Nov. 14, 2011
Some BKW juniors recently had the opportunity to “live the history” when they took a trip to Salem, Mass.
Ms. Rys and Mr. Bentley took 48 students in the Classic American Literature and Advanced Placement U.S. History classes to experience first-hand the place they have been studying.
Rys’ class was assigned to read “The Scarlet Letter” over the summer and Bentley’s class read about colonial history and the Salem Witch Trials and wrote a document-based essay bout the witch trials over the summer. Once school started, students learned about McCarthyism and are read “The Crucible.”
In Salem, students visited the arch that Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote about in “The Scarlet Letter” and “The House of Seven Gables.” They also visited a living history Puritan Pioneer Village, the New England Pirate museum, The Salem Wax Museum, and the Peabody Essex Museum.
They finished their trip by attending an audience-participation play titled “Cry Innocent” about the trial of accused witch Bridget Bishop, the first person to die in the Salem witch trials of 1692.
“Learning is more than lecture,” Bentley said. “Field trips like this give students the unique, hands-on opportunity to delve into a topic outside of the classroom.”
Rys and Bentley extended their thanks to the BKW Board of Education and the BKW PTA for providing the funding for this trip.
“Without their help, this kind of trip would simply not be possible,” Bentley said.
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