It's Up To You: The Quest for Rochester

FALL, 2007-2008

For the past two years, the sixth grade class investigated the merits of the Grasso-Zimmer proposal to re-water the Erie Canal downtown. The proposal, in part due to the attention our students drew to it, is being actively studied by the City of Rochester and is closer than ever to becoming a reality.
So, this year's sixth grade prepares to take on another hot topic that may have a major impact on Rochester's environmental and economic future. Their first expedition is actually a quest to uncover their year's topic of study. By gathering data from a wide variety of sources, the class forms a structured understanding of their natural and built environments, and the many factors that affect them. Moving further into the expedition, they interview community members, take city observation walks, learn about active citizenship, and dive into comparative history case studies in an attempt to define the world around them. They learn about the rise of cities and the issues past and present that have challenged city officials and residents. By the end of the expedition, sixth graders are prepared to present a portfolio of hot topics to a panel of school and community members, who help the class determine its course of study for the remainder of the year.