Class III D of the primary school ICS Rita Borsellino in Palermo, consisting of 20 pupils, visited the State Archives of Palermo on 19.2.2024. During the visit, the class was introduced to the monumental complex of the Gancia, formerly the Convent of S. Maria degli Angeli, the history of the State Archive of Palermo and the role and functions of the archive. The concepts were also illustrated through the game ‘The School. What was it like?’. Structured like a goose game, the educational workshop ‘La Scuola. What was it like?’ allows the children to discover the history and functioning of primary schooling in Palermo in 1860-1925, through short excerpts from archive documents. Once the board has been completed, a final question is posed to the entire class group to check their understanding of the route taken and, at the same time, to collect the pupils' observations on the differences between the Italian schools in the period 1860-1925 and the current school. 

Back in the classroom, the children were asked to write and draw their ideas about the role of the archive, the documents it preserves, and how the institute's spaces and activities could be modified to meet their wishes. 

The drawings presented here convey the visions and projects of the III D pupils for the Palermo State Archives. Some delve into issues related to the mechanisms of archival research, while others reflect on the need to redevelop the ancient cloister of the Convent as a garden that citizens can use.