This unit will provide our students the opportunity to interact with community members and learn the importance of past community events, thus aiding in their background knowledge of Aquidneck Island.”

Michele Polselli

PORTSMOUTH — Third-graders at Melville School are making history. Well, they’re writing about it, anyway.

Thanks to a “Spark Grant” grant of nearly $3,000 from the Rhode Island Foundation to three Melville teachers, the children will create their own books on local history that will be displayed at the Portsmouth Free Public Library, the Portsmouth Historical Society and the school department’s central office.

Melville teachers Erika Magilton, Meg Brennan and Michele Polselli received $2,950 to take 75 third-graders on field trips to Escobar’s Highland Farm, the Portsmouth Historical Society and Fort Adams in Newport.

“The purpose is to learn about the history, places, and faces of our town and Aquidneck Island. During this eight-week unit, students will research events, historical figures, and visit places in order to acquire knowledge of historical significance,” said Ms. Polselli.

Students will create a visual representation of 10 landmarks on The Cliff Walk in Newport, she said.

We think the visual representation will prepare our students for the field trip that will take them all over Aquidneck Island,” she said. “This unit will provide our students the opportunity to interact with community members and learn the importance of past community events, thus aiding in their background knowledge of Aquidneck Island.”

Launched by philanthropists Letitia and John Carter in 2013, Spark Grants were available to full-time third-grade teachers in any public or charter school statewide who are eligible to apply for grants of up to $1,000. The grant is awarded to schools that engage students through unique experiences and creative learning methods in order to stimulate their interest in academics.

“Third grade is a critical stage in the educational development of children. The creativity and impact of these proposals will put more youngsters on the road to a lifetime of academic success," said Letitia Carter.

Spark Grants are for one-time expenses and cannot provide ongoing funding to sustain projects. Eligible expenses include software licenses, field trips, equipment and other resources that otherwise would not be available in the classroom.