by Carrie Steinweg
CHICAGO, Ill. (April 5, 2020) – Thornton Fractional High School students in Matt Tiffy’s Advanced Placement U.S. History Class took a March 5 field trip to explore some significant examples of Chicago architecture. The first stop was the Pullman National Monument, where they watched a film and viewed displays in the visitors center, saw the inside of the Greenstone Church and were led on a walking tour of the neighborhood. The Pullman Historic District was the country’s first planned industrial community designed around the Pullman Car Company’s factory.
The group also visited the Chicago History Museum and then made their way down Michigan Avenue from the Water Tower Place, mapping out about two dozen significant buildings, including the Chicago Cultural Center, the Monodnock Building, the Rookery, and the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago. The walk ended at the Harold Washington Library where students worked on a related project and then went on to end the day with authentic deep dish pizza at Gino’s East.
“The point of the field trip is to have students understand how the city has progressed through urbanization and architecture,” said Tiffy. “In addition, this is a really fun way for students to gain an understanding of Daniel Burnham and how the grid system plays a role into the development of Chicago.”
TF South High School is located at 18500 Burnham Avenue in Lansing, Illinois.
