Sixth Graders Take On the Big Apple

Peck sixth graders ventured to New York City’s Lower East Side on Thursday to enhance their history curriculum as they brought their learning of the Industrial Revolution to life. Guided by Big Onion Walking Tours, our students roamed through immigrant neighborhoods, taking in the sights of all that has developed since the Industrial Revolution.

In the classroom, students began their Industrial Revolution studies with a blank piece of paper and were asked to draw a small English village. Over the course of the lesson, their village drawings grew larger with the development of new inventions such as factories and steam engines. Their once simple towns quickly turned into large-scale cities as populations grew, and tenement houses were built to house those who immigrated to more robust cities during this time.

“Learning about the Industrial Revolution in the classroom is one thing, but it is much more exciting to be given the opportunity to walk through a local city and see the lasting impacts of the time period—especially in a place so close to their own homes. This first-hand experience allows students to learn in a more active way, and helps them retain the information they’ve previously learned,” explained Upper School History Teacher Sue Longnecker.

Students had the opportunity to walk through these immigrant neighborhoods and experience some of what makes their own cultures so rich. From enjoying cannolis, meats, and cheeses in Little Italy to ice cream and beef jerky in Chinatown, Peck students got the chance to dive into the cultures that have been immigrating to New York City since the Industrial Revolution.