First Graders Become Detectives of the Past

First graders at William O. Schaefer Elementary School became detectives of the past this spring with WOS Enrichment teacher Robin Courtwright during their archaeology enrichment unit!

Over the last several weeks, classes participated in a series of inquiry based archaeology lessons and activities that taught students about the communities that lived on the land before WOS was built. This included the Lenape Tappan native community, European colonists, Camp Shanks soldiers, and Shanks Village families.

For this problem-based and place-based learning experience, Courtwright presented a rusty toy jeep she found in the field at school. Students came up with as many questions as they could about the object. Next, they conducted an archaeology dig and excavated artifacts that could have belonged to the different communities that lived on this land before. Students were tasked with carefully digging up the artifacts, examining them closely, and using their critical thinking skills to determine what time period they could be from based on a visual timeline going back 1,000 years.

To learn about Camp Shanks and Shanks Village, guest expert Mr. John Gray from the Camp Shanks Museum visited classes to discuss what life looked like here during the 1940s when 1.3 million service personnel passed through as part of WWII. He brought artifacts, photographs and books to help students learn all about what the soldiers did to get in shape, practice teamwork, and have fun. He showed students how to properly fold an American flag.

K-5 Instructional Literacy Coach Kristy Nadler joined Courtwright for a reenactment of games that kids played during colonial times. Activities included playing jacks, hoop and stick, the Game of Graces, walking on stilts and even churning butter.

For their final activity, T.H.E. Garden Club co-founder Ashley Libersher stopped by the first grade classes to teach students about plants and herbs that may have been found in the area when the Lenape Tappan community first lived here. Our archaeologists-in-training learned about plants including chamomile, echinacea and sage and how they were used as medicine. Students went out to the garden to plant what is known as “the Three Sisters”, a cooperative relationship between corn, bean and squash that promotes a healthy harvest. This method was developed by native communities hundreds of years ago and is still used today. 

According to Courtwright, “PBL promotes deeper learning through hands-on community based experiences centered on critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration.”