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Session
I
This
year, the Breakaway campers arrived at Camp Madison as colonists.
Everyday, they met with a teacher, their counselors and their
own colony group to learn about American colonial history.
The first
challenge The Colonies encountered was choosing names for
their colonies and designing flags that would represent their
group. Because The Colonies were fighting for freedom, they
elected delegates who gathered in the evenings to develop
a Camp Constitution, which would help the colonies band together
and set standard rules.
A Powhatan
warrior, Lunging Bear, came to camp one day to teach the importance
of staying clear of drugs and alcohol through stories and
songs. Just as the colonists and Native Americans were apprehensive
of each other's presence, many of the children were nervous
at the beginning of the presentation because of the paint
on Lunging Bear's face, but they soon realized that he was
filled with kindness and generosity. One camper, Jesus Castro,
wrote, "When you came to Camp Madison, I was afraid of
you. When you said all of those things about your life, I
wasn't scared anymore. I understood."
Campers
also got a flavor of the hard work of colonial life. They
mixed clay, made bowls and even built their own kiln for baking
the pottery. They made paper when they discussed the Stamp
Act. They learned how to make knots to create a fish net.
After reading about Benjamin Franklin and talking about the
recreational and communication uses properties of kites, campers
made their own kites. The importance of symmetry was realized
when the campers flew their kites. Campers also read and discussed
the lessons in several American folktales. The campers took
many hikes to look for wildlife that colonists would have
been able to hunt and use for food and clothing. That proved
to be very difficult, so they hunted grasshoppers and picked
berries as an alternative, just as the colonists had done.
The campers identified the Shaghorn Sumac trees and Maple
trees. They made tea from the sumac berries and talked about
how to make maple syrup from the maple trees in the spring.
Campers also looked at an undeveloped area of camp and determined
how they would turn it into their home after considering the
resources available. One camper, Monija Hicks, expressed in
her journal that, "It would be great to be a colonist
because you get to always be outdoors and smell fresh air."
Everyday
the campers wrote in their journals. Many of their ideas and
writing were transformed into the final skits, movies, dances
and songs. They practiced their parts during a final Thanksgiving
celebration. Through hands-on activities, the campers learned
much about Colonial America and what it was like to arrive
in a new land.
 Break-Away
Instructor
Nicola Prahl
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