By Kelsey Valencia
Grinding cornmeal, weaving straw mats, and dipping wicks in hot wax were just a few of the activities that transported Gulliver fifth graders into colonial St. Augustine during their recent school trip. Some of the main attractions visited by the fifth graders were Castillo de San Marcos, the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse, and the Old Florida Museum. The first attraction was Castillo de San Marcos, built by the Spanish between 1672 and 1695. In 1668, an English pirate, Robert Searles, killed people and robbed the settlement. When the Spanish noticed that they were under great danger, the Queen at the time, Mariana, decided to agree to authorize the construction of Castillo de San Marcos. The fort was unbreakable due to the fact it was built out of a type of shell called coquina.
The second attraction visited was the oldest school house in the United States which is also known as The Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse. The school is thought to be built in 1716. The resident teacher and family once lived on the second floor above the classroom. The kitchen was located in a separate building so that if a fire started, it would not burn the whole house down. “On the trip I learned all about American history, and even got the privilege to go to the oldest schoolhouse in America,” said Omar Aryan.
The last attraction visited by the fifth graders was the Old Florida Museum. According to Yahoo Travel Guide, this museum allows visitors to learn about the daily life of “Florida’s pre-European past when Timucuan Indians took over the region,” the Spanish colonial people, and Florida pioneers. At the museum, students played games that were played hundreds of years ago. While the students were acting as Florida pioneers, they wrote with feather pens that students in colonial times used during school, and they were showed the punishment that girls and boys got when they got into trouble. “The Old Florida Museum was my favorite part of the trip because we got to do fun activities that kids got to do a while ago,” said Nina Shalom. This trip allowed students to reflect upon the lives they lead today versus the lives they could have lead as Pioneer children.
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