LS Students Study NYC’s Public Parks

Students in the Emily, Lacey, and Mott Rooms recently visited Carroll Park to kick off a social studies unit on public parks. Carroll Park is located in Carroll Gardens and is the third oldest park in Brooklyn. Students explored the park using some of the unit’s guiding questions: What is a park? What are the elements of a park? How do we find out the population to which a park caters? They were also introduced to the concepts of public and green spaces, as well as the rich history of Carroll Park, constructed in 1852 to honor Charles Carroll, the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Later in the unit, students will learn about Frederick Law Olmsted and the creation of NYC’s extensive park system. They will take field trips to large and small parks and eventually create their own park as a class. The unit’s content will be integrated with writing lessons to provide students with the opportunity to practice and apply writing skills while reinforcing their understanding of public parks.