So I got off work a little early today (due to lack of business; I hope this changes soon or I am going to be out a job). Anyway, I went to my kids' school early to pick them up and figured I would just work on some crochet in the car while I waited. To my surprise about 5 minutes after I got there out came my daughter's class.
The 5th graders are learning about the revolutionary war this year and are even putting on a school play about it; my oldest is playing Martha Washington. So one of their lessons was hands- on, so to speak.
The 5th graders are learning about the revolutionary war this year and are even putting on a school play about it; my oldest is playing Martha Washington. So one of their lessons was hands- on, so to speak.
The suit Mr. Cornell is wearing, a revolutionary- type suit, is all hand stitched. How cool is that and all his weapons and other stuff are handmade, too. He demonstrated to the class how to load and fire a flintlock (no ball, of course, just black power and wad). He showed them how the ram rod works and how to bite the bullet. Those sayings have almost no meaning any more, but the kids learned the original meanings and from where they came. He also explained that the gun weighs about 10 pounds and that it is roughly 5 feet 4 inches tall, about the height of some of the children in class. When this type of gun was originally in use, the average man was about the same height as the gun. This surprised the children because they couldn't believe that they are the height of an adult who lived 200 years ago.There are a few more photos from this in my flickr photos.
I'm 5 feet 4 inches tall, and I'm an adult! ;) A short-ish female, but an adult.
ReplyDeleteyes I understand that there are adults that height but it it is not the average any more. It is on the short side and what was being stated was a fact that was given by the teacher to emphasize how most people have change in physical characteristics over a few hundred years.
ReplyDeleteforgot to say my mother-in-law is either 5 foot 2 inches or 5 foot 4 inches so it didn't surprise me i have friends much much shorter too. So it didn't surprise me just the fifth graders big difference.
ReplyDeleteMy family does Revolutionary and French-Indian era reenacting as Natives.
ReplyDeleteIt is not unusual to see a group of men standing together, leaning one arm atop their guns.