Part One: GOPA Steam Students visit local historical and cultural sites

     On December 18, 2014, School of Government students visited two important historical and cultural sites in Paterson on a field trip to find out more about their very own city.  GOPA STEAM students with Art Teacher Darryl Jones, Science PIR Dina Scacchetti, and Art PIR Triada Samaras visited both the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and the Paterson Museum in a fact finding and exploratory mission that underlies the STEAM project being developed in Mr. Jones' classroom.  

     At Paterson Great Falls National Park, Park Ranger Ilyse Goldman explained to students in great detail the rich history of the Paterson Great Falls and its role in the industrial success of early America.  For example, Alexander Hamilton chose the site of the falls to launch his brainchild, America's first planned industrial city called the "national manufactory."  GOPA students learned Hamilton realized the powerful potential of these roaring falls to generate energy for the mills that later made Paterson famous as an industrial hub and contributed to the economic success of our still young nation.

STEAM students observed the cascading water and the surrounding landscape and imagined what the early American settlers dreamed of building and doing upon encountering this natural wonder. In other words they were exposed to the same creative process they encounter in their art classrooms.


             
During this field trip students were exposed to many configurations of art, history, math, science  and engineering as they came to understand the purpose of the raceways, the method by which water was diverted from the falls to be used to generate power for the variety of mills that made Paterson so successful. They came to see their city in a new creative light that is the perfect segue to their STEAM art and research studies in the classroom.

From the Great Falls Overlook, students proceeded south toward the Paterson Museum, viewing the upper raceway and gaining an understanding of just how the power of the falls was utilized.

Ranger Goldman explained that the raceways were now dry because after Hurricane Irene, they had been damaged so badly that they were no longer able to hold water, and posed a threat to nearby buildings.

Maps trace the old raceway system through the modern City of Paterson.

As an added bonus, STEAM students saw the arrival of what will be the new clock for the Paterson Historical District.

(See Part Two for more details of this STEAM field trip.)