Grade VI Battle of Brooklyn Trip
On November 19 the sixth grade toured some New York City landmarks that were notable sites in American history. Their leader, Mr. Landesman, guided the boys on this adventure, which was packed with anecdotes and interesting facts as well as some good food and friendly class competition.
The boys’ first stop was the Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn. They saw The Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch monument and a statue of President John F. Kennedy and heard history lessons on them. Then the boys walked to nearby Prospect Park, where the first major battle of the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Brooklyn, took place. Mr. Moraitis asked the boys take notice of the higher ground and to think about its advantages in battle. He told them that they would hear more about this concept when they tour West Point and Gettysburg later in the year.
The boys learned that after the Battle of Brooklyn, General George Washington and his Continental troops managed a narrow escape to Manhattan cloaked by a rare and fortuitous fog. The boys had Manhattan on their itinerary as well, but first they enjoyed eating their lunches in the lovely park followed by a rowdy game of Ultimate Frisbee, in which Mr. Landesman’s class prevailed over Mr. Moraitis’ class.
The boys advanced towards Manhattan by way of the Brooklyn Bridge. They stopped midway across the bridge to listen to Mr. Rodriguez talk about the building of the bridge, and Mr. Moraitis had them look at the Freedom Tower while he explained the tragic events of 9/11.
It was a chilly day with temperatures in the low 30s, and all the walking was good for keeping the sixth grade army warm. Still, the warm hot dogs and pretzels at City Hall Park were the tastiest they had ever consumed, and morale stayed high.
The final stop was Federal Hall, where the group had a guided tour of the building and learned about some major events that took place there such as the Zenger trial and the presidential inauguration of George Washington.
Check out the image gallery for photographs of the tour.
Thanks to Mr. Landesman, Ms. Moore, Mr. Moraitis, Mr. Pringle, Coach Rice, and Mr. Rodriguez for taking Grade VI on this memorable city outing.
