Purple Cluster students in the Willow Room became MTA experts as they continued their study of transportation with one of New York’s oldest modes of travel: the subway!
Head Teacher Rachel Fell said the transportation unit was created after she asked students what they wanted to learn this year. A majority of the responses were transportation, so she designed integrated units with the overarching social studies goal of having students understand the importance of these vehicles to their city community. The students already learned all about the garbage trucks they see outside of school, so it was time to move onto a mode of transportation used by many commuters.
“We set out to learn why subways are important for New York City, and how they are used every day,” she said. “Who rides them, and how do we pay for them?”
During this multisensory and cross-curricular project, students used various skills to help them complete each activity. They used the math skill of sorting to divide different kinds of train lines by colors, numbers, or letters. Students used careful observation skills to see what they noticed about the platform and parts of the subway, using that information to build their own subway station out of recycled materials.
“We also read a book called I Am the Subway by Kim Hyo-eun and translated by Deborah Smith, and Last Stop on Market Street written by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson to understand how the subway brings together all different kinds of people,” Ms. Fell said. 
Students used skills practiced in language, such as comparing and contrasting old subway tokens and MetroCards to try to understand why commuters use MetroCards now. They learned about the mosaic artwork in subways, and how art can bring people joy while they are on their commute.
“This also brought in some geometry, as students learned how smaller parts can make a full picture,” Ms. Fell said. “They learned direction words such as uptown and downtown, and we also practiced sequencing language to discuss how to get on and off the train.”
The class finished their study of subways by reading Subway Story by Julia Sarcone-Roach, where a subway car is reused to be a coral reef. The students each came up with creative ways that their subway car would be reused into museums, stores, and restaurants.
“They all still love playing with their trains,” she said. “They have been so excited about this unit and have developed such an appreciation for such an important part of our city.”