Have a question about Downers Grove history? Just ask a second grader. That’s because all District 58 second graders study local history as part of their social studies curriculum.
This year, Pierce Downer second graders took their local learning one step further. Each student could choose a local building, person or place of interest to research. The kids visited the library, reviewed primary documents and even interviewed people intimately involved with their topic. They culminated their hard work by designing a visual aid and hosting a gallery walk to show off their learning. They invited Pierce Downer kindergarteners, first graders and staff to stroll through their gallery walk and learn a little about Downers Grove. Each second grader presented five to 10 interesting facts about their topic.
Second grader Chloe chose Prince Pond to research because she lives nearby.
“I learned that there used to be very strict rules about skating on Prince Pond,” she said. “For example, you were not allowed to skate on Sundays. On the other days, you would get a ticket to skate, and the tickets said that skaters were not permitted to use bad words while on the ice.”
Meanwhile, second grader Ben researched the history of Sears Homes in Downers Grove. A family member gave him a copy of an actual 1902 Sears Home catalog. He likened the Sears Home building process to a more complex IKEA purchase.
“Sears Homes were delivered by train. They came in kits with step-by-step instructions,” Ben said. “You just needed a saw and a few other tools to assemble them.”
Pierce Downer Second Grade Teacher Randi Kehm said that this was the first year she organized a gallery walk for her students, and it went beyond her expectations. She said it added a more authentic element to their research, motivating students to learn even more about their hometown.
“I had the BEST quote from one of my students earlier this week,” Mrs. Kehm said. “Brynn came in so excited on Monday and said,
‘I went on the Downers Grove Historical Bike ride this past week for Founder's Day...and guess what?! I knew EVERY answer to the questions the tour guide asked!’”