IRVINGTON, N.Y. -- Main Street School fourth-graders donned mid-1700s attire on March 12 as they wrapped up their Colonial history unit during the school’s Colonial Day event.
Colonial Day included a number of traditional activities, a snack provided by parents and lots of opportunities to learn what life was like during the days of the 13 colonies.
Students were treated to a session with Colonial musician and singer Linda Russell, who brought a number of interesting instruments like the pennywhistle and tin whistle.
According to Russell, Colonial citizens and soldiers used music for a number of purposes – from a marching beat to nighttime lullabies and war signals, as well as dancing and fun.
"George Washington was an excellent dancer,” she said. “And music would also give you orders in the Revolutionary War.”
The day’s tinsmithing workshop introduced how colonists used the inexpensive material for a number of products, such as for creating lanterns. Students hammered out their own designs on tin, ranging from flowers to birds.
Using quill pens and ink, students practiced applying just the right amount of pressure to parchment as they penned journal entries, experiencing the routine of dipping the quill back into the ink every few strokes.
“I really like using the quill and ink,” said student Anya Murphy. “It’s fun.”
Classmate Justin Shapiro was concentrating hard on his writing.
“It’s challenging to get the ink to show up,” he said. “Normally, I can write pretty quickly.”
The final activity of Colonial Day was butter churning – a favorite among many of the students.
“We got to make and then eat our own butter,” said Shapiro. “It tasted really good.”
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