Inspired by the Magic School Bus series, the 4th grade took a virtual tour around the island of Manhattan during the month of May. They "visited" the various landmark buildings, monuments, museums and historic locations that make New York City an amazing place to live. As they researched and learned about the great city they call home, our student-travelers practiced their skills in accessing and evaluating many sources of information (books, videos, websites), and used this information to create individual travel guides. Their goal was to make a visit to New York City a true learning experience for visitors and residents alike.

The children researched in groups of three and four such sites as Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, the New York Subway System, New York City Waterworks, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Central Park, Carnegie Hall, the Apollo Theater, the African Burial Ground and much more. After completing the fact-finding, each student compiled the information creatively into an illustrated booklet, highlighting the places they explored. As a culminating event, the class visited and participated in Carnegie Hall Link-up, an interactive concert on May 24th. Also, additional field trips are planned.

On May 19th, several fourth graders attended the ninth Library Connections Sharing Day, along with representatives from other Archdiocesan schools in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island They shared their project and enthusiasm, demonstrating how learning about these special places helps them to understand and appreciate the people and events that have contributed to making New York City unique. We anticipate that this project will continue to evolve as part of the 4th grade social studies curriculum.

Participants in the collaborative planning process for this unit, part of the core philosophy of Library Connections, include Sheila Malo (Grade 4 Teacher), Karen Ham (Music), Jane Rothberg (Art), Sarohini Chahal (Computer) and Sr. Margaret Dennehy (Library).