The seventh grade William and Mary Program students ventured out to South Bend, Indiana on October 29th to continue their “Utopia/Dystopia” themed lesson. The students began their unit by reading various stories that pertain to both Utopian and Dystopian settings such as “The Monkey’s Paw” and Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”. Students also practiced analyzing Utopian art in anticipation of their upcoming field trip.
The trip began at St. Mary’s/Notre Dame’s Moreau Theatre where the students watched six mini-plays that included the stories they had been studying in class performed by the Chamber Theatre. Students then made their way over to the Notre Dame campus to visit the Snite Art Museum where they had to find a piece of artwork of their choice that pertained to the Utopian theme that they have been studying. Students were asked to take notes and analyze the theme. These Boston students will then be pulling all of their research together and creating a class presentation of all of their Utopian art that will be presented in class to their peers.
The teachers, Mrs. Bethany Smith and Mrs. Melissa Pfeifer, were ecstatic that the students had the opportunity to experience both the theatre and the art museum and are hoping to continue this trip in the future. Sarah Smith, a seventh grader, said that, “The plays made me laugh, smile, and cry. It was very enjoyable.”