Third Grade Visits Roberson Museum

This year third graders visited the Roberson Museum in Binghamton for their Holiday Mansion Tour, tying in the social studies curriculum of world cultures and traditions during the holidays. Students traveled back in time to hear stories that would put them in the holiday spirit. They learned about the Roberson family, their origins, and got to know their generosity and commitment to building a more thoughtful community.

They also visited the planetarium there and watched a show called “Season of Light”.  This program explored the reasons humans are so fascinated with lighting up our lives during the December holiday season. As the Earth tilts and the sun arcs across the sky the seasons change. People long ago did not know that this was just part of the Earth’s transition around the sun. Step back to explore how cultures across the world explained this seasonal event and developed traditions around it.

Finally, the last stop on the tour was the International Forest. Students learned how other countries and cultures celebrate the winter holidays. They gained exposure and in-depth knowledge of how one community and culture celebrates a holiday. This was done through an engaging scavenger hunt activity where students were given questions pertaining to specific holiday traditions that needed to be matched to corresponding countries. Students also discovered that many of the traditions that are celebrated in our culture have origins from many other countries.

Happy Holidays – Mrs. Maureen Gorman and Mrs. Tracey O’Donnell