary School teacher Tracey Kendall- Parent at a Washington's Legacy workshop last summer. Students were captivated by a description of the battle, which they read out loud with a partner. As I circulated the room, listening in on the young readers, I paused by a particularly reluctant reader. He was reading surprisingly smoothly and coming up on the part of the narrative where the British commander, Sir Peter Parker, is killed, hastening the retreat of the British forces. When he got there, he paused, then pumped his fist and whispered, "Yes!" When history leads to moments like this for nine-year-olds, the grant that helped them get there has more than done its job.
300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, Maryland 21620 | 410-778-2800 | 800-422-1782