This December, Grade 4 had two thrilling field work experiences. Traveling back in time to 1776, they first visited Dorchester’s Pierce House. There, they practiced writing journals using a quill pen, investigated the gear of a militiaman, and learned, through comparison of primary and secondary source documents, how Dorchester residents felt about the actions of the Sons of Liberty up in Boston.
The following week, they braved the Red Line and traversed the Freedom Trail. They stopped at key sites, making observations about viewpoints, name changes, and building materials.
The trip culminated in a visit to the Paul Revere in house in today’s North End, and built just a few years earlier than the Pierce House. They learned about the importance of the fire place, and how large families organized their children. Comparisons to the Pierce family were also made (farmer vs silversmith, both had many children of whom just a few survived into adulthood). This week, they commemorate the Boston Tea Party with a literal tea party of their own, in the classrooms.