Recently, our 6th grade Humanities students had the unique opportunity to bring history back to life. 

We were excited to welcome Giovanni Ruffini, a professor from Fairfield University, who brought an extraordinary collection of authentic coins from Ancient Greece and Rome into our classroom. This hands-on experience allowed students to engage directly with real artifacts that are thousands of years old.

As students examined the coins, they began to think like historians and archaeologists. They explored questions such as: What images are shown? Who might have used this coin? What does it tell us about power, leadership, or daily life? Through guided discussion, students discovered how artifacts like coins can reveal important insights about ancient civilizations’ economies, political systems, and cultural values. By analyzing these coins, students had a lot of input to the discussion and asked many great questions. They gained a deeper understanding of how history is studied and interpreted, moving beyond memorization to true inquiry and discovery.

We are grateful to Professor Ruffini for sharing his time, coins, and expertise with our students!