As another added experience for this year’s Great Read, It Happened in New Orleans, our social studies classes took an in-depth look into chapters that dealt with the geography, history, and culture of New Orleans. Social studies classes started their study by exploring a modern day map of New Orleans which was a great learning experience for many of our students who are just starting to drive around the metropolitan area. Classes also used resources from the Historic New Orleans Collection to further their knowledge and understanding of topics presented in the book.

To continue their study on the book's chapter on the “Anti-Italian Movement in New Orleans”, students watched an excerpt from the film "Pane Amaro" then read an article describing one of the largest lynchings in United States history. Students participated in a round-robin style discussion with their classmates about what it would have been like for different members of society in New Orleans during the tumultuous time surrounding the 1891 lynchings. Students look forward to finishing their book this week as social studies and NJROTC classes will take an in-depth look at the Higgins boat which was designed, manufactured, and tested just a few miles away from our school.