At Trinity Hall, students in various Humanities classes have recently taken part in hands-on, engaging lessons, designed to deepen their understanding of key historical events and figures. Students and staff alike have enjoyed seeing classes share their learning with each other in creative and exciting ways.
Students in Dr. McCue’s Theology class participated in an engaging and immersive lesson focused on the influence of Calvinism in shaping the New England Way, and how that legacy contributed to the development of the American identity. Each student researched an important New England colonial religious leader before gathering in groups to combine research. During an interactive discussion where Dr. McCue conducted interviews with each group, students embodied the religious figures they studied. Researchers donned hats and costumes, earning extra credit for using a British accent during their interview. This exciting lesson helped students draw connections between historical religious foundations and the challenges of assimilation that shaped the United States over time.
Similarly, students in Mrs. Kern and Ms. Larson’s World History classes recently took part in an innovative assignment, where they explored the art of Greek drama. For this project, students were prompted to adapt a pre-existing story or movie plot into the ancient theatrical form. Each group selected a popular narrative and restructured it to follow the key elements of a Greek tragedy. As part of the assignment, students were required to create masks for the characters in their adapted drama. The culmination of the unit saw the students performing their original Greek dramas for the class, as their peers played the role of the Greek Chorus by singing along to the choral odes, a key feature of Greek theater. This creative project allowed students to dig deep into the world of Greek theater while promoting teamwork, public speaking, and an appreciation for the arts.
In Mrs. Hill and Mrs. Gillen’s AP US History classes, students had the opportunity to take part in Trinity Hall’s well-known Patriot Games, designed to deepen students’ understanding of the founding fathers of the American Revolution. The lesson focused on the interconnectedness of the founding fathers and how their collective efforts were pivotal in uniting the colonies, steering the course of the revolution, and ultimately creating the United States of America. Each student was assigned a prominent patriot and tasked with crafting a thesis statement to highlight their figure’s most significant achievement. They then wrote a paper outlining their assigned patriot’s contributions. In class, students used their research and prior knowledge to defend their thesis to peers, arguing for their patriot’s pivotal role in American history.
Students look forward to the Patriot Games each year, and many find the assignment to be rewarding and beneficial to their learning. Helen Taylor ‘26, one of the winners this year, shares “I personally loved this project and I felt like it was a really fun way to go about learning about the Revolutionary War. I am a very competitive person, so I spent several nights researching my patriot in order to win. I learned all about the causes of the war and the military tactics used, as well as George Washington's presidency. In class, I got to see all my friends fully dressed up for the project which made it so much more fun!”
For winner Bridget Rigney ‘26, the takeaways from this project are sure to be long-lasting. “The project required a lot of research to be done to understand what was happening in the colonies pre-revolution, during the revolution, and post-revolution,” Rigney states. “I was Nathanael Greene, a key general during the Revolutionary War. While I did my research, I came across key events and people who we learned about in class. We got to listen to each student or patriot share their information about their leader during this time period. Therefore, this project connected all the loose ends and cleared up misunderstandings about the revolution.”
Students are looking forward to continuing to share their learning throughout their Humanities courses. In doing so, the girls at Trinity Hall are encouraged to think critically, collaborate with peers, and express their ideas creatively.