Grade 5 Colonial Day at Saxe saw re-enactors from the Fifth Connecticut Regiment visit the middle school Friday to bring to life 18th Century weaponry, surgical duties, spy tactics and other parts of the American Revolutionary War era.
If this video is any evidence, the fun, interactive exercise achieved at least part of its purpose by making the kids think seriously about what it would be like to live back then. NewCanaanite.com asked the students what they’d miss most in their daily lives if they lived in Colonial New Canaan instead of now (article continues below video):
Christian White, a fifth-grade history teacher who helped organize the regiment’s visit, said the annual visit coincides with curriculum.
“I think they have a lot of fun seeing some different things,” he said. “I think just being able to see what they’ve been learning in the history books really looks like and at the end of the day, seeing the musket demo where regiment will march in formation and then fire the muskets, is terrific.”
Christian White, fifth-grade history teacher and organizer of Grade 5 Colonial Day at Saxe Middle School. Credit: Michael Dinan
Mary Hanna, K-8 social studies coordinator for New Canaan, said Colonial Day gives the fifth-graders “a chance to see everything up close and personal and hear the stories as if they went back in time.”
Mary Hanna, K-8 social studies coordinator for New Canaan Public Schools. Credit: Michael Dinan
“They’ve been spending the year really talking about the colonial period, so it fits in perfectly,” he said. “To really bring textbook pages or primary sources, some of the variety of materials that they are using to learn to life, makes a big difference.”
Re-enactor with the Fifth Connecticut Regiment. Credit: Michael Dinan