Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1081161
scenarios of that era. For example, a stu- dent may have a sick lamb at home and miss school to take care of it. Or they may have to walk five miles into town to unhitch a horse named Snowball because their parents are occupied. Fortunately, students don't really have to do these things, but they get an idea of challenges pioneer youngsters faced. Students also learn about other chal- lenges in th e days of yore — in class th ey received a "swat " if th ey mi sb e- haved and had to wear a dunce cap if they were caught daydreaming or gave a wrong answer. However, during the re-enactment, they receive points for participation , not puni shm ent. Th ey must acquire a certain number of points to "graduate" during a ceremony attended by their real families, where children can show off their square dancing moves. Students, for the most part, develop an appreciation for the era they really live in. "We get to make fun stuff and learn fun things, but I wouldn't want to live during that time, because it's a hard life and you about the Underground Railroad, which helped transport slaves to the North, and the hardships and unfairness that Native Americans suffered. eir studies involve reading appropriate texts and watching informative programs. "Students learn that freed slaves and Native Americans were extremely mis- treated and not treated equally in any way," says Hall. "ey realize that the land was taken away from the Native Ameri- cans. We have important discussions about the social injustice of the era." Every morning when students walk in the door, a "clean hands and clean face ch e ck" takes pl ace, and th en th ey 're a s s i g n e d " f a t e s" b a s e d o n p o s s i b l e Teacher Lori Hall helps students with pretzel making. Students also learn how to make butter, strawberry jam and ice cream. Above: Marieli Magana, center, has fun kneading her pretzel dough. Left: For this project, boys share the work equally with girls, such as washing their socks with a tub and washboard. 48 cta.org Teaching & Learning