​  Two trucks passed our school buses going in the opposite direction. Loaded with white chickens locked into stacked cages, you could just barely make out their red combs and silent faces. Feathers from the slipstream were lofted into the air like loose straw from a hay truck.
    In one bus some of the 8th graders laughed--"if I'm going to have to eat them, I'd rather see them in McNugget form"; in the other bus the students went silent and someone said, "ah, that's sad." 
    So there we have the human dilemma. Lovely people face a complicated world and respond differently at different times--context, mood, and ever-shifting group dynamics. 
     That same day we stopped at Dos Santos church. An older gentleman of measured and slow-stepping delivery gave a long presentation on a history that began in the 17th century and brought us up to the present moment. At some point an utterly profound silence fell over the 71 students. When he finished, without a word of prompting, the entire 8th grade applauded in a graceful gesture of respect. They caught his intent, his sincerity, his effort to reach them. 
       Our 8th graders are far from sainthood. They can be far louder than they realize and capable of selective focus that suits their rising and falling energy levels. Yet they have depth upon depth, and even as we have occasionally fumbled as adults with the schedule and pacing in a pilot program, they have given generously with their attention and energy because the trust goes in both directions. We have learned so much about each other. 
      But it is more than chickens that are locked in cages. Driving past Tyson poultry farms, we pass long aluminum-sided chickenhouses--no windows and no doors that are ever open. We are not welcomed into those places. We heard from one worker at the vineyard reflect on his former experience working in such a place. He said in Spanish: "The noise was endless, and we workers were crowded together. It was like being locked in a cage."
       So it is more than workers and chickens locked in cages. The Eastern shore too is locked in a cage of circumstances due to human encorachments. How do we raise students to observe, analyze and solve these dilemmas? Soon enough the solutions will become this generation’s inescapable challenge. To unlock the causation that confines us tightly in the cages of cause and effect will not be easy.
      To this we heard from two farmers yesterday.
      A vintner said: "It is we who must adapt to the timing of nature."
    And the founder of Copper Cricket Farm told our 13 and 14- year olds: "We don't inherit the land from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children."
   Thus the challenges of sustainability, and achieving a world of equity and justice for a universe of humans, oysters, water, marshes and pollinators.
    We have yet a world to grow and to tend. 
       
 --Jim Shapiro

​Student Thoughts Eastern Shore Trip October 2017

Everything is connected.
--Ilona

What could you put into a sentence or two that could sum up the trip:
A time to reflect and bond on relationships built through learning and making, societal change.
This has helped me figure out more of a true meaning on issues that impact our world by looking at it through a personal view and the view of the people you live around in different societies and communities.
--Truth

Marshes are very pretty and surprisingly soothing places to visit.
--Abby

I want to tell my parents that the trip is amazing and that I now own a pair of brown socks.
--Nathaniel

We live in a big country. If I could take away one thing from this trip it would be that. While we spent time here on the Eastern shore, I have realized what a beautiful, but also cruel place we live in. I have recognized the challenge that animals face when adapting to the climate. I have recognized the challenges that immigrant workers face when they enter the country with no money and little to no English skills. Most importantly, my eyes have been opened to the places and cultures outside my community.
--Simon

I think it is very important and meaningful to get to know people whose lives are very different from yours.
--Annie

If I could tell somebody who did not partake in this trip about the experience I would talk about the mud adventure—definitely an experience to remember.
--Wilha

The Eastern shore trip is an amazing opportunity to be face-to-face with nature and to get closer and more comfortable with classmates. It was also interesting learning about and being a part of the community.
--Helena

We learned that due to the long growing season you can harvest two or more crops annually.
--Wilder

One thing that I’d like others to know that weren’t on the trip is that everything depends on each other. Every industry is heavily connected to one another.
--Zoe

The Eastern shore has a big history of farming and agriculture. It is a very fun and interesting place. During the Civil War, the Eastern shore was originally Confederate but quickly turned to the Union.
--James

The Eastern shore has a very wide variety of animal species and areas reserved by the government in order not to be industrialized. For instance, we had the opportunity to visit Assateague Island, an area protected by the government from people taking up residence there.
--Joseph

The geography here is much different than the geography in New York. There is more farm and open land whereas in New York there is not much open space and it is filled with lots more people.
--Julia

One thing I learned from this trip is The Secret Sauce of Leaders. An example of this is listening deeply & valuing multiple people’s perspectives.
--Nika

One thing I’m taking from this trip is that sometimes you don’t enjoy an activity that other people enjoy and that is okay.
--Grace

One thing that I took away from this trip was that we as humans have limits but we set the bar too low.
--Olle

The Eastern Shore is a place with many different types of people with different economic backgrounds and many different jobs and farms to work on.
--Constantine

It’s important to listen to what other people have to say, because if you don’t, you’ll miss out on a valuable point of view.
--Lee


One thing I have learned is that our grade is pretty close together.
--Alex

An amazing experience I would love to take back with me would have to be dinner with the children at the church.
Also, I took a lot from the leader discussion because it made me think more about how one little thing can change someone or something.
--Charis

Sometimes it is important to leave your comfort zone and enter your stretch zone.
--Carter

It is important to lean into your stretch zone to grow your comfort zone so you can learn and try new things.
--Olivia

Everything is much more complicated than it seems.
--Mac

On this trip I heave learned when you don’t really want to do or you are a little scared to do, you just have to do it and it will be fun.
--Eden

People come from so many different worlds and it is important to listen and be aware so you’re not always trapped in a bubble.
--Siena

The people are really nice and the expeditions are a blast.
--Sam

Something I wish other people could have is all of the different and amazing experiences that we wouldn’t have had otherwise.
--Amelia

The Eastern shore is so beautiful and even the stuff that I was apprehensive about—like going in the marsh turned out to be fun.
--Theo

The environment as a whole was so beautiful it made me feel like I was in a movie. The scenery, stars, landscapes and houses made me feel a sense of pure joy. I wish I could stay longer!
--Tess

People are often dependent on scarce resources which, in order to be available, need to be produced by people. It’s a never-ending cycle that we need to fix in order to thrive.
--Talin

It was amazing to see how beautiful miles of farmland could really be.
--Augie

“The best times in life are spent with others.” I enjoyed getting to connect with my classmates in a casual setting.
--Leandre

The trip forces you to be social and get to know people better.
--Finn

It is really fun to meet people with different backgrounds and experiences.
--Olivia

I noticed the cultural differences at the national and international level and in my own community. I felt like this was something the trip was keyed to.
--Jules

The Eastern shore is a very diverse and complicated place with many different aspects like the history and environment.
--Haley

Not to be too morbid, but the trucks full of chickens on their way to their deaths will really stick with me.
--Margot

One thing about this place that people should know about is how the sheer beauty of this place can quell any negative emotions between people and bring them together as they take in what’s around them.
--Dash

The 8th grade trip was a great experience where I strengthened bonds with friends and made new friends. The trip showcased how fun everybody could be.
--Will

If we don’t protect the Eastern shore, it could be gone.
--Graeme

I would want people back at Brooklyn to know about the chicken slaughter and production.
--Skylar

I would like people to visit and see all the history that surrounds it. Although it is a beautiful place, it is also a very important place for people to visit.
--Manuel

The Eastern shore is a beautiful, unique location and it is a great place to bond with your fellow peers.
--Sofia

When I was in the mud with the grade, everyone was working together and communicating with each other, I connected with a lot of people I wouldn’t normally have talked to. I think it was a really fun experience that brought our grade closer together.
--Mikaela

I would like people to know how unexpectedly beautiful the Eastern shore is.
--Owen

I wish people in New York City knew how important wetlands and dunes are and that we shouldn’t have destroyed ours.
--Ellie

Being able to experience a new community with my own community really helped me compare my life to the lives of people who live in the Eastern shore.
--Freda

It was educational, tiring but very fun.
--Daniel

In the beginning I was skeptical but now I’m grateful to have come here in place of Wyoming.
--Ellor

This week we have learned about all aspects of society and its factors. Every different perspective taught us something new.
--Luca

Throughout the trip I saw a lot of trucks carrying chickens away to slaughterhouses as well as many industrial chicken factories. This was interesting and different for me as I have never seen a chicken farm so big or so many chickens being shipped away.
--Fiona

Something that I took away from this trip is that it encompasses a variety of subjects that are both fun and challenging. The past 8th grade trips consisted of scenery and some science along the way while the trip in the Eastern shore had a lot more to offer. For example, we learned about the importance of agriculture which we wouldn’t have known about if we were in Wyoming.
--Wen Yu

The Eastern shore trip has been so much fun. We got soaked up to our necks in the intertidal zone and got muddy in the marsh. And we’ve met really great and interesting people along with amazing food. Yesterday we went to a church and my group’s task was to pick vegetables from the garden. It started with just picking peppers but we ended up playing ‘basketball’ with tomatillos, having ‘who-can-pick-the-most-onions’ contests, and just having so much fun. After that experience, and this trip as a whole, I believe that we are all much closer than before.
--Anya

I would like to create a solution for people who don’t get enough work. For instance, today I saw an immigrant worker who has to work hours in a vineyard. He has three kids who he tries to support. He gets good pay but he still has to put in a lot of manual labor. No one wants that. We need to help people who work too much, who work so hard they come home VERY tired.
--Louisa

This trip, although only a week long, has been filled with so many experiences that I will remember forever. From trudging through thick mud which smelled of rotten eggs to bonding with my classmates in a way I never had before to visiting plantation where we learned how it has been working for hundreds of years to eating and playing with the children of migrant workers—this trip has been so valuable to me. I’ll never forget it.
--Lila

I was able to go out and learn about different ecosystems including marshes, intertidal zones, sand dunes and more. I have gained knowledge about migrant workers, the life of their children and the hardships they face in their everyday life. For example, one of the children of the migrant workers said he was moving for the third time to Florida because his parents needed farming jobs where the produce was in season. Meeting people with different life styles and exploring different ecosystems has helped me grow immensely.
--Ella

There is more to the environment than plants and animals: there are new experiences and opportunities for learning and life.
​--Annika

There is beauty in everything.
--Ali

    Two trucks passed our school buses yesterday going in the opposite direction. Loaded with white chickens locked into stacked cages, you could just barely make out their red combs and sad faces. Feathers from the slipstream were lofted into the air like loose straw from a hay truck.
    In one bus some of the 8th graders laughed--"if I'm going to have to eat them, I'd rather see them in McNugget form"; in the other bus the students went silent and someone said, "ah, that's sad." 
    So there we have the human dilemma. Lovely people face a complicated world and respond differently at different times--context, mood, the dynamic of a group.
     That same day we stopped at Dos Santos church. An older gentleman of measured and slow-stepping delivery gave a longish presentation on a history that began in the 17th century and brought us up to the present moment. At some point an utter, almost profound silence fell over the 71 students. When he finished, without a word of prompting, the entire 8th grade applauded in a graceful gesture of respect. They caught his intent, his sincerity, his effort to reach them. 
       Our 8th graders are far from sainthood. They can be insufferably loud on a bus, fail to go  to sleep when encouraged to do so and move at lugubrious pace when tired like Napoleon's army in retreat from Moscow. Yet they have depth upon depth, and even as we have occasionally fumbled as adults with the schedule and pacing in a pilot program, they have given generously with their attention and energy because the trust goes in both directions. We have learned so much about each other. 
      But it is more than chickens that are locked in cages. Driving past Tyson poultry farms, we pass long aluminum-sided chicken houses--no windows and no doors that are ever open. We are not welcome into those places. And we heard from one worker today at the vineyard reflect on his experience working in such a place. He said, in Spanish: "The noise was endless, and we workers crowded together. It was like being locked in a cage."
       So it is more than workers and chickens locked in cages. The Eastern shore in a sense is locked in a cage of circumstances as climate change and the consequences of massive agricultural enterprises. How do we raise students to observe, analyze and solve the dilemmas that encroach. Soon enough the solutions become their challenge. To unlock the causation that locks us tightly in the cages of circumstance will not be easy.
      To this we heard from two farmers today.
      A vintner said: "It is we who must adapt to the timing of nature."
    And the founder of Copper Cricket Farm told our 13 and 14- year olds: "We don't inherit the land from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children."
   Thus the challenges of sustainability, of equity and justice for the world of humans, oysters, water, marshes and pollinators. We have yet a world to grow and to tend. 
       

Spending the afternoon doing some gardening and watching the turkeys.