Visiting History

         “Are we ready to go to the bus?  Form a line by the door,” Miss Riley ordered the class.  “Alex, wrap your gum in this tissue and put it in the basket.  You know better than to be chewing gum.”



         The children lined up with a little pushing.  Miss Riley said, “All right let’s walk to the bus,  no talking.”



         The yellow bus was waiting in the parking lot.  The children had been looking forward to this class trip to Washington’s Crossing. 



         Alex, the class clown, started doing his robot walk.  The children laughed and some of the boys began imitating him. Miss Riley chided. “No more nonsense, Alex or you’re not coming with us.”



         The children had learned about the Revolution and how George Washington crossed the Delaware River that Christmas eve so long ago. Now they were to see where it all happened. 



         Washington’s Crossing Park is a lovely place with green lawns and a sculpture of the rowboat with Washington standing in the bow.



          Alex commented, “Didn’t  George Washington know you aren’t supposed to stand up in a boat?”



         At the end of the day as they arrived back at school to get on their buses to go home  Miss Riley announced, “Everyone!  For tomorrow I want each one of you to write a theme about what we saw today.”  The children moaned in protest as classes of fourth graders have always done when told to write themes. 



         As the children filed out of the classroom, Miss Riley mused, “I wonder what impressed them.  I can’t wait to read what they will write.”



         

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