Mamta Popat / arizona daily star

More Photos (2):

Other articles by Aaron Mackey:

UA-led space research concludes Mars once had water, perhaps life UA's biggest college gets interim dean Deal lets students pursue bachelor's degrees online UA fraternity's hazing documentedUA report cites hazing at fraternity booted from campus Incoming president of regents aims to cut students' costs UA lags in money made off its innovationsRegents like C+ transfer requirementRegents call for cooperation Regents OK 5-year deal, highest pay for Miller

Sales and Marketing
Everready Glass
Sales Reps Trades/Construction
RANCHO RESORT
MAINTANANCE POSITION Administrative & Professional
Jorgensen Brooks Group
Counselor Administrative & Professional
Tucson Urban League
CEO/President Finance and Accounting
Charles E. Gillman Company
Accounting Specialist Mechanical
Komatsu Equipment Co
Resident Field Mechanic

First-graders at Wrightstown Elementary School got to live Thanksgiving on Wednesday.

Wearing period-style dress and acting the parts of Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians, about 30 children planted corn, pretended to bake meals and ate food that was shared during the first Thanksgiving.

By more than just dressing the part, the students were able to get underneath a superficial celebration. They spent a month learning of the struggles the groups experienced and discussing such weighty topics as religious persecution, cultural differences and stereotypes.

The goal, teachers and parents said, was to give students the real facts about Thanksgiving while allowing them to experience the story firsthand and learn about larger issues that remain relevant today.

"There's no fluff in this story," said first-grade teacher Dell Hammond, who organized the event. "By learning about the differences, it helps with acceptance and tolerance."

Hammond, who began teaching at the East Side elementary school this year, wanted to make sure her students learned an accurate account of Thanksgiving. So she scoured historic records and relied on her firsthand knowledge of Plimoth Plantation, a museum at the site of the Pilgrims' first colony.

"This is the real deal," said Hammond, who lived in New England and regularly visited the historic site before she moved to Tucson.

The clothes worn by the Tucson Unified School District students were made from the same materials used by Pilgrims and the Wampanoags, Hammond said. Even the meal, which featured popcorn, salad, squash and turkey, was designed with history in mind.

By trying to make things as accurate as possible, students at Wrightstown, 8950 E. Wrightstown Road, learned to recognize common stereotypes and dismiss them. Several parents said their children have even been correcting them about certain Thanksgiving facts.

The students began their day getting dressed and reciting an account of the first Thanksgiving. They then discussed the long journey of the Pilgrims and talked about their reasons for leaving England.

Six-year old Rachel Davenport had the definition of religious persecution down.

"The Pilgrims didn't want to go to the king's church," she said. "They tried to pray in their own way, but (the king) said, 'No, you cannot.' "

Rachel's mother, Dina Rosengarten, said she was thrilled her daughter was getting to interact with the lessons instead of just reading about them in a book or filling out a worksheet.

One lesson of particular importance was the early cooperation between the Pilgrims and the natives who had lived in the area long before the Mayflower arrived, Hammond said.

The students learned about the relationship between the two groups by pairing a Pilgrim and a Wampanoag together and plating corn.

Just as history recorded, the students first caught fish — in this case, baked Goldfish snack crackers — and planted them along with the corn.

The exercise taught the children some important lessons, Rosengarten said.

"It helps them embrace differences," she said. "They're learning the importance of cooperation."

Stacy Enslen, whose son Joey played the part of the Indian Squanto, said she was encouraged by how excited the children were to learn about Thanksgiving.

"This makes it all come alive for them and they're reinforcing their learning," she said.

Watch a video and slide show from the event at azstarnet.com/dailystar.