History Lesson Turns Seventh Graders into Explorers

 

“We have the theme of a journeys curriculum which may be physical, social or even spiritual, and this applies not only to the cultures and individuals we study in class, but also within the students themselves,” Friedman explained. “This experience hopefully will be useful in teaching some of the other skills that are part of seventh grade, including how to listen, analyze information, find resources, step out of your comfort zone, collaborate well in a group and reflect upon how to deal with challenges and even setbacks.”

The day is filled with experiential activities that include a campus scavenger hunt and survival skills lesson in the woods. For the scavenger hunt, students dressed up as 15th-century explorers and traveled around campus to become more familiar with and engage with the history and physical environment of the School. 
 
Kathleen McLean ’31 said she “enjoyed the scavenger hunt not only because I was with my friends, but as a new student, Masters is a big campus and this was a great way to learn some new parts of the School.”

Kaya Gibson ’31 looked forward to Exploration Day because she had heard about it from her older sister Leela ’29. “I got to find out things about Masters I didn't know and work with students who I don’t normally have class with,” she shared. 

Later in the day, students went into the woods on campus and were tasked with building a shelter, a fire and a cairn, which is a stacked pile of stones used as a monument or marker in various cultures. 

For Nicole De La Cruz ’31, the opportunity to be outside and bring their classroom lessons to life was worth it. “It was really interesting to work in a team and gather sticks and enjoy nature in person,” she said. “Before heading out, we had to research fires and how to make shelters so we knew what to do. Mr. Friedman wanted us to feel like we were living in the 1500s and the challenges they had to go through but also in a way for us to learn about history.”