Fourth Grade Living Museum 

The 4th grade’s final project last spring was a presentation of a Living Museum — a culmination of their deep dive into the lives of historical abolitionists. Throughout the year, their social studies curriculum focuses on the history of this continent from pre-European contact through the abolishment of slavery. It is based on the queries “Who’s telling the story? Whose voices are missing?” and seeks to amplify the voices in history that have often not been heard. From the beginning of the year, teachers Shelagh Wilson ’85 and Colby van Alen build a strong foundation with fourth grade students and lead in-depth conversations with them. They clearly articulate the impact of a young learner embodying the spirit of a person who fought for human rights and, because of this, Westtown fourth graders have access to true and accurate history. Furthermore, they have firsthand knowledge of how people sacrificed their lives to progress towards a fair and just society. At the Living Museum, students portrayed 36 abolitionists they studied sharing their work, struggles, and successes. Well done, fourth graders!