Walking a bridge is one of my favorite things to do on any trip. Two years ago, our family was able to put the check mark on the bucket list for the Golden Gate Bridge. We had seen it several years earlier on a previous trip, but this was the year for the walk. Public transportation makes getting to the visitors center and entrance to the bridge very accessible. We visited in July, and the iconic International Orange columns were shrouded in the regular fog of the bay area. The details of the bridge were the most captivating to me followed by the view (although limited) of the city behind us. Fort Point lies directly below at the SF entrance. When the bridge opened in May of 1937, its 4,200 foot suspension span was the longest in the world. Today, it is the ninth longest suspension bridge. The bridge is an American icon and year after year my students love learning about it.
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This past week, our fifth grade students were fortunate enough to spend the afternoon with Mike and Sharon Guli of Guli Productions. Mike and Sharon are experts on period clothing and are captivating in the classroom with students presenting period dress and etiquette.
As an educator that values giving students experiences, virtual tours are a true treasure in my classroom. Virtual tours are the next best thing to a classroom field trip! I am always thrilled when there is a high quality tour that I can incorporate into our classroom studies. The kids love it!
My first memory of the Junior Ranger program was when our daughter participated while on our family trip to Mount Rushmore (that trip will have another entire post at some time because it is quite a story). She was eleven at the time. I can remember her eagerly going through the exhibits answering the questions in the Junior Ranger book. Upon completion, she presented it to the Park Ranger to be sworn in to protect the National Parks. My only regret is that we already had a few National Parks under our belt before this trip and we did not take advantage of them (the Statue of Liberty saddens me the most). Many of the National Parks post their Junior Ranger information online near the educators section under kids. I have spent a fair amount of time doing research across many of the parks looking for information for my own students. Although Mt. Rushmore's Junior Ranger book is not available online, the website does offer a kids' fun page with more information to learn about the four presidents. Please click on the link below to access the fun page.
In honor of Patriot's Day, I am choosing to post Moffat's visit to Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord, Massachusetts. Happy National Parks Week Day Two. My daughter and I were in Boston several years ago to cheer my college roommate on as she ran the Boston Marathon. As a traveler who wants to see and experience it all, we took the train up to Concord one afternoon to visit Minute Man National Historical Park. For as much as I wanted to visit during all the weekend activities, we were unable to but were able to visit on Monday. Due to the tight train schedule, my daughter and I took turns jogging to cross the bridge to make it to the visitors center before it closed. I felt like we were doing our own miniature amazing race. We were able to make it to the visitor's center where my daughter was able to turn in her junior ranger packet and receive her badge. We were able to take a slightly more leisurely pace as we walked back into town to catch the train. I still would have like more time. What struck me as we walked back was that we were walking in a space that the start for the fight for our country's freedom began. It was a little overwhelming to think about. Along the way, the flowers that were beginning to bloom were a reminder of a new start.
It is fitting that the two Moffat photographs I have chosen were both taken in Virginia, after all, it it known as the "Mother of Presidents." During my visit there in 2013 to attend an NCHE conference, I was reminded of so many of the pivotal events in our nation's history that have happened in the state of Virginia. It is amazing to think that events from early colonization to the American Revolution to the Civil War all took place in this state. Aside from the historical events that have taken place in Virginia, can you name the eight presidents that were born in Virginia? All eight of the presidents are represented in the rotunda in the Virginia State Capitol. George Washington was of course the first and has the center display. Hint: The other presidents are the 3rd, the 4th, the 5th, the 9th, the 10th, the 12th and the 28th presidents. Watch the Youtube video below to see if you can name them. |
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