A Step Back in Time
Posted by Sarah RaggioGrade 5 is deeply immersed in the era of the American Revolution. In both social studies and literature, the students are taking a closer look at this exciting time in history. Working across the curriculum, our students gain insight and a deeper perspective because they are engaged in primary sources, secondary sources and historical fiction, simultaneously.
In literature class, we are learning and applying reading strategies to our book, My Brother Sam is Dead, to better comprehend and enjoy the book. Connection was our first strategy and we spent a class period in the kitchen, stepping back in time, learning to bake bread and churn butter the old fashioned way. While we did use the oven to bake the bread, we didn’t cut any corners churning the butter. We learned it took a lot of physical labor to turn cream into butter! The students were able to bring home the bread and butter they made to share with their families, and they were delicious!
The following week, we took another step back and learned about scrap quilts. Sewing was typically done by the women and girls during this era, but the boys in Grade 5 were not about to be left out of the fun! Each student is crafting a 9 block quilt piece with a 1925 sewing machine. Once again, we cut a few corners and used electricity, but the concept of using scrap pieces to create something useful is the same. We are also modernizing the project a bit and using the blocks to make a Yogibo cover for our classroom instead of a quilt. Stay tuned for pictures of the finished product in May!
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