They carried briefcases and breadbaskets and picket signs. They wore long skirts and shawls, trousers and suspenders and bowler hats. They sang songs like "Sweatshop Lament," "Life on the Lower East Side," "I'm Dreaming of America," and "Strike!" On May 25, our fourth graders became factory workers, firefighters, tenement dwellers and labor union leaders for their original musical "The Flames of Change," a commemoration of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire.

"We are so proud of our students' hard work," said Fourth Grade Teacher and co-writer Dina Pomeranz. "They understood that they were being historical interpreters, and that through the reenactment of history, they were being upstanders and allies for sweatshop workers everywhere."

The fire — considered the deadliest tragedy in New York City history until 9/11 — occurred March 25, 1911 on Washington Place, just blocks from our current building on Sixth Avenue. One hundred and forty-six workers, most of them young immigrant women, died that day, sparking an international movement for social justice and recognition of workers' rights. Decades later, many of the fire safety laws and building codes we have today were created in response to the tragic event.

In honor of the fire's centennial, fourth grade teachers Dina Pomeranz, Kate Treitman, Farrah Khan and Nicole Keller decided to incorporate in-depth study of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire into their unit on European immigration to the Lower East Side. Students visited the Tenement Museum and the Art - Memory - Place exhibit at NYU's Grey Art Gallery, and scoured primary documents from Cornell University's Triangle Factory Fire online database. Many of the characters in "The Flames of Change" were historical figures — including Francis Perkins, Rose Schniederman and Clara Lemlich —and lines in the play came from historical accounts and transcripts the students read in class.

"There was a lot of research done, that's for sure," said Lower School Music Teacher and musical director Ledell Mulvaney, who wrote the songs and co-wrote the script with Dina and input by the class. "When it was all over, the students really seemed to understand that all it takes is one or two or three people to stand up, take risks and advocate for change."

New York University professor Dr. Elayne Tobin, who recently ran a year-long set of lectures and trips related to the Triangle Fire, was impressed by the students' performance.

"I applaud everyone for the historical accuracy, well-roundedness and extremely high quality of the musical," Dr. Tobin wrote in an email to students and teachers after attending the show. "I think the women of the Triangle (many of whom lived only minutes from LREI) would have been moved, as I was."

In the coming weeks, LREI will contribute video footage, photos and song lyrics to the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition's Online Archive, so that future generations can view work created by New York City students at the centennial.