Winchester Eighth Graders Get a Hands-On History Lesson

Hundreds of eighth graders from got the chance to debate a bill in the State House Chamber recently. They also walked the Freedom Trail, took a tour of the State House, and finished up with a visit to Faneuil Hall. It was all part of the annual McCall eighth grade field trip to Boston.

The trip has been organized for years by veteran social studies teacher Peter Tully.

“Right now we’re studying the American Revolution and, as we study the Revolution, it’s a perfect chance to take the kids to see the Old South Meeting House, the Granary Burying Ground,” Tully said. “And at the same time, it’s a good time to see the State House because they’re on December recess and the chamber is empty."

Winchester students are fortunate to get a glimpse of America’s past that isn’t accessible to students in other parts of the country.

“Every eight grader in America is studying the American Revolution, but it’s just pictures in a history book,” said Tully. In Winchester, “these kids actually get to walk the streets where the British soldiers were, see the cobblestone circle where the first soldier in the Revolution fell.”

They also get to visit the State House for a peek into some modern history. The group is divided in half; in turns, one half takes a tour, while the other half filed into the House Chamber to debate a bill. Students filled the House seats as State Representative Jason Lewis acted as Speaker of the House.

Every year, Tully tries to pick a subject that will pique the kids’ interest and get them debating. In past years, it has been making the school year longer. This year, the debate topic was raising the driving age from 16 to 18. After a lively debate, including a proposed amendment, this year's bill ultimately failed.

Representative Lewis has participated in this field trip for years.

“It’s one of the highlights of the year for me," Lewis said. "It’s really a lot of fun to have the eighth graders visit,” Lewis said, adding he doesn’t know of another school that does a trip like this.

After the State House, the students headed over to Faneuil Hall, where they had lunch with friends and a chance for some holiday shopping.

Eighth grader Julia Olson said of the field trip, “It was fun. I liked the Faneuil Hall part. First I got lunch and then I walked around with my friends and got Christmas presents for my family.” And the debate at the State House? “It was interesting,” Olson said.