Check Out Where We Have Been: It's A Field-Trip-Palooza Round-Up!

We all know NYC is amazing, yet our city is more than just the metropolis in which we live – it’s also an extension of Speyer’s classrooms. One could say it’s been a field-trip-palooza these past few weeks, with treks to Central Park, Brooklyn, museums, and more! 

SECOND GRADE

Our second graders are learning about the history and evolution of New York City from 1609-1920s, exploring questions such as, "Why do people come here?" and "What impact do people have on our city?" Students visited the African Burial Ground in downtown Manhattan and learned that remains of enslaved Africans were found in 1991 as a construction project began for a federal office tower. Debate ensued and negotiations took place among the African descendants communities, federal workers, archeologists, and researchers on how to handle this sacred ground. To honor and memorialize the people who were brought here NOT by choice, an external memorial, a research library, and an exhibit were built to teach our future generations the importance of who truly laid the groundwork for an ever-growing city we know today. 

Students saw a glimpse into the experiences of Africans who were brought as slaves and learned more about their culture, which was further developed alongside the Dutch colonists within and outside the walls of New Amsterdam. In conjunction with their field trip to the African Burial Ground, Speyer parent Patrice Anderson came and spoke to the students. She was a part of the group that helped to spread the word about this uncovered space to various media outlets. 

FOURTH GRADE

The fourth grade trekked just down the street to Columbus Circle and Central Park to analyze the Columbus monuments and whose narratives they represent, tying this analysis to their Humanities focus on perspectives. They discussed monuments before, during, and after their trip, including the controversy surrounding the proposed removal of Confederate statues around our country, as well as the new Kehinde Wiley sculpture Rumors of War, an equestrian style monument currently installed in Times Square. Throughout these classroom discussions and their trip, students consistently came back to their examination of why monuments are built and whose story they tell.

FIFTH GRADE

Our fifth graders recently took two trips. First up was a trip to the LIC Cliffs to build community, work on communication skills, and practice problem solving strategies.  Climbing various rock walls and conquering obstacles provided our students a chance to encourage and support their peers to climb and jump to impressive heights. Others worked together to plan and execute different strategies to finish obstacles as a team!

Next was a journey to Central Park. The fifth grade has been learning about how our early ancestors lived as hunters and gatherers before discovering the benefits and efficiency of farming.  With the help of Wildman Steve, the students ventured throughout Central Park to forage for edible and medicinal plants.  They were taught how to identify plants that are edible and safe and also plants that were poisonous.  The students were able to connect to nature in the same way their ancient ancestors have done!

SIXTH GRADE

It was an epic trip for our sixth graders, as they escaped the Boulevard and trekked downtown and across the river! First, they toured the Merchant House Museum on East 4th Street. The Merchant House was the home of the Treadwells, a wealthy nineteenth century New York family. The sixth grade has been studying the experience of women in early America through mostly primary source material. One could easily imagine many of sources they have read (such as an advice article from the magazine Godey's Lady Book or a poem that young women were made to memorize, The Good Girl's Soliloquy) existing in that home. It was the perfect experience for the students before they embark on writing a research paper for this unit. 

After visiting the Merchant House, sixth graders traveled to Brooklyn to visit Main Street Park in DUMBO. While in the park, students had the opportunity to observe three of NYC's suspension bridges from up close: the Manhattan Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Williamsburg Bridge. Sixth graders have been studying engineering in Science, constructing bridges, towers, and cranes. By taking the time to closely observe and sketch these famous bridges, students were able to learn strategies and ideas that they will incorporate into their own designs, emphasizing again how their studies at school connect to the world around them. 

SEVENTH GRADE

Seventh graders recently visited the Frick Collection in connection to their Humanities unit focusing on the Renaissance. Students compared and contrasted Duccio's The Temptation of Christ on the Mountain and Bellini's St. Francis in the Desert, noticing the emergence of linear perspective. Students also noticed the humanist elements in beautiful pieces of furniture given to individual on their wedding day, as they examined a pair of chests with mythical scenes carved into wood. After the tour, seventh graders enjoyed lunch in Central Park and frolicked around in the sunshine!