Mark Houle, Audry Houle, Molly Dickin, Jordyn Thayer, Ashley O’Kane, and Hannah Spence in front of the Ticonderoga at the Shelburne Museum
Colchester High School tenth-grade students recently made a pilgrimage to Shelburne Museum as part of their American Experience classwork.
CHS sophomores Kiera Mulcahy, Alex Richard, Mikayla Racine, Miranda Scorsome, and Annie Meadows
Students in the CHS American Experience class—which combines the study of US history and American literature in three historical periods—participate in the annual Shelburne Museum visits as a way to gain a hands-on perspective of what they learn in the classroom.
Roz Calderon
Paige Shepard, Jenn McNall, Hannah Echo, Anna Senft-Miller, and Haley Mock at Shelburne Museum
Shelburne Museum’s vast collection boasts an impressive assortment of primary-source documents and interesting artifacts that directly relate to the historical and literary topics the students study as part of the class. Making real-world connections to abstract classroom learning is important because doing so often piques student engagement and attention—thus encouraging out-of-the-box thinking and enhancing learning.
Sophomores Dakota Loring, Alex Corrigan, and Tony Spillane
Field trips often serve to strengthen students’ observational skills and allow them to become more actively engaged in their learning, providing additional sensory activities and expanding their curiosity.
Cady Dubuque and Gabrielle Rancoud-Guillon
They also create an extension of the classroom—and that speaks directly to Pathway C of the Colchester School District Vision and Strategic Plan 2012–2017, which states:
“We wish to ensure an academic environment in which real-world relevancy meets the classroom. This environment must:
- be experiential;
- provide internships and community service within the building and the community;
- complement and enrich classroom learning; and
- move beyond physical and structural confines.”
Lori Brunelle and Jennifer Butler with sophomores Sam Brunelle, Mychaela White, and Brooke Walton
For more information about the American Experience curriculum, please contact Colchester High School at (802) 264-5700, or e-mail CHS teacher Katie Lenox (lenoxk@csdvt.org).
Steven Sonntag, Zoe Ladensack, Morgan Bayko, and Sophie Joyce
Allison Davis, Tim Lewis, Maggie McNeil, Megan Severance, and Sarah Campbell
Do you like CSD Spotlight? If so, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe! We are working hard to engage our community and keep everyone informed. Please help us spread the word!
