Castine African American History School Unit
In the fall of 2024, the Castine Historical Society commissioned Georgia Zildjian, then a member of our Education Committee and now a Wilson Museum staff member, to write and present a five-week learning unit for the Adams School 7th/8th grade. The unit presented the history of Castine’s African and African American community while looking at broader issues such as slavery in New England and the South, Abolition, the Underground Railroad, and life for free Blacks in New England. The unit aligns with Maine state learning standards and provides the Adams School with the ability to meet the requirements of Maine’s LD 1664, a mandate to incorporate African American history into the curriculum.
The students explored sites in Castine, used primary documents at the Castine Historical Society, and learned from community experts. The culminating project for the class was presented to over 70 community members. At this event, students showed off their colossal art project representing an elm tree filled with the real-life stories of Castine’s African Americans, a moving video documentary on their visit to Esther and Emanuel Islands, and a storybook called Elms on the Water.
The unit fulfilled CHS’s vision statement to “cultivate curiosity about our past to foster a more inclusive, empathetic and informed society.”
Many thanks to the students who participated and to Ms. Kalista Farmer, the teacher.
Story Blodgett
Deland Carmichael
Tagger Chung
Owen Fisher
Will Golding
Amelie Kniesel
Mark Moon
Jacob Parker
Malcom Read
Alden Stammen
Will Tobey
Mackenzie VanSpronsen
Ellie Vogell
The final class project on display at CHS – a giant elm tree filled with Castine’s African American history.
The Adams School students visited many sites throughout Castine to learn history in place.
The Adams School 7/8th graders learning in the classroom
