Isaac E. Young Middle School seventh graders took a voyage back in time to the War of 1812 as they stepped aboard the Lynx, a replica of a 19th-century tall ship.
The visit brought history out of the classroom and onto the deck, where students explored the vessel and discovered what life was like for sailors navigating the seas more than 200 years ago.
More than 100 students visited the Lynx on Oct. 15, where they touched the boom that controls the foresail and saw weaponry like cannonballs used in the War of 1812. They stood at the helm and moved the ship’s wheel, viewed the maps, and observed a working compass.
“The Lynx is a privateer vessel replica from the War of 1812. Students visited three different stations on board,” said social studies teacher Stephanie Dalessio. “At one station, they talked about levers and pulleys on the ship, physics, and how they hoisted the sails. Another station focused on the arms used by privateer vessels to overtake other ships. At the third station, they spoke with the captain, who described using a compass and charting maps to find their way.”
Later this year, Dalessio said, “We will be talking about pirates and privateers, as we get to the second war of independence, which was the War of 1812, when America fought Great Britain a second time and won its independence affirmatively.”
In his role as Lynx Captain, Donald Peacock said, “When I’m planning a voyage, the number one thing I’m considering is the weather. The weather is going to tell us - based on where we’re trying to go - whether this is a great wind direction, or if it's going to be too much and we wait, or just jump on and get going because everything is lined up beautifully. We’re looking at the wind range of velocity and direction, considering the weather for the voyage.”
Social Studies Chair Dr. Beatrice Lopez said hands-on experiences like the trip to the Lynx help students make connections between what they are learning in history and real life today.
“The crew on the Lynx gave students insights on how the ship operated and allowed them to think about how this happened hundreds and hundreds of years ago,” Dr. Lopez said. “It has been great to see this come alive. Some of the kids told me this was the first time they had been on a ship, which is so awesome that it’s right here, around the corner from our school.”
Seventh grader Seth Mickens said, “I liked learning about how they work the boat and how they live on the boat from day to day when they’re sailing,” adding that it reminded him of the anime show ‘One Piece’ about the Straw Hat Pirates going on a quest to find the ultimate treasure.
Austin Fiorino, another seventh grader, said, “I learned how you can spot where you are on a map. I really enjoyed learning about the War of 1812. It connects with what we’re learning in our classes. We’ve been learning about indigenous people and other things like warships, so it relates to this visit to the Lynx.”