On December 15, 2017, Abington High School History teacher Mr. Lanner took over 50 of his freshmen from World History classes to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston to see their lesson about the Renaissance come to life. Seeing the different art forms enriched the lesson and made it all the more interesting.

The class was studying the Renaissance and the new forms of art, culture, government, economy, and social structures that arose during this era.

Mr. Lanner said, “It is one thing to show examples of Renaissance works in the classroom, but to have additional resources in front of you as primary resources makes learning come alive.”

Many of the students had a lot of fun observing and discussing the art. Elizabeth Roy (’21) said that, “Seeing the art enhanced the lesson by providing real sources from the time period.”

Another member of the class of 2021, Lidia Vidal, said that, “Going to the museum really made the lesson special. Unlike our previous lessons, with this one we got to see the paintings we had studied, in real life. It was all such a breathtaking experience.”

For Lanner, one of the benefits of the field trip was “to witness students’ reactions firsthand by seeing them in awe of this history when they first entered the exhibit room.” Lanner added that, “Students were taking pictures or talking to one another about the works and made the trip a worthwhile and positive experience.”

Like other field trips or global travel experiences provided at AHS, this one offered students an opportunity to connect lessons learned in the classroom to the real world.