Anna’s Patriot Project

In early May, Anna’s fourth grade participated in Patriot Day at school – the culmination of a month-long project. Each fourth grader chose a patriot that was an active participant in the Revolutionary War, then researched, wrote an outline and a five-paragraph paper, created a display board, found a costume, and wrote a short speech to deliver on Patriot Day. This is the first student-led project Anna has done and is part of what marks the fourth-grade year at our school. The guidelines were sent home and parents were asked to help the student as needed, but for the most part, students were expected to handle the project on their own.

Anna did a great job and discovered the highs and lows of working on a long project over time. Learning to make a plan and stick to it rather than procrastinating. And how to persevere when it feels like you’ll never finish. Kenny was a great help to Anna with her display board – listening to her ideas and helping her find a way to make them happen.

Anna chose Patience Lovell Wright for her project – a new name to all of us. Patience was the first American sculptor and was also a spy in the Revolution. She hid messages in the busts she created and shipped them to her sister, Rachel. Anna painted a picture of the house Patience lived in and included a portrait she drew of Patience in art class.

On Patriot Day the students not only presented to their class but also set up their boards in the atrium and created a Living Museum. The students created a button for visitors to push and then the student would begin their speech. Parents and other classes visited the museum and the students ended up saying their speeches many, many times. The morning ended with a tea party and scones in the classroom.