Inwood: Caves and Wigwams

Second Graders at Inwood

Yesterday, the second grade took their first field trip for this school year! The boys traveled to Inwood Park’s Natural Classroom to build on their knowledge of the Lenape tribe, indigenous peoples to this area.

The boys have been studying the ways of the Lanape through our partnership with the New-York Historical Society for the past several weeks now. The trip was a planned chance to link their classroom studies to physically engaging experiences.

To prepare for this trip, in addition to critiquing artifacts with N-YHS curators and studying texts, second graders built their own longhouses and wigwams in class (photo below), and explored the various ways the Lenape were a resourceful people.

Making Wigwams Pre-trip

On the trip, New York State Park Rangers escorted the boys through the Inwood Park 'living exhibit.' Rangers further explored with the boys how the Lenape’s life was heavily influenced by geography and natural resources.

The day was a success: imagine the boys' delight when they saw an actual wigwam and were able to explore caves!

NYS Ranger Prepares Boys for Cave Entry

One of our newer trips incorporated into the curriculum, this type of experiential learning enables the boys to more deeply think about, understand, and make connections to what they learn in class.

Saint David's looks for every opportunity to connect boys' classroom learning with tangible experiences that reinforce, contextualize, and extend learning.

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