A R O U N D C A M P U S
Art and Artifacts with the New-York Historical Society
As they examined a tool from another era, Second Grade boys puzzled out its purpose. When they constructed model longhouses
and wigwams, boys imagined what life inside would be like, and how the real life Lenape inhabitants would move from one to
the other, when winter turned to spring.
Inspired by their study of the Hudson River School of Painting, third graders created watercolors depicting the Westward
Expansion. They later imagined themselves as pioneers and wrote letters “home” to their families in the east.
Our Second and Third Grade boys engaged in these learning experiences through the school's partnership with the New-
York Historical Society, now in its eighth year. In sessions that span over several weeks, art educators from N-YHS teach in
conjunction with the boys’ teachers. Topics of study spring to life through discussion, interaction with Historical Society experts,
the study of artifacts, and the making of art.
Saint David’s collaborates with several leading institutions in the city and beyond for units of study. These partnerships, rooted
in curricular goals and objectives, are long-term, occurring over multiple sessions during a course of study. They augment and
deepen boys’ in-class learning.
Dramatic Play in Pre-K
Our Pre-K boys’ fall celebration of Farm Day was much
more than a fun day of pumpkin picking and tractor driving
in the backyard. Structured dramatic play is one of the
ways that young boys learn best. It is active, hands-on, and
engaging. Not only does it enable boys to understand a topic,
it also cultivates respect, and builds vocabulary, social, and
collaborative skills.
36 • Saint David’s Magazine