School Visitors: Gates Elementary from Acton, MA

Gates Elementary School from Acton, MA, rolled into Lawrence on May 23, 2008. After arriving at the Lawrence Heritage State Park, the students were met by LHC Education Fellow, Patricia Jaysane and enthusiastic LHC volunteer, Jonathan Smith to begin an informative walk along the north canal to the Lawrence History Center located in the historic Essex Company compound. The fifty-one third graders accompanied by 5 teachers, displayed all the energy, curiosity and joy of youngsters free from the classroom on a beautiful May day. Their curriculum topic was the Industrial Revolution and they came to Lawrence to visit the Lawrence Heritage State Park, walk along the canal and view the mills and sites of the boarding houses and to visit the Lawrence History Center to hear more about the development of Lawrence and the immigrant experience. It was a great day . The students had a wonderful time. Their questions ranged from, " Why do you have an elevator?" to "What is that piece of wood doing in the canal?" Jonathan Smith even showed them how to make music from the taller grasses in the courtyard! Did they do that in the Industrial Revolution?