School Program

Volunteers Needed!

As part of the Battle of the Hook (Gloucester, VA, Oct. 18-19, 2008) event schedule, reenactors will be providing interpretive programs for local area elementary, middle and high schools. The goal of these school visits is to tap into the rich knowledge of the reenacting community in order to enhance the educational experience of students studying the revolutionary period. The programs are anticipated to be approximately one hour in length and will concentrate on:

  1. Causal factors of the Revolutionary War
  2. A short military history of the conflict
  3. The conflict as seen through the eyes of a common soldier
  4. A discussion of the equipment carried by each soldier

It is hoped that the programs will be given by 2-3 reenactors as one group, ideally to include one Continental soldier, one British soldier, and either a rifleman, distaff, musick, artillery, or other specialized arms representative. The idea is to have as much variety in viewpoints as possible to provide a good overall depiction for the students.

The 1st Viriginia Regt. will provide a Powerpoint slide presentation for each group to use as an overview, with a script for each slide included. Additionally, each group is encouraged to bring as much equipment as possible to give students a "hands on" experience.

At this point, we are looking at 8-10 schools that will be requesting a visit. We are hoping that all the visits will occur during the day on Friday, 17 Oct. We are looking for volunteers to assist in this important effort to give back to the schools in the community that has so generously helped sponsor our event. With 8-10 visits anticipated, we are planning on two visits per group, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. If enough volunteers come forward, we can hopefully cut this down to one visit per group.

We have a unique opportunity to provide living history to hundreds of students, while at the same time sparking their interest in the events of the weekend. Some schools are looking into getting transportation for students and parents to the events at Warner Hall.

If you can arrive on site by Friday morning please consider being a part of this important event. An hour or two of your time will make a huge impression on a student! The visits are being coordinated by Michael Wales, educational coordinator of the 1st Virginia Regiment.

If you are interested in assisting, please e-mail Mike Wales () or call 703-853-3069 and he'll provide all the details and answer any questions. If you know of fellow reenactors who would have an interest in helping out in this, please forward them the information!!

We are looking forward to your help!!

Chip Gnam
1 VA Regt.