5th Grade Field Study // Effective Leaders of Social Change

The day started with the 5th grade students gathering after lunch, buzzing with excitement for their field study. They got on the bus, and off they went to the museum. As soon as they arrived, they split into groups and started exploring the exhibits.

In the classroom, we had been learning about activist athletes whose excellent character allowed them to change society starting with their sport. We took a close look at Jackie Robinson’s life and we wanted to make connections at the Detroit Historical Museum. Each student had a scavenger hunt to find new successful change makers and to find an athlete they’ve been studying for their final project.

Everything was going smoothly until one of the students got stuck on their scavenger hunt. “Who’s the Queen of Soul?” they asked in the "History of Detroit" exhibit. They started looking at all the legends on the walls. Thankfully, a compassionate crewmate came up and showed them directly to where the Queen of Soul was enshrined in the museum. Then so many 5th graders were helping their classmates find legends for their scavenger hunt. They showed so much cooperation.

As they continued the tour, they came across a display about the history of cars in Detroit. The students were fascinated by the old vehicles on display, they even had a button that said let the body drop. They were a little confused without knowing the definition of a car body and that it drops on top of the engine. However, one 5th grade crewmate astutely pointed out that there’s an out of order sign, so they left the tempting button alone. 

The students had a great time at the museum. They bonded over their shared experiences. It was a day they would never forget, and they all went home with a newfound appreciation for the history of Detroit.