Fourth graders Cassidy, Eli, Ella, Grace, Ren, and Violet report:

On Tuesday, September 28th, a class of fourth graders from LREI set out on an adventure to the Statue of Liberty. They went because they are learning about immigrants and the Statue
of Liberty. They got there by boat which the immigrants did also. As the ferry sped around the island on its way to the dock, the students could see the Statue of Liberty. Grace noticed that the sun glinted off it like a quarter on the ground.

Upon their arrival, the students were very hungry. They found a shady spot on the island to have lunch because it was a very hot fall day. Then students of Deborah and Jacob’s class went into the pedestal where they saw many objects in the museum including the original torch and some big toes. In the museum, they saw a replica of the Liberty’s foot and Violet said, “I want to hug it.” “I can’t wait to see the model head!” said an excited Verity Berthelsen.

They found some answers to their questions about the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty was started in 1881 and finished in 1884. The class wanted to find out why she is green and how tall she is. They discovered she was made out of molded copper. The Statue of Liberty is green because when copper gets exposed to air it experiences chemical reactions that forms layers of corrosion. This is called patination. The Statue of Liberty is 151 feet tall. In the museum, students also noticed that the artist who created the Statue, Auguste Bartholdi said upon her completion, “The dream of my life is accomplished.”

After touring the museum the fourth graders climbed to the top of the pedestal. They counted the steps. Once they reached the pedestal they could walk all around the Statue of Liberty. When they looked down they could see people who looked like ants. They could hear the river waves. When they looked up they saw the little triangles of her crown. They stared out at the open sea and wrote poems about what they saw, heard, and wondered. One line was “We wish she will answer to our continual calls.” Another student wrote: “Big green and bright/ All the colors right/ Everything is perfect with/ The Statue in our sight.” While another fourth grader was writing, “Liberty stands in the sunlight/ With only justice no fight/Her torch to light way.”

All the students agreed that if she were alive she would give freedom to many more immigrants.

The students all had many questions, many answers, and much fun. They learned new things and did new things. As Grace MacGillivray put it, “It was an extraordinary experience.” As the students stared out at the harbor suddenly the teacher told them it was time to leave. As they boarded the boat, they knew their voyage would soon come to an end.