By: Annabelle Giardino
Winthrop fifth graders had their own exploration of the High Schools Viking Longships Project. Last May, the students were able to learn and experience different aspects of Viking culture. The high school students in the Longships class set up hands-on activities and presentations for the fifth graders. They wanted the kids to learn more about their hometown mascot and be able to understand what the project is about.
This field trip used to be an annual thing up until a couple of years ago. It took a lot of hard work and planning but the field trip finally came back to life. Stella Osburn, a student in the Longships, was the one behind it all. She wanted to give this year’s fifth graders the opportunity to experience the Longships program just as she had. She ran the entire trip and made sure it went safely and smoothly. Her main priority was to make sure all the students had a good time, she is also planning on continuing the trip in the upcoming years.
They first had the fifth graders in the auditorium to get them organized into groups. They were then led to one of five different stations, where they stayed for twenty minutes before being escorted to the next station. The various stations consisted of Blacksmithing, Weapons & Armor, Timber Framing, Textiles, and Sports. High school students in the project stayed for the trip to either present to the students or work as marshalls to guide the students to the different cultural presentations.
During the Blacksmithing presentation, the students were able to learn how blacksmithing was used in the Vikings era and were also able to participate in the process. The students stayed outside the blacksmithing shed as the high schoolers in that department explained to them how to use the equipment and safety precautions. Then one student would be taken in at a time to hammer down metal, the process used in the making of a nail.
Next, there was the Weapons & Armor demonstration. The high schoolers dressed in full Viking attire, either as Viking warriors or common Viking farmers. The armor consisted of a chainmail byrnie and Viking helmets with chainmail attached. They demonstrated how different weapons were used. They showed the 5th graders axes, swords, and shields. All of the weapons shown and the different Viking attire was made by the students in the Longships class. The students were also able to hold and use some of the weapons while learning the different methods of Viking combat.
Timber Framing was also an interesting part of the trip. The students were able to see the bridge that is in the making for Winthrop’s very own golf course. The 5th graders were also shown the different equipment the timber framers use to build the bridge and other projects. The students in the Longships class then split up the visitors into groups to have them use the woodworking tools. One of the machines they used is a one-hundred-and-fifty-year-old boring machine. This is a hand-driven machine that is used to bore holes into timbers to create a mortis. The next machine that they used was a shaving bench, this is a tool that makes the pegs that hold the timbers together. The last tool the kids used were chisels, which were used to shape the mortises and tenons on the timbers. The timber framers wanted to make sure the kids knew the basics of how to use these machines and have fun while doing so.
After Timber Framing the students were brought into a room to learn about textiles. They were shown our replica warp weighted looms and the high school students demonstrated how they were used. Then they learned more about the Viking’s history with weaving and textiles. There was a lot to show the kids and they were able to learn how to weave themselves by using paper and different colored strips.
Last but certainly not least, the students were able to participate in Viking sports. They were brought outside to the baseball field. The Viking game they played is called Kubb. The objective of this lawn game is to knock down wooden blocks by throwing batons at them. There is also a ¨king¨ that is the last one to aim for and knockdown. The Viking names of the wooden blocks are kubbar while the battens are called kastpinnar.
Thank you to all the teachers and chaperones for making this trip possible, we could not have done it without you! The trip was a major success and the Viking Longships Project looks forward to continuing it. We hope the 5th graders enjoyed it as much as we did. The high school students loved working with the kids and it was a great experience. We are thrilled we were able to spread our knowledge of Viking culture to them.