Fourth Graders Tour the 'Burg
Source/Author: Raffi Darrow, Ebytes Editor
May 04, 2018
Fourth graders are studying the history of Saint Petersburg, as they wonder about the impacts of development both locally and across the state. They visited downtown St. Pete and learned about the some of the history behind architecture in our own backyard.
Emily Elwyn, a Shorecrest parent and Preserve the ‘Burg tour guide, played visual bingo with the fourth graders and St. Pete’s historic and modern architecture. The goal was to have the students learn to “read the city” and use architecture to understand St. Pete’s history and appreciate their unique sense of place.
Here’s how Emily explained it: “We looked at the residential buildings on Fourth Ave. N., the churches around Williams Park, the modernist Williams Park bandshell, the Open Air Post Office and the Snell building. We also studied the historic bricks in a downtown alley and the hex blocks that pave our sidewalks. By reading the city and showing kids the unique places that make up St. Pete, I tried to foster a deeper connection to their home!”
