Only in New York

Twenty-nine Hauppauge High School International Baccalaureate (IB) students recently visited the New York Historical Society in Manhattan -- home to a museum about the history of New York as well as the Kingenstein Library that houses tens of thousands of newspapers, manuscripts, maps, pamphlets and letters. In preparation for their National History Day research projects, the IB History Paper One exam and the Extended Essay, Hauppauge's IB juniors and seniors learn how to use contextual information to decode documents and artifacts from an Historical Society educator. "The students had the opportunity to see how artifacts are used by historians to draw conclusions," noted IB Teacher Anne Stebbins. "I think this allowed them to realize that when you are doing historical research, the questions you ask sometimes can be more important than the answers you find."

The IB students also greatly enjoyed viewing and interpreting art from the museum's collection as well as exploring the newly unveiled "Battle of Brooklyn" exhibit. The visit culminated with a viewing of the Historical Society's film, "New York Story," that chronicles New York's dynamic history from a remote outpost on the edge of the known world to the cultural and financial center of the globe.