Students Experience History on the Boston Common

Making History on the Common Day Attracts Over 650 Students

Boston school children learn about the rich history and culture of their city in the classroom. But on June 3^rd more than 650 students in grades 3-5 actually experienced it.

Ignoring the rainy weather, they enjoyed a fun-filled, action-packed day of learning by participating in the Friends of the Public Garden’s fourth annual “Making History on the Common Day.”

Students played colonial games and learned about colonial crafts from Historic New England educators. They watched a performance by the Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers, learned how to plant a Native American “three sisters” garden of corn, beans and squash, a pet farm animals from Codman Community Farms.

They watched a re-enactment of the valor of the 54^th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, the first unit of African American soldiers from the North to fight in the Civil War. They viewed demonstrations of New England contra dances and the use of wooden pillories for punishment. They learned about Native American flint tool making from Boston Archaeologist Joe Bagley and examined the line of blue survey flags marking the pre-colonial shoreline along the Charles Street edge of the Common.

“It was great to see these kids extending their learning outside the classroom and experiencing our rich history and culture in tangible ways,” said Elizabeth Vizza, executive director of the Friends. “Making History on the Common works because it’s simple yet profound.”

Vizza thanked event sponsors Motor Mart Garage and Mass Humanities for their generous support. Information about Friends events and activities at www.friendsofthepublicgarden.org.