From Summer Research Projects to the Study of the Silk Road: Fourth Grade is all about Globalization!

Our oldest Lower School students have had a busy first few months of the school year as they embark on a year-long study of globalization, sharing summer research projects and diving deep into their study of the Silk Road! 

To start the year, our fourth graders shared their summer assignments with each other and their teachers. Taking on the challenge to research the movement of an idea, a good, or a group of people or a person, this assignment was the launchpad for their globalization studies. They had to present their research physically or digitally and follow certain parameters including using only approved informational sources. 

What did they choose to study? Some students took the opportunity to interview their parents and grandparents to learn more about how they ended up in the United States or in some cases, why they moved to another city. One student made a map of all the places English is spoken today and created a web to show how it spread from one place to another. Many others chose to research the movement of a good — from the Apple M1 Chip to curry powder in its many forms, from boba tea (and the MANY countries involved in this creation) to the history of cheese, the topics were fascinating! One student who studied cacao beans went to a natural chocolate shop in Ecuador(!) as part of their research and brought back chocolate bars for students to taste. Everyone in the Speyer community was able to learn about their discoveries as they were shared on the bulletin boards by the library. 

The fourth graders then immersed themselves in an engaging exploration of the Silk Road — the vast network of trade routes that connected ancient China to distant cities like Venice. Through this unit, students are learning not just about the geography of the Silk Road but also about the goods, cultures, people, and pivotal events that made this trade route one of the most influential in history.

As part of their journey, students focus on silk, one of the most highly coveted goods traded along the Silk Road. Silk was such a prized commodity that it became synonymous with wealth and power in the ancient world, making its production and trade a closely guarded secret in China for centuries — it was so valued, the unauthorized export of silk moths or their eggs was punishable by death! The demand for silk in the Roman Empire was so great that it contributed to the development of thriving cross-continental trade networks and facilitated cultural exchanges that would shape history.

To deepen their understanding of the complexity behind this luxury good, our fourth graders took part in an imaginative inquiry exercise, where they used their imaginations to act out the time-consuming, intricate steps required to produce even a single piece of silk fabric. This exercise helped highlight the labor-intensive nature of silk-making, which involved many stages, from raising silkworms to extracting and weaving the delicate threads.

The students then transformed into Silk Road artisans for a hands-on activity, where each student received a boiled Bombyx mori cocoon — the cocoon of the domestic silk moth. They carefully worked to unwind the fine silk threads from their cocoons, spooling them to create their own thread. The experience revealed the astonishing amount of effort required: it can take up to 2,500 silkworms to produce just one pound of silk!

Through this activity, students gained a first-hand appreciation for the artisans who worked tirelessly to produce silk, often transported over thousands of miles by traders braving dangerous terrain. The lesson not only brought to life the meticulous craftsmanship of the Silk Road era but also fostered a sense of wonder at the global connections forged by the exchange of goods and ideas throughout history.

This immersive experience allowed our students to step into the roles of the people who contributed to this ancient trade network, offering a glimpse into both the labor and ingenuity that shaped civilizations.

To provide another context of what was happening in the world at the time, the entire Fourth Grade trekked to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a guided tour of Art of the Islamic World. During their visit, they looked at beautiful porcelain cups, intricate tapestries, and even one of the oldest glass chess pieces. This field trip helped them further explore the cultural exchanges that shaped both sacred and secular art in the Islamic world from Spain and North Africa to the Middle East and India. 

After their visit, the teachers received an email from one of the tour guides! They wrote, "It was such a delight to work with your students at the Met yesterday. One of them pointed out that the legs of the brazier are not all the same, something no one has mentioned in print as far as I can find, and I did some hard looking!" 

From at-home self-guided research to inventive classroom activities to using our city's museums as an extension of 925 Ninth Avenue, this is just one example of the unique and in-depth curricular work our students engage in every day. Shout-out to our amazing Fourth Grade teaching team who shared all of the fabulous details for this recap of what their students have been doing!