Project Overview

During this expedition, 3rd-grade students at Genesee Community Charter School were taken on a journey through the development of the Erie Canal. They discovered the need of the canal because of the growing production of flour. Wheat grown at local wheat farms was ground into flour at local grist mills and there was a demand to distribute the flour to consumers more efficiently.  The population of Rochester rapidly increased because of the demand for more flour leading to Rochester becoming the first "Boom Town" in the nation. 

Students were introduced to an object used for work/labor during this time period (i.e. items used by farmers, millers, canallers, shopkeepers, workers/builders, and community jobs around the canal). For their final product, they created a ‘complete the drawing’ coloring book that includes a student created, detailed drawing of their object along with a narrative story of its use, the people who use it, and other environmental features. Each page collectively tells the story of the objects and is organized sequentially to describe the evolution of the Erie Canal and its impact on Rochester.  The audience uses the narrative to complete the respective picture.

The books were given to Corn Hill Navigation, a local organization who operates historical tours of the Erie Canal, for use on the Sam Patch boat.