BY JONATHAN CANNON

HERALD DEMOCRAT

Sherman fifth graders got a taste of the hardships of colonial life this past week during Dillingham Elementary's annual colonial days. However, the students were all smiles.

"It's like taking a field trip without going anywhere," said fifth-grade teacher Sharla Mullens.

During each group of fifth grade classes' colonial day, students move to various stations throughout the day, sewing pillows, making butter and learning about blacksmithery.

"It gives them a fun way, rather than text books, to learn about colonial times," said fifth grade teacher Hope Courtney. "They get to go and experience everything that we read about."

"Anytime you can have hands on learning for a student, they get so much more out of that," Mullens added. "They'll remember this day and it'll make a connection to the concept we're trying to teach."

The highlights for students and teachers, varied. Fifth grader Breannan Becker said her favorite part was seeing a black smith perform his art using historical tools. She said the experience helps her and her peers to walk in the shoes of early settlers.

"They had to learn how to do it by themselves and that's what we're learning how today," she said.

Courtney said her favorite part of the annual event is watching students shake cream into butter.

"The kids are just amazed as they watch the butter get made from the cream," she said. "They're used to just going to the grocery store and picking up a thing of butter. That's different for them."

Mullens said another highlight for many students is getting to see the skins of a wide variety of North American animals, a new addition to the rotation this year.

"It's the first time some of these kids have seen how big a wild hog head is, or how big ... a bear's claws are," she said.

Courtney said the fifth graders spend the year studying American history and several weeks leading up to the special event studying the period they experience.

"It's a great educational experience for the kids," she said.

The fun isn't just for the fifth graders and their teachers, a few sixth grade students get to return and help with the sewing.

Courtney said this helps split the station into smaller groups and allows the sixth graders to relive the experience.

"It's like watching it over again," said sixth grader Taylor Able, adding that getting out of class for a day isn't bad either.

Courtney said having instructional help close to the fifth graders' ages helps give them confidence to try something different like sewing.

"Sewing is so new to the kids," she said. "When they see the (sixth graders) in there, they see that these kids are the expert... so they can say, 'Oh, if they can do it and they did it last year, well then I can do.'"

To enhance the experience many of the students dress in period clothing.

"I think it helps them to get more into the sense of that time period, and experience it a little more fully than just wearing jeans and a T-shirt," Mullens said. "If you're dressed like a child would have been back then and you're doing what I child would have done back then, it just enhances the whole experience."