The Young Curators of P.S. 133 Uncover the History of Revolutionary Brooklyn

Kayla Goodson served as an Educator for the Young Curators program at P.S. 133 in the Spring of 2013.  She is a four-year veteran of the Brooklyn Historical Society's team of museum educators.



This past spring, I had the pleasure to work with an incredible class of 4th and 5th graders from P.S. 133 for the “Young Curators” program in order to design a professional history exhibit in their school. Each week, we worked together as historians to piece together the events and experiences of the Revolutionary War in Brooklyn. While much of the class was acquainted with the American Revolution, many did not realize its huge role in our own local history. In starting the program, my students compiled a list of questions that they wished to have answered during the program. For example, what types of weapons did the soldiers use? Where did the British keep their prisoners of war? Where did the Battle of Brooklyn happen? I am pleased to announce that through a variety of art, writing and research projects, all of their questions have been answered!

The Young Curators of P.S. 133 in Park Slope; photo by BHS staff.

As a history educator, my goal was to make this program fun and engaging. At the beginning of the program, I asked the class if they liked history and to tell me why or why not. While some were hesitant to answer “no”, they all agreed to be honest. Many responded that they liked history because it was interesting, but a few admitted they found it boring. I assured them that after our program they would have a completely different outlook on history; instead, they would look forward to exploring the past and realize how much fun it can be.

On our first day, we discussed the importance of primary sources when studying history and read copies, or “broadsides,” of the Declaration of Independence. To get a feel for how different writing was in the 18th century, we used real turkey quills and ink to transcribe excerpts from the Declaration of Independence. I was very impressed with the students’ quill skills! We also discovered how people made their homes smell nice during the American Revolution by making pomander balls from fresh oranges and cloves. Despite the inevitable mess, we were able to personally connect to the past and had a blast!

We used real turkey quills and ink to transcribe excerpts from the Declaration of Independence!

In studying the Battle of Brooklyn, the class was surprised to find out how close it actually was to their school. After a brief introduction to the battle, we engaged in a few different projects for our exhibit panels with the help of our collection at the Brooklyn Historical Society. While the researchers and artists examined Alonzo Chappel’s 1858 painting of the Battle of Brooklyn to gather facts about weaponry and warfare, the writers transcribed entries taken from Colonel Samuel John Atlee’s personal diary written in August, 1776. We also learned about the prison ships of Wallabout Bay. Many were stunned to hear that such things existed, especially in the waters just to the east of Brooklyn. After reading Captain Thomas Dring’s account of his life aboard the HMS Jersey, we imagined ourselves in the same situation and created our own diary entries.

I am so fortunate to have worked with the students of P.S. 133 and I was amazed by their dedication and excitement for our program. I hope they come away from “Young Curators” having a better appreciation for history and its impact on their own lives. As an educator and student of history myself, what more could one ask for?

The Young Curators see their completed museum panels unveiled for the very first time! Photo by Adam Rubin.

 “Young Curators” turns classes of students into curators through 10-week in-school residencies with a BHS educator.  Students become the historians as they explore primary sources from BHS’s collections in order to uncover the history of their school and neighborhood.  Since launching this program in 2006, BHS has worked in collaboration with ten different schools on sixteen different projects. Each “Young Curators” program culminates in professionally designed, historian-vetted exhibit panels that can be displayed prominently in schools for continued learning. BHS “Young Curators” residencies are typically funded by Cultural After School Adventures (CASA) grants from New York City Council Members.