James has been working on a patriot project for the past month and is glad to report it’s finished! This is part of what marks the 4th grade year at our school – the first project that is student led. The project expectations and guidelines were laid out for students (and parents), and while some of the work was done in class, much of it was done at home.
Students were given the name of a patriot who was involved in the Revolutionary War; James received John Hancock. Students were expected to research his/her life, write out an outline, a five paragraph report, create a display board, find a costume, and write a short speech for Patriot Day.
Because this was the first big project James has done, we had to work through the steps in how to complete something like this. Create a master list of tasks, look at the calendar, decide how many days we have, and divide up the tasks so everything is finished on time. This is a big concept to learn for the first time!
This was a learning experience not only for James, but for Kenny and myself as well. James did all of the work, but we were involved in buying supplies, talking through a plan, and suggesting ideas here and there. We learned a bit about pulling back where needed to allow James some independence. He’s capable of so much and it’s imperative that we back off instead of hover now. This parenting thing is constantly changing and requiring something new of us at every turn. I’m so glad for God’s grace as we learn along the way!
James’s display board included John Hancock’s extra large signature since his signature was the largest on the Declaration of Independence. James painted a view of the harbor with a dock and a few ships; something John would have seen from his office window. His board also included a drawing of Hancock at his desk, a portrait James drew in art class, as well as facts and quotations.
Patriot Day arrived and each class set up their boards in the atrium at school for display. They created a Living Museum of sorts. The students each made a pretend button for visitors to push then they would come to life, saying their prepared speech about their character. James did a great job and said his speech 52 times that day! As a prop he had a fake Declaration of Independence and a quill pen he pretended to sign with. (Anna showed James how to make a quill pen from a wooden chopstick – something she learned on Colonial Day.) Other 4th grade classes visited, parents came, and the student’s younger buddies (1st graders they’re paired up with) from school came.
James, we’re so proud of all you accomplished and learned with this project! Well done!
