Just 25 miles southeast of Syracuse is the small hamlet of Peterboro, NY. Though the community may be small, the history that it possesses is anything but. Right in the center of the community is The National Abolition Hall of Fame (NAHOF), located on the second floor of the historic Presbyterian church. NAHOF “honors anti-slavery abolitionists, their work to end slavery, and the legacy of that struggle, and strives to complete the second and ongoing abolition–the moral conviction to end racism.”
My role this summer involved hosting daily tours at the museum, but my larger project was to develop three interactive learning modules for 11th graders. These three modules focused on slavery, abolition, and emancipation, with an emphasis on Upstate New York history. The main goal for these lesson modules was for them to be interactive and engaging, unlike the traditional “memorize facts” approach to learning. The modules included an educational background slideshow, three DBQ questions (document based questions), and a final interactive discussion activity. Sources for the questions often included political cartoons, primary political documents, and newspaper clippings. Conflicting sources were also used for students to develop their own stance on a given problem, and to encourage critical thinking. Interactive activities at the end included small group peer discussions, role-playing historical figures, and even scavenger hunts. Through several meetings with my supervisor Dorothy Willsey, and history teacher Jessica Harney, I was able to troubleshoot and produce a product that can soon be released to the public.
Though I am extremely proud of the learning modules that I put together, my favorite part of the summer was my interactions with Dorothy Willsey, the president and founder behind NAHOF. Affectionately known as “Dot” by those who know her, she is incredibly passionate about the organization’s cause and selflessly takes on every single task from grant-writing to upkeeping the museum. As the summer progressed, I was proud to note that I had grown as a fellow and as a student. The first time Dot gave me a head of lettuce that she had grown, I was asking her questions about who William Lloyd Garrison was. By the fourth time she was giving me a head of lettuce, I was giving her suggestions on how to improve museum tours and our lesson plans.
As a biology and sociology double major, guests who come into the museum are always surprised when I tell them my majors. They exclaim, “What are you doing here? Do you find this interesting?” The beauty of Peterboro is that the history draws you in, and the sense of community is simply overwhelming. Even though what I did this summer may not be applicable to my majors, it was an experience that I wouldn’t want to trade for anything else. It was incredibly refreshing to take a step back and immerse myself in a community of living history.