Sons, Daughters of the American Revolution team up to teach at elementary school in Woodland

Paul Winter, the president of the Fort Vancouver chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, taught students a brief lesson on the war and tools and weapons that were used by soldiers. Photo by Paul Valencia

Columbia Elementary School fourth-graders got the chance to see what it was like to live in America in the 1700s, with the help of the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution in special history lesson

Paul Valencia
Clark County Today

They dressed in period fashion, and they brought examples of flags, tools, and rifles — items used a long time ago for a cause that is still worthy of honoring today.

Local chapters of the Sons of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the American Revolution teamed up last week at Columbia Elementary School in Woodland, giving fourth-graders at the school the opportunity to see and listen to what life was like in the 1700s.

Members of area chapters of the Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution taught history at Columbia Elementary School in Woodland last week. Photo by Paul Valencia

“The way history is not being taught means a lot to us these days,” said Paul Winter, president of the Fort Vancouver chapter of the SAR. “We really want to emphasize the importance of the American Revolution, of the founding of the country, and how we came to be.”

Winter noted that he is a descendant of Capt. John Robinson, who led a 30-man militia in Virginia. Members of the SAR and DAR all have descendants who were part of the war effort, either as soldiers or other volunteers who helped with the cause.

Today’s members attend events in 1700s uniforms or fashion, to help in any teaching setting.

“Emphasizing to the kids with a hands-on experience,” Winter said, “what it was like and what it should be to be an American.”

Jeff Lightburn of the Sons of the American Revolution said the SAR and the Daughters of the American Revolution like teaching youngsters American history, describing their efforts as “little snapshots” of what it was like to live in America in the 1700s. Photo by Paul Valencia

Jeff Lightburn of the Fort Vancouver chapter introduced the students to the project. Set up in the middle of the school, in the library, were nine tables hosted by SAR and DAR volunteers. Each table hosted a number of fourth-graders at a time for about eight minutes each. Every student was expected to visit every table.

The subjects taught at each table varied from what life was like for women and children in the 1700s, and what it was like for teenagers. There was a table with flags, crafts, tools, plus a brief lesson on the war itself, including replicas of weapons that were used.

Lightburn called them “little snapshots” of the American Revolution and what life was like on a farm in the 1700s.

Columbia Elementary has three fourth-grade classes.

Janice Heckethorne teaches students at Columbia Elementary School in Woodland what life was like for women and girls in the 1700s. Photo by Paul Valencia

Heather Boop, one of the fourth-grade teachers at Columbia, said having experts in history to teach students is better than just a teacher talking about history in a classroom.

“It’s more engaging, not just reading about it in a book,” Boop said. “It’s super fun.”

She appreciates the SAR and DAR members wearing their period fashion, as well.

The students will always have that image as a positive memory from their time in elementary school, the day when the 1700s showed up to Woodland in 2025.