Wyoming trip, June, 2009

Reflections of Chicago Trip

I’m glad to be home and a little tired today, but found myself thinking about the last 10 days and pondering what was the best, what was the worst, and how I’ll use all the knowledge gained in my classroom. I must admit it’s a little overwhelming because we were saturated with information, but I know from past trips that as time goes on, things will sink in and I will remember as I teach at school.

I intend to complete my lesson plan on Hull House and focus on just a few of the individuals who aided in its success; obviously, first and foremost, will be Jane Addams and Ethel Starr Gates, but now, after learning all I did, I intend to include the McCormick daughter and perhaps a couple of men who helped in Hull House’s programs. I guess that’s the one thing that has filled my brain the most…programs begun to help society’s poor and uneducated, and the fact that those programs continue today. I would bet Jane Addams had no idea her dreams would continue for as many years as they have. Prior to coming to Chicago I had never, ever heard of an “urban” garden, and why, I’m not sure, but boy, did that strike a chord. I guess I need to spend more time thinkiing globally rather than locally, and perhaps I would have known about this. Josh the farmer was so informative, and it was pretty awesome that Dana and a few others actually picked our salad for lunch that day!

As I said, I’m glad to be back but I had a great time on this trip. I think the group was, for the most part, more accepting of each other than any of the groups in the past. We had a lot of laughs, learned an immense amount of history, and made it there and back safely. I can’t even begin to put into words how nice our accommodations were this year. No lumpy bed, no noisy, plastic mattress, and coming back from Wisconsin to find clean linens and our rooms straightened up almost made me cry for joy!

A big thanks goes out to the three professors whom we’ve all grown to love so much (yes, Dr. Rees, you too), for all their preparation and planning. The three of you have NO IDEA how much you have affected my teaching, and how much these trips will affect my teaching for years to come. I may not be the smartest one on the trip and I may not do the best job on paperwork and analyzing and breaking down everything piece by piece, but I can guarantee you that I am most passionate about history, and I think I can safely say that most of my students have a greater appreciation for American history after they’ve been in my class. I owe much of that to the three of you!

Lulu of a lunch at Lithuanian Restaurant, Haymarket & Pullman

Today was MUCH better than I expected! Again, as in a few other days, I’m not sure what I was expecting, but that wasn’t it. The Haymarket book was my least favorite book of all the books we read to prepare for this trip, but seeing the sites where things actually occurred brought the book to life for me. Seeing that monument that was dedicated to the workers was a little chilling. Professor Adelman definitely knew his “stuff” and was fascinating to listen to. As Matt said on the bus, he knew more about Chicago history than almost anyone we’ve had dealings with this week. Our 8th grade curriculum contains about one or two paragraphs about the incident at Haymarket but you can bet I’ll have more to say on that when I teach it next spring. I took plenty of photographs so that maybe some of this will come alive for my students. I know it’s hard for them to imagine sometimes how things were, but maybe I can tie some of this in with our own steel mill history, strikes, layoffs, etc.

The Pullman tour was very informative! I had no idea Pullman was such a control freak, and boy, did it show up in our tour today. The whole planned town was somewhat overwhelming to think about. No wonder the people were so unhappy. Having to live, breathe, eat, sleep, drink Pullman everything would make a person a little crazy. I guess with all things, in the beginning it probably seemed great, and then reality would sink in. Going through the Florence Hotel on the main floor was fun but it was in the factory that things got real for me. Seeing those huge rooms and imagining all the workers there was, well, I’m not sure how to describe it. It just seemed like things came alive there. I think it would be very informative for my students to introduce the whole Pullman experience to my students and then compare it to, say, Amtrak, or the AT&SF, and see what they think. I’m sure we could pull much information from the internet to research Pullman. There are a great many of my students (I know this is hard to believe) who have never traveled outside Pueblo County or outside the state of Colorado, so this would be a good chance to show them how travel was in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, and again emphasize how important railroads were then.

Another big highlight of today was lunch at the “healthy food” Lithuanian restaurant. I didn’t personally see anything healthy about anything I ate, but it sure was good! The menu consisted of cabbage rolls, some kind of potato bread dish, and dumplings. All was delicious and I felt bad that I was so skeptical going into the restaurant. The lady who owned the restaurant was so charming and nice. She stopped by several times to ask how we were doing, I chatted with her and found out that she had been running that place for almost 30 years. She said the restaurant opened in 1938 and her parents bought it in 1960. Her mother passed away in the 1970’s and she has been running things ever since. She told me she has two children and she wouldn’t wish that place on either one of them. When I have conversations with people like that it makes me wish I could make my living out of “people’s stories” because I so love listening to “how they got there” stuff. It makes me sad that we’ve become such a self-absorbed society and have forgotten to be personable. I truly believe people enjoy talking about themselves and just wish to be heard. I heard this lady loud and clear today, and I loved her story.

Lithuanian lunch

Madison, Wisconsin

What a delight today turned out to be, aside from having to rise before most of Chicago! I had never been to Wisconsin but was not surprised at the terrain, considering the fact that it is a farming state. Everything was so green and pretty, and we had sunshine for the first time in several days.

Spending the morning at the Madison history museum was very fun and interesting. It was evident looking at their exhibits that they kind of cater to the “younger” crowd of school children, but those exhibits were well-done and easily read by all. I particularly liked the American flag made out of bras! I also was excited about getting the colored sheet with questions every historian should ask. The museum director (her name escapes me, sorry) encouraged us to take a class set so I did. I hope to use those in the 2009/2010 school year and see how we all do with them.

Lunch was pretty good today and it was nice to sit in the sunshine and warmth.

The afternoon was spent at the Wisconsin State Historical Society with a few of Dr. Rees’ old buddies and they made the time interesting and fun, especially Stan Schultz (spelling?). He was a lively, animated speaker and I can just imagine how his classes would be enjoyed by everyone, not just a history major! He made me think about Progressivism like I’d never thought about it before. Our textbook covers Progressivism but only with a few paragraphs. Having never studied it in-depth, I had no idea there were so many major players; eg: Roosevelt, Addams, Sinclair, Wilson. When he made the comparison from 1909 to 2009, it made me think how history does repeat itself, and how similar we are, even though we tell ourselves things are different.

Dinner was okay too–you can never go wrong with ice cream–and the view was spectacular. I can’t even imagine having a view like that. I think I’d spend all my study time on that terrace. All in all, a very nice day, good people to listen to, and good information gained.

June 10, 2009 Jane Addams’ Hull House/Architectural Boat Tour

The Hull House tour was one of the things I was most looking forward to on this trip, after the trip to Springfield and learning about Abraham Lincoln. WHY, OH WHY did the tour guide have to bring up Jane Addams’ sexuality? I saw no reason for that, it certainly didn’t change the course of history or her involvement in the Progressive Movement, and I thought that was totally inappropriate! When we were in Springfield and Abraham Lincoln’s sexuality was questioned because he slept with Joshua Speed, nobody beat the doors down to prove that he was a homosexual. I see no reason we would need to know that Jane Addams slept with Ellen Gates Starr on their many trips around the country to advance the causes of the poor and underprivileged. I’m done being on my “high horse” now!

The time spent at Hull House was interesting enough. I especially liked going to see the garden/farm they planted. I know there’s a ‘movement’ to go all organic but I had no information on ‘food deserts’ and people in big cities not having access to healthy foods because there are no grocery stores in their neighborhoods. Every time we come on one of these trips (this is my third now), I discover things about present-day peoples that I didn’t know. Maybe I have my head in the sand when it comes to things outside my little world???

It seems that Hull House was so much more than I thought. I am excited to do my lesson plan on this (may I please, Dr. Rees?) and am excited about having access to their website so that I can pass on more information to my students. I frequently have questions from boys in my classes about why women were so limited. It’s a good thing that we’ve come far enough that they have to ask that question, but I think it’s important to pass on to all students just how much women have done for our country. I can’t say much for the lunch we had because I’m still not sure about all that organic, back-to-nature stuff. I tasted the goat cheese because I’d never had it before. I must say I wasn’t crazy about it. The salad was okay and I surprised myself because I actually liked the beets! The cream of mushroom soup was pretty good. All in all, I guess I would say I missed those preservatives in my food, and salt and pepper!

The afternoon was cold but at least we were under cover on the boat ride. It rained and rained and rained, and I’m very ready for sunshine, but I enjoyed the tour. Again, I didn’t know much about architecture but I sure got a load on this trip!

June 9, Frank Lloyd Wright; Museum of Science and Industry

We began this morning with the Frank Lloyd Wright studio/home and a walking tour of the neighborhood. My first thought was “BORING,” but boy, did that turn out to be a wrong thought! Our tour guide’s name was Monte Levinson and he was charming and informative and his dialogue was very easy to follow. He began by taking us outside to view the front of the house. He explained the windows, the tall brick fence around the front, and then moved us inside for a tour there. The rooms were full of character and woodwork; several different styles of decor coexisted in a beautiful way. As we moved upstairs to the bedrooms, it was especially surprising to me when Monte said there was only one bathroom in the whole residence, and that had to service 8 people! (Mom, Dad, and six children) After the whole tour inside, our group went on a walking tour to view other homes in the neighborhood, some designed by Wright and some not. That was fascinating and I found myself taking lots and lots of pictures. I’m not sure I’ll ever look at a house the same, and since my husband and I are in the process of building a home, I’m sure I’m going to go home and look at what we’re doing with a more critical eye. If any of you are in the market for a house, we have to sell ours in Pueblo West before we can move into the new one, so just ask me about my house!

The afternoon was spent at the museum and that was, shall we say, different. I have to admit I did not care for our first “guide.” He had an air about him that I found offensive, and I’m not sure I can put my finger on exactly why. But anyway, we looked all around the outside of the building at the style of architecture and that was pretty okay. Jason was our second tour guide and he, while giving his presentation, actually had a sense of humor! The museum was a beautiful building and we walked around and saw some of the exhibits when we came back inside. I’m not sure I benefitted much in terms of what I would pass on to my students, but I did enjoy the time there.

June 9, 2009 Hist. Museum/Old town walking tour

Today was spent learning about/working on DBQ’s (document based questions) and Mini-Q’s (smaller version, less documents to work with) with Chip Brady. Mr. Brady showed us his notebooks and made us all want one (maybe the grant could work on that for us) to use in our classrooms. The information given was very useful and what was especially interesting to ME was the fact that there are DBQ’s on some of our 8th grade chapter exams that I have used in the past. Now that I KNOW how to use them, it’ll be fun to go back and prepare the kids to answer these on their tests, and see if I can produce some good writing from them!

The old town walking tour was okay but was a little bit of a disappointment, mainly because the tour guide was so soft spoken. Where we walked there was a lot of noise–construction, remodeling, street work, etc.–and it made it difficult to hear what Mr. Cody was saying. One of the highlights of the tour was getting to see St. Michael’s Church. The facade of the church had survived the great Chicago fire, and had been rebuilt after that. The church was absolutely beautiful and there was so much detail on the outside. We were able to view the inside because the front doors were wide open. It truly was a sight to see, they just don’t make ‘em like that anymore!

The afternoon/evening was topped off with a trip to Navy Pier. I had never been there before and even though it was a little on the cold side, we walked around and took in the sights. We saw sailing boats, small yachts, and lots and lots of seagulls, as well as a pair of mallard ducks. There weren’t many people around and we wondered if it was because of the cooler weather, the fact that it was a Tuesday, or maybe a bit of both. After walking around and looking around, we had dinner at Bubba Gump’s Restaurant. I had never eaten at one of those before and must say, the shrimp I had was very good.

Myself, Amy and Becky at Navy Pier. What a beautiful backdrop!

June 8, 2009

Today was spent at the Chicago History Museum and all in all, it was a very nice day. The first speaker was very interesting and gave us good information about events concerning Chicago. She talked about immigrants, housing and neighborhoods, and touched a little on a couple of the books we read prior to coming on this trip.

I know this might sound dumb to some of you, but before hearing Dr. Marcus talk, I had never really thought about a city being developed by changing the mouth of a river! I guess I just naturally assumed that people would settle around, and deal with it as it was, a river. Dr. Marcus talked about the federal government investing thousands of dollars to aid in the development of Chicago. All this because of the significant waterways–Lake Michigan, the Illinois River, the Desplaines River, the Chicago River. The railroad was being developed during this time also, and for many years played the major role in transportation, until the waterway system was further developed. Another fascinating item she pointed out to us was the major growth of Chicago in just a short time. In 1840, there were around 5,000 people living in the Chicago area, and by 1870, there were about 18,000. That’s phenomenal!

After finishing at the museum, several of us boarded a bus north for Wrigley Field. We took pictures in front of and all around the stadium. A tour was to begin at 5:00 but cost $25 so we opted not to do that. It just wouldn’t have been the same as seeing those Cubbies play!

Later on, after quenching our thirst at Harry Caray’s bar, we ventured out to find dinner. I had asked a waitress at the bar about Italian quisine, and stressed that we wanted something “local, not a chain.” She said she’d think on it and come back with the answer, which she did promptly. Her recommendation was “Mia Francesca,” a small Italian restaurant at School and Clark Streets. Becky, Amy, Lindsey and I walked there and as luck would have it, had an excellent meal! Lindsey and I had chicken, which isn’t necessarily Italian, but it was cooked with many spices and literally just fell off the bone. Becky and Amy had a pasta dish that was delicious too! (We tasted each other’s food, that’s how we know it was all good) Nothing like finding the local hangouts to enjoy “the real thing.”

No explanation necessary!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Today we spent a few hours at the Chicago Art Institute. I’m not an art connisseur, but I enjoyed the American collection that we toured. Our tour guide, Laura Mueller, was very interesting and very informative. We made a quick, fast, and in-a-hurry tour through that section and then spent some time on our own wandering around. Boy, there are some beautiful things there. I’m not very comfortable with art/art history, so I’m not exactly sure how I would use this in the classroom. We have a few pictures by various artists in our textbook and I always make sure I spend some time perusing the picture with the students. Any suggestions anyone would have would be appreciated!

After leaving the art museum, Lindsey, Becky and I wandered north toward Gino’s pizza. We took our time, stopped along the way by Millenium Park and took a few pictures, and looked around. The entire time I was walking, I was amazed at how many people there were, walking, riding bikes, running, and milling around, in general. It seemed as though it was “busy” in a relaxing sort of way, not sure how to describe it, exactly.

The pizza was delicious! Great idea, Dr. Rees.

Springfield, June 6, 2009

Today was spent at the Old State Capitol building, Lincoln’s Tomb, and New Salem Village. The capitol building was a bit of a disappointment simply because the docents kept referring to the fact that “if this was the real thing…..” One thing I did enjoy hearing about was the story of Abraham Lincoln’s rise through the ranks. It’s interesting to think that Lincoln spent so many years of his life/career in such a small area—only a few city blocks separated the capitol building, the law office he would occupy with Herndon, and his home which was not far away.

Lincoln’s Tomb was a pretty awe-inspiring place! I had seen on the History Channel the documentary of the making of the tomb and the history behind why the idea for it was conceived (the attempted theft of Lincoln’s body) and it was great to see in person. One thing I didn’t realize was that Mary Lincoln, Tad and Willie were buried there also.  I had read that Robert Lincoln had no desire to be buried near his father. I’m wishing now I had paid more attention to the WHY of that.

New Salem Village reminded me a little bit of Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts, only the equipment was a little more high-tech. New Salem Village was more spread out than I expected it to be. Not sure what I really expected, but that wasn’t it. There was a lady quilting in one of the buildings. She talked to us about how all of the quilts on the beds were quilted by volunteers. The particular quilt she was working on was started last summer and she expected it to be finished in a couple of weeks.

How do I relate all this to my students? I think a picture is worth a thousand words, literally sometimes, and the pictures I took today at the Tomb will be a stark reminder of what happened to Lincoln. When we study the Civil War we talk a lot about death, mostly the deaths of thousands of soldiers, before we get to the death of Lincoln (duh, no brainer on that one). I think his Tomb there shows us just what importance Lincoln had to all Americans—the grandeur of the monument. One other thing that stood out was when one of the docents talked about Lincoln’s body decaying after being moved from town to town to town, and although that’s a little gruesome, 8^th grade students tend to LOVE that stuff! I think it would be fun to track the route that was taken across the country so that citizens could view/grieve for their dead, great president.