Living History: Morrisonville Elementary kids take field trip back in time

PLATTSBURGH | Fourth graders at Morrisonville Elementary School took a field trip back in time. Their visit to the Clinton County Fairgrounds met with characters depicting life in the 1800s. There were old-time games to play, farming and cooking tools, crafts and military tactics from centuries ago for them to experience. The students were particularly struck by the one-room schoolhouse, where one teacher taught kids in grades 1 through 8 at the same time. "How many grades were there?" a student asked. "There were eight different years' worth of people in a one-room schoolhouse," historian and Battle of Plattsburgh founder Kit Booth answered. "How were they able to teach one grade when the other kids were here?" Historian and 1814 Commemoration Inc. member Stan Ransom moved to the teacher's desk up front. "Let's say you have 14 students," Ransom said. "The young ones would be up front, because they needed a different kind of education. During the day, when the older students in the back, maybe in the 7th grade, had time, they would take some of the kids in the front and teach them their alphabet." Primary lessons were reading, writing and math. HANDS-ON HISTORY The hands-on history lessons are provided for schools by the 1814 Commemoration education committee, coordinated with help from Booth, Stan Ransom and his wife Chris Ransom, Tom Donahue, Linda Ward, Craig Russell, Mark Dubrey and other historians. Over 60 kids made rounds at each of five locations: Farm & Home, Crafts, Encampment, Games and the Schoolhouse. The changing focus kept students moving and engaged, each found something new to learn about life in the early days of America. Changing classes was signaled by the clang of the schoolhouse bell. The student who correctly answered a closing question at the school won rights to toll the bell. Dayne Reinman won the honor in his schoolroom session. In all, 64 students from Morrisonville Elementary attended with about 12 kids in each group. The event is open to all area schools, 1814 Commemoration Inc. President Donahue said, though Morrisonville Elementary has made it an annual event. Elementary teacher Keith Parrotte said it's become a very popular field trip. "They love it. I just had a student come up and tell me, 'Mr. Parrotte this is one of the best field trips.'" Out on the lawn, the kids ambled onto stilts, trying, alongside their teachers, to balance for a few steps. Revolutionary War reenactor Russell had a 19th-century cannon set up downfield and showed them how the charge worked. Standing back some 60 feet, they watched him prepare to fire: "Ready. Cover your ears and open your mouth," he warned of the percussion blast. And counted down. Russell also shared a musket used during the Revolutionary War era and fired it, minus musket balls, further afield. Under a games tent, Chris Ransom played a table bowling game with fourth grader Abigail Locklin, who was intrigued with the small pins and spinning wheel coiled with string. "This is a precursor to bowling," Mrs. Ransom said. "So is nine-pins," she said, pointing to the pins on the lawn. "People just kept recreating as time went on. The games were played in the 1800s, many played long before that," Mrs. Ransom said. "If you haven't played them or outdoor games like stilts, that's a skill set. It takes a little while to get it, but then you do!" "I think it's cool," Abigail said. "Most of the stuff, if you made it yourself, doesn't cost much," Mrs. Ransom added. "They made all of their games by hand." In the Crafts workshop, students learned how to wind rope out of layers of twine. In Farm & Home rooms, they were introduced to a bottle cap presser, a handheld cork setter and a potato bagging machine. Dubrey showed kids how the iron tools worked, adding that these items didn't come from a hardware store. Even the chains were made by a blacksmith, he said, one link at a time. Donahue said they've opened the Living History series to all area students, hoping to provide hands-on history to 4th-grade students throughout the region. The sessions open each springtime as 1814 Commemoration Inc. distributes their Battle of Plattsburgh history workbook for all 4th graders in Clinton and Essex counties. UNIQUE CHALLENGE COIN 1814 Commemoration also worked with the Clinton County Historical Association and President Geri Favreau to create an America250 Challenge Coin this year. The coins are available for purchase at Valcour Brewing, at the Clinton County Historical Association Museum, and from Favreau and Donahue at local events. "Tom is the person who approached me about doing this together," Favreau said. "We worked together on the design. It has a Battle of Valcour design on one side. The other side features the Macdonough Monument, which is celebrates the 100th anniversary this year." They are highly collectible, and they are numbered, Favreau said. "We only had 250 of them made."

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Living History: Morrisonville Elementary kids take field trip back in time

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