From the Front Range to the Lake Front and Back!

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     Oh, Chicago.  Any attempt to summarize the journey to Chicago with the Colorado teachers must begin with props to Dr. Rees, Dr. Harris, and Scott Whited.   The varieties of activities were incredible.  It seemed as if there was literally something new around every corner.  As a side note, and for possible future reference, the private rooms at the Hilton were a nice touch.  This summary is two-fold.  One to review our activities, but, secondly, and I think more important, to give my ideas on the value of the trip to educators.

     As teachers of history how can we not take advantage of the incredible opportunity to see and experience the site and events we teach about?  Our trip was loaded with experiences from Lincoln to the Progressive Era and I must have worn out the phrase,” I can use that.”  I had been to Springfield and New Salem, but that was years ago.  The new Lincoln Library and Museum complex was fantastic.   The amount of information was staggering, but the teacher materials were equally impressive.  Erin Bishop put together a nice presentation.  Although the webquest activity fizzled due to technological problem we were exposed to some very useful websites.  The museum was excellent.  The sheer volume of artifacts on display was incredible.  I enjoyed the White House section the best.  Hutch and I went back through it at one point.  The 4 minute Civil War DVD was really neat.  The next morning we remained in Springfield.  I would think for most people to walk in President Lincoln’s home is a thrilling experience.  The law offices were a small disappointment because we knew they were not exact, but to walk the same floors as Lincoln is still an experience.  After having been to Plymouth, New Salem was a slight disappointment.  It still worked as a recreated sight and gives insight not only into Lincoln, but life in the mid 19^th century.

     My first time in Chicago was not disappointing.  The Art Institute of Chicago was a great stop.  To actually see works by the masters and the thousands of artifacts was wonderful. Dinner at Gino’s East was a great call.  My first experience with Chicago deep dish pizza was a great one. The Chicago History Museum was our next stop.  This ranks as my favorite location on our itinerary.  Once again, the story told by the artifacts was incredible.  A note to the wise – it is 2 ½ miles from CHM to Wrigley Field if you walk it.  Oak Park was next and a visit to the studio of Frank Lloyd Wright – the mad scientist of architecture.  The Museum of Science and Industry was next.  The presentation rated an OK, but the exhibits were cool.  We followed up the museum with a visit to US Cellular Park and the White Sox.  Take a look at whitesox/fanfoto website for June 10, go to panel 86, page three and we are there.  The next day took us to the impressive Hull House for a presentation and lunch followed by a boat tour of rainy Chicago. 

     Madison, WI was our next destination.  It was a day well spent.  The presentations were excellent, as was the food.  Our final day in Chicago was a tour led by Dr. Adelman of historic Haymarket and Pullman with a Lithuanian lunch thrown in.

     In the bigger picture, this trip was not about what we saw, but what we took from it.  We were presented with incredible amounts of classroom ready materials.  We were exposed to websites and CDs and books.  Chip Brady gave us a wonderful presentation on DBQs.  We were exposed to several outstanding primary documents and ideas on how to use them.  We were treated to many excellent presenters and were allowed to pick their brains.  There is an incredible amount of information out there and our presenters were at the top of their game and more importantly helped us sort through it.

     In comparing this trip to Boston, I can truly say I think there were more people involved in educational discussions.  It is not that the people on the Boston trip did nt engage in the discussions, but that on this trip the numbers of discussions I heard stuck out to me.  It is this opportunity to exchange ideas with fellow educators that is the true value of the trip.  The network of colleagues that is built will be the greatest asset to our students.  Giving teachers the opportunity to learn new information and then thrash (as Chip Banks would say) it out and come up with valuable ways to use it in the classroom can be nothing but beneficial.

     I enjoyed the down time we had on this trip.  I liked Dr. Harris’ Boston philosophy – most of you may never be back, so we loaded the itinerary up, but I can say I liked the time in Chicago to explore a little on my own.  I hope that time is built into future trips. 

     It was a great trip.  I got to see some old friends from Boston and I made some new friends.  What greater thing than that.  Thank you, my friends.

Rainy Day People

  

  It was our final rainy day in Chicago.  We started the day with a tour of the Haymarket sites.  They were quite interesting, but the rain put a literal damper on things.  The memorial was neat to see.  It was one of the things I wanted to see in Chicago.  Reading Death in the Haymarket prepared us for the trip, but to see the actual sight added perspective.  Dr. Adelman knew more about the incident than we picked up in the book which was neat.  I tried to get the mental picture when he talked about the bomb and where it landed.  I tried to envision the gallows and the executions.  His stories added a touch of interest as wee.  I liked the one about leaving the gallows up just in case they caught a guy that escaped so they could hang him.  The monument was interesting with the plaques sent from other countries posted on it.  Our guide brought up an interesting point about May Day and how it is celebrated throughout the world, but not in the US.  I am not surprised by the fact, but I did find it interesting.

     Our next stop was a mural near the Teamsters building.  It was pretty impressive.  The mural showed Albert and Lucy Parsons, along with more recent labor strife incidents. The cemetery where the Haymarket victims are buried was our next destination.  I had seen pictures of the monument, so I knew what it looked like, but it was neat to see it in person.  It will be one of those things we can show pictures of in the classroom and build a more personal relationship with.  I can also use the pictures and stories of the communists buried there in class.  At least I have pictures I can use.

     Lithuanian food was on the menu for lunch.  I was not really sure what that would be, but hey, when in Chicago….  The meal was different than I expected.  It was actually pretty good.  I do not remember what things were called, but it was not bad.  Food could be used to introduce a unit on immigration.  Students could sample the foods of different cultures and tie that to research and reports or projects.   I guess it may depend on the make-up of your class, but food generally works with students.  I have a feeling the Healthy Lithuanian Food restaurant has not changed much through the decades. Quaint is the word that comes to mind.

      What better way to follow up lunch than a trip to the stockyards.  The only thing remaining is the gate, but just imagining the shear size of the yards was mind boggling.  So many people and animals in one place, at one time, is incredible. It is a given the place was huge, but still.  Lithuanian and the stockyards – this must be The Jungle.

     Our final stop of the day was at the site of a company town and a famous strike.  Our destination was Pullman.  I was struck by the architecture of Pullman.  One could certainly see a theme throughout.  The Florence Hotel was cool.  It was nice to hear it is in the restoration phase.  It was nice to see the old factory and take a tour.  Once again, I was struck by the sheer size of the facility and of Pullman itself.  It was interesting to hear our guide talk about the two different opinions on why Pullman should be saved – its significance as a company town or its significance for the labor strife that occurred there.

The amount of knowledge Dr. Adelman had was incredible.  You could tell he was in his arena of expertise.  He added so much to our day.  At times I was on sensory overload.  I agree with Dr. Harris he told us so much about the history of Chicago, not only the labor history, but the building and expansion of this great city.

     Alas, tomorrow we head for home.  What a great trip.

A Day in the Land of Badgers, Brats, and Beer

         Today we were off to Madison, Wisconsin, home of the University of Wisconsin.  I spent about 15 minutes in Dickeyville, Wisconsin once, so I was pleased to see more of the state.  It is beautiful.  I guess the first order of business today – props to Dr. Rees.  Madison was everything he has been telling us it would be.  The information we received was very useful, the Great Dane brats were fantastic, and the Union Terrace was a beautiful setting.  If I understood him correctly, Dr. Rees’ friend Dr. Pollack said the brats are made on sight.  If that is true no wonder they were great.

     Our first stop of the day was the State Historical Museum.  I think we all came away impressed by the amount of work the Historical Society has done with curriculum in the state of Wisconsin.  The materials were very well done and I heard several comments about the need for Colorado to get as involved.  I was impressed with the Thinking Like A Historian placards.  They were simple and efficient.  I am sure I can use it in class.

     The tour of the museum was nice.   I liked the theme of the displays – Odd Wisconsin.  There were several out of the ordinary displays.  I think my favorite was the “Better Parenting through Radiation” display.  The idea was to use radiation to correctly fit shoes on children – go figure.   The skunk oil, bra flag, pink flamingos, and paper dress fit right in.  That kind of display is exactly what would pull some students into a closer look at history.  The displays were not mundane museum fare.  They were different and in education a different approach works for some.  I, also, liked the hands-on trading post display.  Our guide did a good job of involving us with questions and answers.  What pelt is this?  How do you know what things cost?  What was the most sought after trade good?  The questions allowed us (and students) to interact with the displays and that is both fun and effective.  From the museum we took a shortcut through the Wisconsin State Capitol.  It was very impressive on the inside.  It would have been neat to walk around in there for awhile.  The Great Dane Pub and Brewery was as advertised.  The lunch of brats and mashed potatoes was exceptional.  I’m not sure Johnsonville on the grill will compare.

     Off to the Wisconsin Historical Society.  A lecture by Dr. Jonathan Pollack on immigration was next.  Dr. Pollack was both informative and personable.  I am doing my lesson plan on immigration, so I was very interested in his presentation.  I really liked the primary sources he gave us.  I liked how he used the different immigration forms to tie in changing American attitudes on immigration.  I think I may have stolen an idea here.  He made an interesting point on the role of nostalgia in history.  His “Happy Days” example really hit home.  He raised an interesting point.  Do we let our yearning for “the good old days” have an impact on the way we shape our social and cultural mores?  Is it why at times we only teach certain aspects of history?  The mark of a good teacher is to leave your students wanting more and I was wishing Dr. Pollack had more time.

     Harry Miller was next with a presentation on the WHS archives.  As always, I found this helpful.  Any time we get a chance to access websites on primary sources there is potential.  The real treat came when we were able to go to the archives and actually handle the documents.  I must admit there is a fascination with the real thing.  I sat down with a 1900 campaign speech from Bob LaFollette addressing the issues of both major candidates, as well as the Philippines, the tariffs and the trusts.  To see it as he wrote it was cool.  And, the fact that we were actually able to handle the documents was icing on the cake.

     Following our short stay in the archive room we were treated to Dr. Stan Schultz.  Dr. Rees was correct; he does know how to work a room.  “I make up facts, but they are as close to reality as they need to be” was a great quote.  I knew we were in for a treat.  I loved his example comparing the Progressive Era to modern day America and the more he added the more it made sense.  What a great format to use with students.  His knowledge was, of course, fantastic, but I was even more impressed with his excitement.  Here is a man that truly loves teaching history.  The major lesson for me was not the Progressive Era, even though I took a lot from it, but his enthusiasm for his craft.  He, also, added that sometimes missing ingredient – humor.  If we as teachers are excited about what we teach our very perceptive students will pick up on that.  The enthusiasm fans the fire.  Thanks, Dr. Schultz for outstanding example.

     Our final stop was the Union Terrace.  The setting overlooking the lake was a great way to unwind after a good day in the Badger State.

It was a Hull of a Rainy Day in Chicago

Jane Addams.  Anyone familiar with immigration in the United States should of her significance and the importance of Hull House.  I teach about Jane Addams every year, but after visiting Hull House I feel I do not give her enough credit.  I usually address the settlement house movement; including Hull House and the Henry Street Settlement House.  I mention Jane again when teaching the WWI peace movements.  Entering Hull House I was aware of her accomplishments, or at least a few of them.  The visit today brought things into clearer perspective.  I was unaware the Hull House was a 13 building complex.  With the current issues on immigration in our country and the fact that government services are being cut to many areas, I think Jane Addams and the entire settlement house movement has taken on a new relevancy.  As teachers of history, we are always trying to find ways to link the past to the present and I think a study of Hull House (and similar houses) could easily be expanded into a discussion revolving around immigrants and lower classes and the responsibilities of society.  Although possibly controversial I think very worth while.  As Chip Banks said at the DBQ session controversial subject matter is good.

     The garden and soup activities were great hands-on activities.  What a great way to pull students in – you pick it and then you eat it.  I’m not sure I can plow up the school lawn to help teach Jane Addams, but it’s the thought that counts.  I thought the History on Call component was cool, especially the fact that you can access it from around the country.  I think it would blow my students away if I said,” Take out your cell phone and dial 703-637-9317 and ask for Prexy Nesbitt.”   I’m sure our administration would love it.  I may just do it for fun.  The fact that the History on Call feature is accessible through the Hull House website will make the material easily useable. 

A possible quick lesson – J. Edgar Hoover, the head of the FBI, called Jane Addams the “most dangerous woman in America.”  Your assignment is to find out why.  Have students do a quick biographical project on Jane Addams and you could then tie in significance of the settlement house movement and build from there.  I loved the quote – “the people with the problems will also be the people with the solutions.”  As I am writing this I am thinking it may be appropriate to give to building administrators, so I digress.

     Another cool thing about Hull House, Lisa Jenkins gave me colored copies of the ethnic neighborhood maps that were on display.  They are cool.  Dr. Rees informed me they were on the Encyclopedia of Chicago, but now I have a set of originals for those days the internet is down (not that that ever happens my District 70 friends – I know your pain).  For me Hull House was a great stop. 

     The boat trip was a rainy day adventure.  If not for the weather the trip would have been neat, partially because it gave us a non-roadway view of Chicago.  Chicago is definitely a city of contrasting architectural styles, but that is part of its appeal.  Besides a boat cruise cannot be all bad and our guide was amazing.  When I was sitting on top I did not see her use any notes – incredible.

     Since I am unable to reply to other blogs due to an issue I do not understand (SPAM, I think), I thought since Dr. Rees’ question today dealt with how to incorporate architecture in the classroom I would answer here.  I think we can incorporate architecture through study of American industrialization.  As we move from wood to iron and steel as building materials we begin to build up instead of out.  Elevators, also, allow us to build up.  This trend takes place as America industrializes.  We can look at skyscrapers and suspension bridges and link them to industrialization and expansion.  Without going into a great deal of explanation; yes, architecture can be incorporated easily into certain units of study.

Architecture, Science, and the Sox

This was another day of exploration in the Windy City.  We started the day with a visit to Oak Park and the home and studio of Frank Lloyd Wright.  Wright is one of America’s preeminent architects.  His prairie style of design is now world famous.  After having seen his home and studio I would have to characterize him as a mad scientist.  He was a genius, yet marched totally to his own drummer and was not one to compromise.  I loved his home – I think because it was so out of the mainstream.  I guess I would be a little biased in my judgment as my dream home would be Falling Water.  The neighborhood tour was spectacular.  Frank Lloyd Wright homes to the left, to the right, and directly in front of you.  They were all spectacular in their own right.  The other houses in the neighborhood were almost as unique and graceful.  I once spent a day in San Francisco photographing Victorian houses, so I did know the “Painted Ladies” question. I would like to work architecture into my class a little more.  Perhaps the personal experience will allow that to happen.  At least I will have a set of cool pictures to show and more insight into the man. The message for my students – at times you must march to your own drummer and do not let anyone tell you it cannot be done.

     From Oak Park it was off to the Museum of Science and Industry.  This was the sight of the 1893 Columbian Exposition.  The virtual tour will be cool when it is finished.  It was neat to see how the Exposition looked over 100 years ago.  Virtual tours can be valuable classroom tools.  I have one on Spanish Missions in California I access occasionally.  They give students a chance to see things a little more three dimensional and interactive.  As the technology continues to improve so will the quality and effectiveness of virtual tours and similar items.  There were some extremely cool items in the museum.  The Wright Flyer and the U-505 were probably my favorites.  Once again, the value of museums as sources of research and artifacts cannot be understated.  However, museums like the Museum of Science and Industry are effective for students because of their hands-on activities and demonstrations.  I think maybe a little more for lower grades, but not necessarily.  Brett and I were amazed when the presenter used an aluminum rod and a piece of scotch tape and made music.  It was impressive.  I know some museums have incorporated “traveling trunks” that schools can use.  If you cannot get your students to a museum, at least part of the museum can come to them.  As with most things educational, the more varied the approach the greater chance of reaching more students.

     A bus ride and a hop on the red line and a few minutes later we were at U.S. Cellular Field.  It was the White Sox versus the Detroit Tigers.  The score was 2-1 in favor of the visitors – sorry Cody.  It was a cool experience just the same.  We ran into Donna and her gang as we exited the subway and headed back to the casa. 

DBQs all around Old Town

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     Document Based Questions – even the term is scary.  It sounds complicated and complex in nature.  Chip Banks takes that entire notion and pots it to rest.  Chip does a fantastic job of making DBQs look easy.  I guess that is because he is one of the creators.  At the workshop in August I came away with a sense of how effective and efficient DBQs could be.  I have used some of the DBQ material before and have found it very user friendly.  Today simply reinforced that thought process.

     Chip is an outstanding presenter.  The not only explained how DBQs work, but he walked us step by step through the process.  The material allows for and encourages differentiation of instruction.  It is adaptable to various grade levels, although not all I would think.  I think we all left today with a sense of – I can use this.  The true brilliance of the material is that you get such a complete experience.  Students will analyze primary sources, organize thoughts and materials, outline essays and write essays.  Modifications would allow for students to debate at times if the instructor so chose.  What a variety of learning skills.  If we walk our students through the process as Chip walked us through it, how can it not be successful?  I was impressed with Chip’s command of his audience. He took us through at a nice relaxed – non stressful – pace, just as we should do with the kids.  I think success with DBQs revolves around getting students familiar with the process and not rushing through it.  Speed can come later.  Another great modeling tool Chip used was one we should use with our students – Did anyone else notice that no-one ever had a wrong answer?  Chip was always encouraging us with; yes, that’s right, good point, etc….  The fear of failure or embarrassment was not there.

     I thought Dr. Rees brought up a good point about pre-bucketing as a way to keep focused on the question.  I think this would work best as a classroom activity; one as Chip said that could be used to foster debate and/or discussion.

     I was having students work on DBQs during a lesson, but I was having them find documents to use with DBQ questions they wrote.  I put the cart in front of the horse for fun let’s say.  One student, Buster, ran across a graph showing the number of immigrants per year for the last 20 years.  He noticed a spike for 1992.  Instead of just saying this was a usable document for his needs Buster became obsessed with finding out why there was a spike.  I was excited for him because he was not going to stop until he found the answer – he dug deeper.  I think that lesson was more important, at that time, than anything I could have told him.  He came away with a deeper understanding of how research works.

     DBQs require a comfort level for both teacher and student, so the use of EVs versus CVs could be a useful tool.  I liked the Mini-Qs as well as the DBQs.  As I stated earlier I like the primary source interpretation and writing combination.  It gives s students practice in both fields. I just need to figure out when and how to use them for maximum effect.

     The afternoon tour of Old Town was not what I expected, but was interesting.  I am so use to seeing Colorado tract housing developments where every second or third house is the same that it appears strange to see a build it like you want it approach.  The architecture of the houses in Old Town was impressive.  I was most impressed (or struck) by two things; St. Michael’s Church and the unique doors on some houses.

      St. Michaels Church was impressive inside and out.  The interior was spectacular and beautiful.  It was the outside that was even more memorable.  The architecture was fascinating, but I was more struck by the fact you can still see the black marks left from the interior being destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire.  I am sure they could have cleaned it, but have made a conscientious decision not to.  There are several doors in the neighborhood that are simply cool.  Speaking of fascinating architecture, I am looking forward to tomorrow and Frank Lloyd Wright.

Hands on at the Chicago History Museum

The Chicago History Museum

We spent today at the Chicago History Museum.  The early session was with Dr. Sarah Marcus and was very informative.  Her topic was Chicago at the Turn of the Century.  She was very informative and interesting.  We learned about early Chicago, as well as things I was more familiar with, such as Haymarket Square and the Great Chicago Fire.  Dr. Marcus dispelled the myth of Mrs. Leary’s cow and the fire.  I did not know the story of the 1919 Race Riots, so that was interesting.  She also used and explained the CHM interactive Encyclopedia of Chicago website.  It was very impressive.  I am sure we all came away saying, “I can use that.”

     The next sessions were led by Heidi Moisan and were very informative.  She explained the CHM interactive website Great Chicago Stories.  Heidi’s sessions were more audience participation activities.  For me that modeling is useful.  Instead of saying, “Here are some things to try,” she was hands-on “here is how you do it.”  I like that method as it helps me get the bigger picture.

     It is that bigger picture that I took from today.  The message today was very much about being hands-on.  Whether it was with the Encyclopedia of Chicago or Great Stories the message was essentially the same – give students a variety of activities that allow the to explore and analyze.  The blank mind activity was cool because there really were no right answers.  Students are led to draw there own conclusions, but they must rationalize the conclusions.  The method used allows this to be easily done.  I really liked the hands-on Artifact Analysis lesson.  It was both fun and informative.  Once again, if we give students alternatives they will rise to the occasion.  The various objects used could be adapted to ant period.  I remember doing a similar activity at Paul Revere’s house in Boston.  Physically touching object brings them to life and as teachers of history that is our job – to bring history to life for our students.  Today was a good lesson on ways to do that.  It speaks to multi-sensory learning and its effectiveness for some kids.  Give them variety – they will get it.

     The museum displays were nice.  They were not overwhelming, but simple and direct.  I enjoyed the entire museum.  It will give me more things to work with in my classroom.  Pictures are very valuable resources and I took several.  I especially liked the Haymarket, 1968, and Capone panels.  The jazz display was nice.  It brings to mind the use of music in the classroom.  I am always encouraging my students to bring in music.  When I say bring in the song about Chicago or about Kent State it never takes long.  With laptops for each student they usually have it before I can say much else.  It is cool when they come back and say things like, “my dad knew the song.”  This is simply another alternative for use in the classroom and another way to pull students in.

     We finished the day walking to Wrigley – our rational was we needed the exercise.  We did get to see a lot of territory.  As a Cardinal fan I took it in stride.  I recognize and applaud the Cubs for their tradition (albeit full of losing) and contributions to the game.  Sorry Cubbie fans.

     Today was my first experience with a subway.  It was cool and much easier than I thought.  I was pleased to see Sheri found the hand.  I picked up a book to use with my lesson plan.  We finished at the Hard Rock Café.  All in all – a good day.

The Impressions of a Stick Figure Artist

    Today was an interesting day.  As we walked to the Navy Pier and the Sears Tower I was struck by the architecture of Chicago. It is a combination of old and new with strange and fascinating thrown in.  I can scratch Lake Michigan off of my list of things to see.

     The focus of today was the Art Institute of Chicago.  Beyond being a world class museum the lesson I took from today was primary sources.  Many times as teachers we strive to use primary sources in our lessons, but those sources tend to be written, such as letters and documents.  We many times ignore the incredible resources in the art world.  The art of a time period is window into that period.  Portraits from colonial America cab reveal much about the period – economically, socially, and physically.  A study of American art can lead to a discovery of the transformation of American culture (not only in art) from a European dominated one to one that begins to be distinctly American in nature. An example would be the Hudson River School and their movement to paint American landscapes.

     The use of primary sources such as furniture or pictures of furniture can help students develop thoughts on American craftsmanship as it develops from cottage industries to mass production and the impact it has on American industry.  Have we sacrificed craftsmanship and style for ease of production and cost?

     The use of these alternative primary sources serves another purpose as well – the visual stimuli provided by these objects can help bring understanding to students that learn better with visual and kinesthetic approaches.  Sometimes seeing is not only believing, but understanding. 

The other side of the story.

As I moved through the Native American section I was struck by the painting on buffalo hide of an Indian attack.  How many times do we not tell the entire story because we think we lack the evidence to tell both sides?  Our reporting becomes one sided because our research or knowledge is limited.  For example, when we teach the Indian Wars in American history how often do we present evidence created by the Indians.  My guess is – not enough.  I think there is a movement to correct this oversight.  An example of this would be the monument to the events at Little Big Horn (Custer’s Last Stand).  The monument no longer is as one-sided as it once was.  A new Native interpretation center has been added.

     As we seek better understandings of history, for ourselves and our students, the more tools we can bring to the table the better.  My students do not need to visit the Art Institute of Chicago to do this – they can use their laptops to access information.  With this technology at our disposal we are no longer shackled to documents we can run copies of and hand out.  If we guide them to the spot and let them be explorers they will find the answers and interpretations they seek.  We as teachers must open our eyes as well and use all materials at our disposal.  It was an insightful day and the Institute was spectacular.  It is always a treat to get opportunities to view masterpieces of art.  When I take my Southwest kids on their field trip to Arizona and New Mexico we always stop at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum to view her work.  You never know what ideas and understanding will be sparked by simple exposure.

 

      Gino’s East was an experience all its own.  Great pizza and cool atmosphere.  Nice call Dr. Rees.

Lesson Plan Idea

My lesson plan will revolve around immigration.  The ideas will be a comprehensive overview, but that may change.

From the “Land of Lincoln” to “In Lincoln’s Footsteps”

    
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     The second day in Springfield was impressive.  Every stop was an additional look into the life of Lincoln.  The old State Capital was a nice stop because of its historical significance.  Even though it has been reconstructed you could get the feel for Illinois politics and the history of the building.  The opportunity to step into so many historical rooms where men who shaped our history was a neat experience.  As we stepped through the re-enactors I tried to imagine that scene with armies of 60,000 plus soldiers.  What a sight that must have been.  I can relate that to our Fort Carson kids with its soon to be 10,000 new troops coming.  FC is not even close to the size of some Civil War armies.

     The law offices were historically a disappointment from the standpoint of the uncertainty surrounding where exactly things were, but once again to move in the same space as Lincoln was cool.

     Lincoln’s home was a treat as well.  The size of his home compared to the others in the neighborhood.  Once again, to walk the actual places Lincoln would have walked was a cool experience.  The entire neighborhood was a great historical experience.   It would be interesting to compare photographs of Lincoln’s home with more modern photos of upper middle class homes.  I am sure students would find the Lincoln home quite modest.  I am totally sure they would find the three-hole outhouse disgusting.

     Lincoln’s tomb was spectacular and the stories surrounding it intriguing.  I cannot imagine the shape (or lack of) he must have been in when he was finally laid to rest.  I cannot imagine a gift store in a presidential tomb.  As we traveled today I kept thinking back to the Boston trip.  Lincoln’s tomb was so impressive and the tombstones we encountered in Boston and Salem were plain by comparison, but using pictures of both and comparing them would be a great way to introduce graveyard art to students.  That is a really cool primary source that can be intriguing to students due to its very nature.  How do we remember our heroes?  Lincoln is spectacular, but Sam Adams and Paul Revere have modest slabs by comparison.  This could lead to a great discussion about how we as a society place importance on our heroes.

     I had the same impressions at New Salem.  Hutch and I discussed the differences between New Salem, Plymouth and Old Sturbridge Village.  We decided Plymouth was the coolest due to its authenticity.  Plymouth has a better “feel” to it. The roads/paths are not paved at Plymouth and the re-enactors are always in character.  At Old Sturbridge Village the mill worked and helped prepare me to better explain to my students how a water power mill worked.  At New Salem the mill did not appear functional and that took away from the experience.  However, that said, New Salem was a glimpse into the early life of Mr. Lincoln and early/mid 19^th century life in Illinois.

     Overall the days experience gave a personal look at Lincoln and was valuable.  It will give me a chance to do some comparison and contrast with my students.  It also gave me a few insights into how recreations can be effective even if they are not entirely accurate.  New Salem would be a good experience for kids, as would the law offices.  It is a case of making the most of what we have. 

     Hello Chicago