Mildred E Strang MS
Yorktown, NY
Christopher DiPasquale
Email- cdipasquale@yorktown.org

This the first year of the Living History Program. It is done once a week in my 7th grade Alternate Ed. Social Studies class with a small group of great kids. Here are some the programs we have done and will be doing this year.

• October 4th Field Trip to The Little Red Schoolhouse- Students enlisted in the Continental Army, and were taught about the life of solider and were drilled in how to march, their uniforms and even their food. The class then proceeded to the VanCortlandville cemetery to the monument and grave of John Paulding (A war hero from the Revolution). Then they did grave rubbings from various 18th century graves to show the age and significance of the area.
• October 23rd: Cider Making. Students will learn how to make cider from an 18th century apple press. This will teach them about a local crop vital to the area, and about the labor that was involved in the everyday life of local residents.
• November 20th Candle Making. Students will learn how to make drip candles from bee's wax. The original landowners of the area (the VanCortlandts), were bee keepers and they made most of their candles from it instead of cheaper material such as tallow.
• 18th Century Medicine. The class will make 18th century Rolaids just like residents of the Hudson Valley did 250 years ago. They will use oyster shells , and other ingredients just as was done then
• Weekly drills- The class will be drilled as soldiers were on a weekly basis (one period a week). They will dress as soldiers in frocks, tri-corned hats, etc
• December 17th recreation of the Boston Tea Party. Students will research why the event occurred and recreate it almost to the day it happened 234 years ago.
• Jan Feb08- research on French Hill encampment and the Battle of Pines Bridge. We will be doing research in conjunction with the Yorktown Historical Society. Our overall goal in to get an historic marker erected at one of those sites.
• March Mini day encampment- students will learn how to pitch a wedge tent (tent used by soldiers); they will learn how to set up an 18th century military camp, and all the different roles involved in it. Including 18th games such as Bilbos Table top Nine pins and marbles.
• April Encampment Fort Montgomery. We will travel to Fort Montgomery and set up our encampment. Students in period dress will follow the historic trails from Fort Clinton (Bear Mt State Park to Fort Montgomery. After learning about the battle there we will conduct a drill, create a commissary, and make our camp food. We will then tour the historic site and visitor's center and drill. We will then break camp and march out of Fort Montgomery. Students will get an invaluable experience of being at one of the areas most important historic site.
• May Creation of MESMS Living History website with downloadable podcasts. Students will create the site and we will use the schools technology to create podcasts from our fits person 18th century journals that the class has been keeping throughout the year.
  

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