Eighth Graders Explore Historic Philadelphia

A fun and educational trek through the City of Brotherly Love. That was the lesson plan for students in Stephen Hildreth’s and Tim Campbell’s history classes on November 17.

According to Hildreth, the annual eighth grade trip “connects to our study of the Constitutional Convention, the Constitution and the research essay that students write about a historical or present-day constitutional issue.” 

At the National Constitution Center, the eighth graders viewed new exhibits and saw “Freedom Rising,” a live performance and multimedia experience about the Constitution and America's quest for freedom.

Campbell loves “seeing students explore authentic, living history,” and the National Constitution Center “provided the perfect environment to enhance students’ understanding of our curriculum.” He added: “This year, we were fortunate to be able to explore exhibits about the suffrage movement, as well as the Reconstruction era in American history.”  

“I learned that the Constitution is aspirational in its goal to establish a more perfect union, but at the same time, the document itself concedes that it is not perfect and can be improved upon,” said Alex Kritzer ’26. “The true beauty of the Constitution is the struggle and the change it has gone through over the years as a living document.”

Before heading back to New York, students took a walking tour around historic Philadelphia with stops at the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Betsy Ross House, Carpenters’ Hall and First and Second National Banks.
 
For Kritzer and his classmates, the trip was the chance “to spend time with friends outside the classroom for a day full of adventures.”
 

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