Middle School Students Set Out on Educational Adventures
Students in grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 took their learning outside the classroom this fall with trips near and far.
As part of their yearlong study on ancient Egypt and opera, fifth grade students headed into New York City to explore the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. There, they were tasked with finding artifacts of the Egyptian god or goddess they will create throughout the year and debut at their puppet opera in May.
Fifth grade teacher Michaela Boller said that some students were shocked to see real mummies, asking, “Wait, is this real?” She said that the students were also excited to see “the canopic jars, which we just learned about in history class.”
In September, sixth grade students went seining in the Hudson River, a trip that has become a rite of passage for the grade. Donning waders and using large seining nets, students studied aquatic life in the river, and successfully identified Atlantic silversides, banded killifish, red-jointed fiddler crabs and moon jellies.
“I have been leading this trip for 17 years and it never gets old,” said Dan Russo, middle school science teacher. “The smiles on the students’ faces and their joy of exploration makes all of the hard work worthwhile. It is my greatest hope that students will remember this trip long after they have graduated from Masters.”
Earlier this month the seventh grade participated in Exploration Week, which included a research day; campus-wide scavenger hunt; and Survival Day, during which students worked together to build shelters, cairns and campfires.
Seventh grade humanities teachers Mary Chappell and Paul Friedman have collaborated on this project for years. Friedman said that these days are an important opportunity for students to develop skills including “how to plan, how to be a self-advocate, how to work with others, how to listen and participate effectively, and how to creatively and dynamically approach challenges in and outside of school.
“While of course there were times that groups faced adversity, they were able to gain a greater understanding of how to work with one another and more of an appreciation of our campus and the opportunities for learning here.”
Most recently, the eighth grade traveled to Philadelphia for a daylong dive into American history. They visited The National Constitution Center to see the “Freedom Rising” performance and the exhibits “The 19th Amendment: How Women Won the Right to Vote” and “Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle For Freedom and Equality” as well as the permanent exhibit on the Constitution. A tour of Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were debated and signed, rounded out the day.
Stephen Hildreth, who leads the trip every year with fellow humanities teacher Tim Campbell, explained that while in the City of Brotherly Love, students worked on a music video project: “They had to choose one of the three unalienable rights from the Declaration (life, liberty or pursuit of happiness) and find evidence of that right during their trip. They will then use 10 photos and music to make a 30-second video.” The students will also write a 4-to-6-page research essay on a topic of their choice related to the Constitution.
“They were excited to be in the same theater where the presidential debate was held between Vice President Harris and former President Trump,” Hildreth said. And of course, in typical middle school fashion, “The highlight for the students is always the coach bus ride.”
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