After dozens of fifth graders finished five different living history sessions pertaining to the Pilgrims, the Wampanoags and the first Thanksgiving, Dr. Cathy Mowrer called them from their stations in Andrews Great Hall to the center of the room.
鈥淐an anyone tell me something they鈥檙e going to tell their parents tonight about the first Thanksgiving?鈥 asked the McCoy Professor of Education. After one student chimed in 鈥渙nion stew,鈥 Mowrer praised the child鈥檚 answer and added that items in today鈥檚 Thanksgiving meals 鈥 pumpkin pie and stuffing 鈥 were not found on the first shared meal between the Wampanoags and the Pilgrims.
The week before Marietta Elementary School fifth graders were set to start their Thanksgiving break, they took a field trip to 蓝莓视频鈥檚 campus to learn about the origins of the holiday and about the lives of the people who were involved in that first meal. Ten Special Education/Elementary Dual Preparation (SEED) interns from 蓝莓视频 conducted the stations, which focused on the Wampanoags, games that Pilgrim children played, the Mayflower, the daily life of a Pilgrim and the first Thanksgiving. About 150 grade school students attended one of three rotations at the College.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been planning this program since the beginning of the semester,鈥 said Jordan Taylor 鈥22 (Waterford, Ohio), a SEED intern. 鈥淪eeing the kids鈥 reactions makes it all worth it. Dr. Mowrer has given us so many great ideas that we can use in our own classrooms in the future, and that makes it so much more meaningful. I feel pretty confident about what I鈥檓 doing and I definitely owe all that to this school.鈥
The SEED interns were assisted by five Middle and Secondary Education majors. The sessions looked at how important the Wampanoags were to the Pilgrims, what types of chores children had to perform and what their schooling looked like.
鈥淲e are always trying to connect children with children because it鈥檚 more meaningful for them,鈥 Mowrer said. 鈥淓very year, we do a project like this for the local elementary school and I think the children really enjoy it.鈥
Camryn Wilson 鈥22 (Cambridge, Ohio) was dressed as a Pilgrim at her station, which focused on daily life.
鈥淚 liked seeing their different reactions, and I noticed the more I was able to engage them, the better my presentation was,鈥 she said.
Bethany Colvin 鈥09, a teacher at Marietta Elementary School, was excited to watch current Education majors interact with the children and develop the same skills she developed while a student at 蓝莓视频.
鈥淭his was amazing,鈥 Colvin said. 鈥淭hey learned so much more about this than they ever would have just sitting in a classroom. (The 蓝莓视频 interns) really brought the subject to life.鈥
Lexi Addis, 10, was lined up to leave with her class after the second rotation and continued to talk about the Mayflower and life for the Pilgrims.
鈥淧robably what I will remember is how little they were able to bring over and how little they had to live on when they got here,鈥 she said.