STEM Connection: Child Development, Education, and Institutional Design
The sources in this section offer a compelling launchpad for investigating how the evolution of educational philosophy, institutional design, and child welfare intersect with STEM disciplines. Teachers can build cross-curricular units around the science of learning, early infrastructure design, and statistical modeling of migration and social services.
Developmental Psychology & Neuroscience: Educators can pair historical case studies (like those documented by the Children’s Aid Society) with modern cognitive science, comparing 19th-century beliefs about childhood development to contemporary neuroscience. How did early education systems reflect assumptions about what children could learn and when? Students might evaluate shifts from rote memorization to inquiry-based learning through a psychological lens, including Piaget’s or Vygotsky’s frameworks.
Mathematics & Data Literacy: The journey of immigrant children to America provides an opportunity to teach students how to analyze historical data. Lessons can include calculating average ages of migration, estimating survival rates, and mapping the geographic dispersion of institutional care across New York or the Midwest. Learners can design infographics comparing child poverty rates “then and now,” using real census data.
Engineering & Architecture: The design of orphanages, reform schools, and early public schools reveals how architecture mirrored societal beliefs about discipline, health, and surveillance. Students could investigate the floorplans of 19th-century institutions and then redesign them with modern principles of child-centered learning and safety—applying knowledge of HVAC systems, lighting, and ergonomics.
Technology and Learning Tools: Comparing “then and now” in education naturally opens up exploration into the evolution of educational technology—from slates and chalk to tablets and smart boards. Students could research the mechanics of old educational tools and create 3D models or simulations to show how learning environments have been reshaped by innovation.