Wading River students step into Revolutionary War history

The British are coming! The British are coming!

That was the battle cry at Wading River School last week, where fourth graders stepped into the Revolutionary War era with horses, cannon fire and colonial cooking.

The immersive reenactment program brought classroom history lessons to life through hands-on demonstrations led by historical reenactors as part of festivities ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

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Fourth graders at Wading River School pose with Revolutionary War reenactors and principal Lou Parrinello following a cannon demonstration during last week’s immersive history program. (Shoreham-Wading River Central School District courtesy photo) Fourth graders at Wading River School react during a Revolutionary War reenactment program last week that brought the colonial era to life with cannon fire, cavalry demonstrations, period music, cooking and leatherworking. (Shoreham-Wading River Central School District courtesy photo)

Students rotated through stations exploring both the battlefield and daily life during America’s fight for independence. They watched a soldier on horseback gallop across the school’s back field, got a close-up look at Revolutionary War-era artillery and saw a cannon firing demonstration with help from principal Lou Parrinello.

Away from the battlefield, students learned about civilian life in the colonial era. They listened to music commonly heard at the time, observed traditional cooking techniques while helping prepare potato and leek soup and learned about leatherworking.