Silk Road to the Rubin

Today, an educator from the Rubin Museum visited our fourth grade classes to prepare the boys for their field trip next week to the Rubin, which features art of the Himalayas.

The Museum Educator led the boys in a discussion of the Himalayan geography, including an animated exchange about Mount Everest, and the area's cultures. The boys have been immersed in the study of civilizations this year. Most recently they have studied Ancient China, examining it critically from a variety of perspectives.

Last week, as part of that study they dressed up and traveled the Silk Road (the halls of Saint David's), playing the roles of traders, soldiers, and merchants as they made their way along the ancient trading routes.

Active learning that includes field trips to museums such as the Rubin, as well as creative role-playing like the Silk Road activity, augments the learning that occurs in class. It deepens our boys' understanding of subject matter and leads to their making deeper connections to what they already know.

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