Did you know that Paul Revere didn’t actually shout, “The British are coming!” when he warned the Patriots that the British forces were on their way? He said, “The regulars are coming out!” He wanted to discreetly warn the colonists that the British were on their way, but the colonists still considered themselves British, so it would have been confusing to say, “The British are Coming!”  The term regular meant that they were professional, paid officers and not a volunteer force.

Grade 5 is spending the final trimester studying the American Revolution by immersing ourselves in the facts and history of the time and exploring some of the common activities and pastimes. We studied this era in social studies, but we also read a historical fiction book in literature to understand the thoughts and emotions of regular folks in CT at this time. The students made simple toys, wrote with a quill pen and ink, churned butter and made traditional corn muffins with maple syrup. They  wrote poems, raps, created political cartoons and performed in plays. We even learned to sew on an antique sewing machine and made a Yogibo cover using a scrap quilt technique common at that time.  Of course, we also read primary sources, watched videos, parodies of popular songs and worked in groups to fully comprehend some of the important battles and events.

Our culminating activity was a trip to the Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center in Ridgefield. The only inland battle during the Revolutionary War in CT took place in Ridgefield and The Keeler Tavern has concrete proof – a cannonball is still wedged in the outer wall of the building. The students enjoyed the trip and came away with a vast knowledge of the significance and complexity of this important era in history.