In late May, 7th graders (now rising 8th graders) visited historical sites during their Boston Challenge, an annual project for the class. The experience is designed to greatly broaden their knowledge of the city which is steeped in history. They researched a historical personality and/or place to present at a site-specific location.

Anna J.’s historical figure was Ralph Waldo Emerson. She found it interesting how Emerson was raised as Unitarian but eventually found his beliefs to align more with Quakerism. “My favorite thing that we learned was how connected every site was. There were people from the period they studied who were involved with every site that they learned about,” she said.

Captain Benjamin Farnum fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill, a man and monument that Mateo C. studied. He valued the overall experience of the Boston Challenge and being able to walk around the locations with the benefit of having his peers educate him. Mateo enjoyed learning about elements of history he never would have guessed at on his own just walking around the locations.

Thomas Craft was the first person to read the newly signed Declaration of Independence from the balcony of the Old State House in 1776. One fact that Jack H. learned while studying Craft’s life was that in 1976 Queen Elizabeth II visited the same balcony and read the Declaration herself as a gesture of respect to the United States.

Zana K. studied Robert Gould Shaw who was the military colonel of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment, one of the first Black regiments to fight in the Civil War. “Each site and the memorials that we visited reminded us of the sacrifices of each person. It reminds us to continue to fight for the things that they fought for.” 

Camilla M. also valued “all of the historical sites which had many stories that helped them remember who people were and what they sacrificed.” For her research she learned about Ann Hutchinson who was an abolitionist and feminist. 

The Boston Challenge offered an immersive and entertaining way for these students to feel like they could literally touch history.