Day 2: Seminar Day Keeps Teachers on the Go

Teachers charging up the hill at Fort Moultrie.

Another fun-filled and exciting day at the 2011 Drayton Hall Summer Teacher Workshop! Nineteen South Carolina plus two Kansas teachers tackled Revolutionary War history on the activity packed seminar day. The day began with educators transitioning between four stations on early Revolutionary topics such as uniforms, camp life, the navy, and enslaved people for both the Patriots and the British. The helpful staff, comprised of Betsy, Joe, Leslie, and Deana provided background information, historical tidbits, and suggestions for interactive activities for students. For me, these stations were my favorite aspect of the Summer Workshop. The opportunity to hold weapons, try on uniforms, and learn how soldiers lived was priceless.

Next, teachers and staff, led by Rikki Davenport, toured Ft. Moultrie with expert park ranger Donnel Singleton. Under his tutelage educators learned the long history of the Fort beginning in the 18th century through present day and  of the connections between Ft. Moultrie and other surrounding forts in the harbor. After our lunch at Gullah Cuisine restaurant we toured our third site of the day, the Charles Pinckney Site. We learned of Pinckney’s role in the drafting of the Constitution and his role in South Carolina history.

From the Pinckney Site we journeyed to the Powder Magazine Museum in downtown Charleston. There, we explored the history of Charleston through proprietorship, pirates and two wars. Our guide, Allan Stello, was informative and very animated.

By the end of the day we all felt a closer and deeper connection to Charleston’s colonial and Revolutionary War history and gained valuable information and ideas to take back to our classrooms. What a day!

Debbie Gould is a teacher at Wilson Jr. and Sr. High School from Wilson, Kansas and is one of the two non-South Carolina teachers participating in the workshop.