On Thursday, Nov. 6, the junior class traveled to Old Sturbridge Village as a part of both the U.S. History and AP U.S. History curriculum.
The annual field trip is designed to give students direct exposure to daily life in 19th-century New England while reinforcing classroom units on reform movements, industrialization, and gender roles and allowing them a deeper understanding of the social and economic changes taking place in the 1800s.
AP U.S. History teacher Stephanie Sperber said the visit provides important context for the material students are studying in class. She explained that the goals of the trip include exploring daily routines in the 1800s, participating in a public town hall demonstration, and examining the effects of the Industrial Revolution on workers and families.
“I want them to feel the lived experiences, difficult choices, and complicated lifestyles,” she said. Ms. Sperber noted that being immersed in a recreated New England town allows students to better imagine the physical environment of the period. “They can feel what life was like, the environment, and the physical layout,” she said.
One of the central activities was a reenacted town meeting led by museum interpreters. Ms. Sperber said this portion of the trip consistently draws the strongest student engagement. “They always really love the town hall,” she said. “It makes everyone come alive, even those who don’t speak get into listening and clapping.” Students participated as townspeople debating local issues, giving them a chance to observe how civic life operated in early New England and how communities made collective decisions.
Junior Sierra Wells said the town hall demonstration gave her a clearer sense of how communication shaped small-town governance. “I found it surprising that there were town meetings where they would talk about the decisions that would best benefit the town,” Sierra said. She also mentioned that she was struck by the fact that disagreements were expected and openly discussed. “The fact that they had a spot to communicate with each other stood out,” she said.
Students also spoke with costumed interpreters portraying workers and residents from the early 19th century. Many were surprised by the economic realities of the time. Sierra said the demonstrations revealed the demanding labor conditions people faced. “People worked eight to fourteen hours a day and got less than a dollar,” she said. Seeing the work routines firsthand, she added, helped her recognize the hardships of daily life during industrialization. “It showed us the reality of their day-to-day life,” she explained.
Ms. Sperber said the structure of the trip has remained consistent in recent years, seeing as students respond well to the current format. “We’re not rocking the boat or fixing what’s not broken,” she added. She does not anticipate major changes in future years, noting that the long-standing design continues to support classroom learning effectively.
Teachers plan to use observations from the trip in upcoming units this fall. Ms. Sperber believes that the visual references from Old Sturbridge Village help students think more clearly about topics such as inequality, women’s work, religion, and trade. “Kids can picture what it really looked like and felt like to be in those spaces,” she said.
Sierra agreed that the visit strengthened her understanding of course content and that the experience made the material more concrete. “It definitely made learning feel different,” she said. “It gave a visual representation.”
The Old Sturbridge Village trip remains a key component of the junior history program and continues to offer students a tangible connection to the subjects they study in the classroom.
