For
three days in August, a group of Boston Public School teachers gathered
at the Old South Meeting House to learn about three important women who
will soon be represented in a sculpture on Commonwealth Avenue Mall. As
participants in the Boston Women’s Memorial Curriculum Summer Institute,
these teachers had the opportunity to hear speakers and take part in workshops
focused on presidential advisor and correspondent Abigail Adams, suffragist
and editor Lucy Stone, and Phillis Wheatley, the first African-American
poet to be published.
The goals of the Institute were to make the
Boston Women’s Memorial come alive for students, to develop methods for
integrating Women’s history into the school curricula, and to create a network
of teachers interested in incorporating Women’s history into the curriculum.
Toward these goals, teachers participated in workshops that investigated
primary source materials, explored local historic sites, offered in-depth
history on the three women, and provided classroom ideas for introducing
the history of these women into their teaching. In addition to workshops,
teachers watched performances by two talented performers, Dorothy Prince
and Judith Black, who enacted Phillis Wheatley and Lucy Stone respectively.
The participants also had lunch at the future site of Boston Women’s Memorial
with the sculptor, Meredith Gang Bergmann. |
The
Institute was an exciting and stimulating event, but it is only the beginning.
The teachers will now take their new knowledge and curricular materials
into their classrooms. Throughout the year, these teachers will use ideas
and lessons from the Boston Women’s Memorial Curriculum to help introduce
their students to these three women. Equally important to using these Women’s
words in the classroom is visiting spaces that are connected to these Women’s
lives. As participants in the Institute, teachers have the option to charter
a bus to take their students on a field trip to a historic site, such as
the Adams National Historic Park. After the installation of the Memorial,
teachers and students will be encouraged to visit the site.
As a group, the teachers who participated
in the Institute brought many ideas to the event, and their enthusiasm helped
make the three days a success. Whether learning about the history of quilting
or hearing board member Liane Curtis read Lucy Stone’s words in the State
House Senate chamber, the participants offered observations and questions
which helped bring the Memorial and its subjects to life. The many presenters
and facilitators provided a wealth of knowledge in their subject area and
supplemented the curriculum with innovative materials. It will be an exciting
year as these teachers bring Abigail Adams, Phillis Wheatley, and Lucy Stone
into the Boston schools. |
| Thank you! Many
people were integral to the planning and development of the
Summer Institute. In particular, we thank Marie Turley and Pat
Nickerson of the Boston Women’s Commission for their consistent
support and Old South Meeting House for hosting us. Special
thanks to the anonymous donor whose generous financial support
made the curriculum and institute possible. Also, thanks to
the Advisory Board members who helped shape ideas for the Institute
and the curriculum: Cheryl Brown-Green, Maria D’Itria, Laura
Gang, Maria Harvey, Marilyn Hyder, Vera Johnson, Barbara Locurto,
Charlotte McCullough, Elaine Miller, Alex Pappas, Mary Rudder,
and Alma Wright (who also took all the Institute photos you
see in this newsletter). |
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Summer Institute Brings The Boston Women’s Memorial Alive
