Sussex Academy students dive into The Jungle by researching actual tenement families

In conjunction with their study of the Chicago-based novel The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, Sussex Academy students researched families living in New York tenements to gain real-life perspective of the experiences faced by turn-of-the-century immigrants.

By studying actual families documented by the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, Dr. Andie Kirtley said the seniors in her honors English class were able to make connections with real people whose lives mirrored those of the characters in the book, leading to a better understanding of its content.

Seniors compiled a box of family artifacts, including photos, period literature and items immigrants would own and use. Students then shared their findings with Karen Hugues’s eighth grade class, who evaluated the upperclassmen presentations and were able to experience the kinds of projects they will work on when they reach high school.

“The hope is that they connected more closely with the text by connecting it with real people, and that by sharing what they learned about immigration with others, they will reinforce their knowledge,” Kirtley said.

After the eighth graders left, seniors said they felt accomplished. Often, students said they do a lot of work no one sees, and this project gave them the satisfaction of sharing their work and having people ask questions about it.

The project aligned with English Language Arts Common Core standards in discussions and questioning, collaboration and presentation. Students were evaluated on authenticity of multiple sources, writing, accuracy and creativity, depth and detail of their narratives, and content.

Sussex Academy’s mission is to foster academic achievement and social responsibility in a small school environment where students participate in a highly accelerated college preparatory program that prepares them for the technological and global mindedness needed for the 21st century and that instills ethical conduct and service to others in their day-to-day lives.