Visitors Bring History to Life
During a special assembly on Thursday, Sept. 17, students in grades 3-8 recognized Constitution Day along with some special visitors.
Members of Shawnee Mission and Prairie Rose chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and the Delaware Crossing chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) arrived at Barstow in historical costumes, ready to bring history to life. From the perspectives of each of the 13 colonies, these visitors acted out some of the challenges and decisions involved in the formation of the United States. They discussed the unique attributes of each colony, including religion and culture, exports and resources. They also discussed the creation of the House of Representatives and Senate and how the Constitution established three branches of government. They ended their skit with the signing of the Constitution in 1787. Constitution Day is observed each year on Sept. 17 to commemorate the signing.
Under the direction of performing arts chair and lower school music teacher Kristi Mitchell and middle and upper school choral director Ben Wang, students sang songs including “America the Beautiful” and “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” Following a discussion of the significance of bells as symbols of freedom, a group of students joined the actors onstage to ring bells.
The interactive experience gave students a chance to step into the history they study in class and see how the decisions of the time shaped the new nation.
