After last night’s rainy walk home from Wicked, we were more than a little trepidatious about the weather for today’s completely outdoor docket. As it turned out, we were blessed with one of the most beautiful days of the year. We rode the busses out to Brooklyn, disembarking in Cadman Plaza Park to take in the view and practice walking in a tight line of pairs. 
We reminded our students why it’s important to respect others using the city’s sidewalks and bike lanes; the Brooklyn Bridge hosts plenty of fast-moving cyclists, impatiently commuting into Manhattan. After a few minutes of paired walking practice (it really helped!), we kicked off our 2019 NYC Humanities Poetry Slam, which will continue spontaneously throughout the remainder of the trip in various locations.
Next, we crossed the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, stopping in the middle for selfies and an appreciation of the incredible view between boroughs. Ask your children to show you the amazing shots they captured from the bridge… and ask what the walk sounded and felt like.
After having crossed back into Manhattan, we gathered in City Hall Park for some personal reflections, emergency bathroom breaks, and a group photo at the Jacob Wrey Mould fountain. 
From there, groups splintered off to explore different local landmarks, including Trinity Church, St. Paul’s Chapel (where students and chaperones assisted Brown Bag Lunch in packaging meals for those in need), Federal Hall, and the African Burial Ground National Monument. Among the important questions students grappled with at the Burial Grounds Monument (and continued discussing on the subsequent walk together): Who records/illustrates history, through what lens, and with what purpose/vision/agenda?
All eight groups came back together at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza, built around the footprints of the WTC Twin Towers. Considering that our young people were born several years after 2001, it was incredibly moving to see them connect to the site, the memorial, and the experiences of those whose lives were forever altered by the tragedy we remember as 9/11.
A small cluster of students began asking questions of Julie Sweeney Roth, a tour guide routinely making her rounds, and she began to recount her personal experience of the attacks and resulting events.
Julie shared how her husband lost his life when his plane (Flight 175) was hijacked and crashed into Tower Two, how New York City responded and recovered, and how she’s experienced the impact over the years since.
As Julie unspooled her personal story, more and more of our students gathered around her, straining to hear her unamplified voice amidst the crowd of visitors. Ultimately, our entire 8th grade Humanities family (teachers as well as students) ended up in a tight emotional huddle around her with pursed lips,hitching breath, and quiet tears. When we reluctantly moved away toward the busses, many grateful supportive hugs punctuated our departure.
One thing students asked Julie about was the white roses placed on the memorial. She spoke to it in person with them, and then we looked it up on the bus; here’s an excellent article about the local movement of placing flowers, each Tuesday, on the names of victims who would otherwise be celebrating a birthday that week.
After a somber bus ride uptown, we entered Central Park at 72nd Street to visit the Strawberry Fields Memorial and Imagine mosaic, appreciating the musical offerings of local singer/songwriter Alex Martin.
Students sang along with Martin’s renditions of “Imagine,” “Yellow Submarine,” and other favorites, in memory of John Lennon, who was murdered outside his nearby home at The Dakota.
Students also viewed, learned about, and explored Belvedere Castle, The Obelisk (Cleopatra’s Needle), and the Polish King Jagiello’s monument. We rounded out this amazing day of culture, learning, and reflection with a communal dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square.
After dinner, 
groups set their own itineraries regarding shopping, exploring Times Square, and (eventually) embracing bedtime. We have one more full day in Manhattan tomorrow, and then we set our sights once more on Germantown and our own families and beds.
Note: Both photos of the 9/11 Memorial are borrowed from online; photography did not feel like the appropriate focus for that part of the day.