Making the 16th or 17th century seem real to 3rd graders is difficult at the best of times. A field trip to Plimoth Plantation for some hands on learning has done the trick for many a Winchester student in the past. With no field trips on the horizon, Elementary Instructional Coach Betty Beauchamp turned to WFEE for a virtual solution. Bring Indigenous Museum Educator Tim Turner to Winchester through Zoom to present to all 3rd graders, those learning at home as well as in school.
"This amazing learning experience is a perfect and timely enrichment as the students are learning about the many contributions of the Indigenous People of this area."
Betty Beauchamp
Turner, a member of the Cherokee Nation who works for Plimoth Patuxt (formerly known as Plimoth Plantation), began meeting with 3rd graders today.
His presentations touch on everything from toys used by Wampanoag children to the structure of society. In outlining the daily life of the Wampanoag that involved hunting, gathering, farming and making tools, Turner left the children with this thought: no matter how hard we are working in 2021, day to day life is still a lot easier now than it was centuries ago.