WikiExplorers: The "Hidden Roots" Investigation

Below is a WikiExplorers Investigation Sheet. It is designed to be clipped to a clipboard and taken into the streets, gardens, and libraries of New Haven.

​WikiExplorers: The "Hidden Roots" Investigation


​Mission: To find the missing pieces of New Haven’s history on Wikipedia, specifically regarding Indigenous farming, enslaved African laborers, and urban gardening.

​Explorer Name: ___________________________  Date: ________________

​Phase 1: The Digital Audit (Check the Wiki)

​Before you head out, search Wikipedia for these terms. Check the box if the information is MISSING or very small.

Search Topic Is there a photo? Mention of Enslaved Labor? Mention of Indigenous Farming?

New Haven Green 

Theophilus Eaton 

Fair Haven, CT 

Quinnipiac River 

​WikiExplorers Note: Look for "Red Links" (links to pages that don't exist). List one "Red Link" you found or think should exist:

​Phase 2: Field Evidence (The Commons Quest)

​Visit a local site (The Green, a Gather New Haven Garden, or the Ag Station). Document what you see to upload to Wikimedia Commons.

​Location Name: _________________________________________________

​What are you photographing? (Check all that apply)

​[ ] A historical plaque or marker.

​[ ] A native plant (e.g., Milkweed, Goldenrod, Oak tree).

​[ ] A food crop (e.g., Corn, Squash, Beans).

​[ ] The "Silence": A place where history happened but there is no sign.

​The Description: Write a 1-sentence caption for your photo that includes a fact Wikipedia is missing:

​"This is the site where..." __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

​Phase 3: The Agricultural Connection

​Find a community garden or a patch of native "Three Sisters" plants.

​Identify a Native Plant: ________________________________________

​The Labor Story: In the 1700s, New Haven’s wealth came from "Provisioning" (growing food to send to plantations in the West Indies). Who did the work in the fields?

​[ ] Paid workers only

​[ ] Enslaved Africans and Indigenous people

​Modern Roots: Who manages this garden now? (e.g., Gather New Haven, a local school, URI).

​

​Phase 4: The WikiExplorers-Report

​Based on your walk today, answer these two questions to prepare for our Edit-a-thon.

​The "Erasure" Award: Which person or group from New Haven’s history is the most ignored on Wikipedia right now?

​The Action Item: If you could add one sentence to the "New Haven" Wikipedia page about its farming history, what would it be?

Wiki​Explorer Safety Reminder: Stay with your group. Cross only at crosswalks. Respect the plants—don't trample the garden beds!


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