Lower Schoolers Showcase St. Louis-Area Learning
Echoing the buzz and excitement of the 1904 World’s Fair, the K/1 class put together their very own St. Louis Fair for the community last month. The event showcased the results of the young learners’ integrated study of the city’s history, geography, art, culture, and local traditions (some of them edible!), as part of an extended social studies unit.
It all started with mapping and learning about cardinal directions and compasses, moving from the classroom to the neighborhood (nearby Longview Park and the local fire and police stations) and then further afield into the city. Firsthand experiences in and around St. Louis helped the students understand how places, practices, and history connect to create a unique urban culture and community.
The class identified and explored iconic St. Louis sites and architectural gems such as The First Church of Christ Scientist, St. Louis; the Cathedral Basilica; the Arch; the Zoo, and Busch Stadium. (On a side note: A Busch Stadium tour guide telephoned Principia to praise our students as the most well-behaved, polite, pleasant group he had ever hosted. He noted he had never called a school before but just had to call this time!) A very popular visit was the stop at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard for a delicious treat—and a meeting with Mr. Drewes himself! The students loved discovering that the ice cream cone was “invented” right here in St. Louis at the 1904 World’s Fair!
One afternoon, the class took over the kitchen at School Principal Travis Brantingham’s home to try their hand at baking the famous Gooey Butter Cake—or “St. Louie Gooey” as it’s also known. On another morning, they hosted Julie Donnelly, the Event Marketing Manager of Fair St. Louis, who explained what it takes to put on an event that attracts 300,000 lots of questions! “We took her advice and put our heads together to think of many of the different elements we would need to put into place in order to make our fair a success,” observed teacher Lori Lines (US’73, C’77). “It was a great opportunity to learn from a professional and light a fire under us to make our fair truly amazing.”
One of the main attractions at the student fair was the “Saint Louis Zoo” exhibit—which featured large, lifelike paintings and information about a range of animals, birds, and reptiles. Each student selected a particular animal, conducted research about its habits and habitat, and then illustrated it. (Art teachers Kristin Serafini (US’94, C’98) and Louise Elmgren (C’84) offered invaluable assistance for this aspect of the fair.) The end result? A beautiful array of wildlife that visitors could view—and even a miniature replica of the “Zoo Train,” in which visiting pre-kindergarten students took rides! Other exhibits included a replica of the Arch, with the Mississippi flowing beside it; a table of foam mosaics (created after viewing beautiful stone mosaics at the Cathedral Basilica); other tables telling the history of Busch Stadium and the symbolism of the St. Louis City flag; and tables offering samples of St. Louis delicacies—toasted ravioli, Gooey Butter Cake, and frozen custard.
“Throughout this unit, the students enjoyed firsthand experiences they will never forget,” Lines notes. “And the fair gave them an authentic reason to capture, represent, and share their learning and discoveries with their families and other lower schoolers.”