The spring portion of the project leads students on primary source research trips to discover the rich history of African American  involvement in the maritime industry in Boston. A major focus of this research will be related to Boston’s North End where a large and vibrant African-American community of maritime industry workers lived. This community was as large as the community on the North Slope of Beacon Hill but is much less well known. Who were these folks? Student reading for this part of the project will be Black Hands White Sails or Black Jacks depending on grade level. This part of the project will also delve into earlier history of Africans coming to the “New World”.The reality is They Came Before Columbus. By asking how do we know this and how was it possible students will connect to US History and the basic science of ocean currents and weather patterns. Writers’ Workshop during this period would focus on non-fiction research and presentation of research. The writing piece would be coordinated with the classroom teacher to extend the individual experiences beyond the team. Students’ reading and writing skills will be carefully reviewed at the end of the year and compared to previous years to see if the thinking spatially, experiential learning work has supported improvement in this area.

      There is a project portfolio presentation by student research teams during the final weeks of the school year.