Summary of Chicago Trip
June 15, 2009
I realize what an opportunity I’ve been afforded. I loved the feel of Chicago; the people were friendly, the food was great, it was not ridden with crime, and it’s full of history. The architecture was amazing from the small homes to the tall skyscrapers. I gained useful teaching techniques all along our trip and realized how important it is to us primary sources. Using primary sources will help my students touch history and make history come alive for them. I’m sure my student will love the photographs I’ve taken – they always do. Many students have never traveled outside of Colorado, some have never traveled far from Pueblo.
One of my favorite techniques was the chalboard exercise; opposing statements are written on opposite side of the room, several students are chosen and each must decide what statement they believe to be true (there is no middle ground). The remaining students in the classroom must then decide why they believe a certain statement is true. I also received my 85 posters from the Lincoln Museum already and I’m awaiting all of my beautiful resources to arrive by mail. Having the money to spend on resources is extremely valuable, as our district does not supply many of the teaching materials I use. I am also excited about producing some of my own DBQs this year! To get students interested in dwelling deeper into issues and writing about them will surely be a plus for my students as this is a required test skill. I also increased the number of reliable web sites my students can use in the classroom. As a result I am exited about putting lessons together for the upcoming school year.
I learned a great deal from our tours and lectures about ”The Windy City” and the life of Lincoln. It was valuable to have the background knowledge from reading the required material, but seeing, tasting, and touching the information made the history so interesting to me. When I’m enthusiastic about what I teach, my students are more interested in what I have to say and show them. I also gained respect and honor for Lincoln and learned that he made a great contribution to this country. I can’t help but wonder what else he could have accomplish if his life hadn’t ended so soon.
Thank you again for this wonderful opportunity.
Haymarket & Pullman
June 13, 2009
Our last day in Chicago was bitter sweet. What a great trip; yet I was ready to go home. We visited the site of the Haymarket tragedy. The incidence shows how much these men (and women) were willing to fight to gain the rights they (and we) deserved. I believe the men that hanged for the crime were wrongfully sentenced and paid the ultimate price for living at a time when the wealthy businessman had so much power. Today the police would not get away with shooting into crowds, the courts could not accuse individuals based on circumstantial evidence and most likely one would not get the death penalty for voicing a view through assembly and petition. This information could be shared with students when teaching the Bill of Rights; especially when talking about our freedom of speech, our freedom of petition, and our freedom of assembly.
Of course we had some downtime when we ate lunch at the Lithuanian restaurant. For lunch they served meat dumplings, kugela, and stuffed cabbage along with applesauce and sour cream; a very traditional Lithuanian meal. They were very accommodating making sure everyoned left with full stomachs.
Our last stop of the tour took us to Pullman’s planned community. We toured the Historical Society’s Building, a bit of the neighborhood; where each house looked the same, the Florence Hotel; where Pullman greeted special guests and had a suite himself, the Greenstone Church, and finally the Pullman factory. An archaeologist gave us her view of what they look for when working with such a historical site. One interesting detail was the belief that Pullman, who was very controlling, would signal for someone in the factory to bring him things to his suite at the hotel using different colors of blinds from his window. What an interesting day!
Madison, WI
June 12, 2009
Beth at the Wisconsin Historical Museum passed around different books used by teachers in the state of Wisconsin. It sounded as if everyone, regardless of their district, teaches the same material at each grade level throughout the state. One very useful guide was their “What Questions Do We Ask of the Past?” card. It requires students to think like historians. They need to answer such questions as “What were the causes of past events?”, “How does the past help make sense of the present?”, “How did past decisions or actions affect future choices?” and “How did people in the past view their world?” It began to sound a bit like DBQs. Their museum was very student friendly. There were hands-on activities for the students, as well as items that had to be analyzed. We definitely could learn much from Wisconsin and their standardized curriculum; they seemed so organized compared to Colorado.
Jonathan Pollack spoke about immigration trends and how they changed as the number of immigrants increased in the 1880s; the Chinese exclusion Act in 1882, the Japanese Exclusion Act in 1906. A man’s whole family was naturalized when he became a citizen; but that too changed in 1922. After 1922 each family member had to apply separately.
Harry Miller with the Wisconsin Historical Society gave us the society’s web site; it is full of information and images. I had the chance to view and take pictures of Henry Lloyd’s transcripts. The transcripts show how Lloyd felt about the Standard Oil Company. I also took pictures from their Great Depression collection, which is huge by the way; Harry said they have about 30,000 images online.
Stan Schultz, Dr. Reese’s former professor, spoke about the Progressive Era. He talked about the changes reformers wanted to make: women’s reproductive rights, immigration, and world affairs. The Progressive Era occurred between 1880 and 1930, yet we have the same “hot buttons” today. He explained how society blamed the poor for their own status before 1880, but after 1880 society was trying to provide services for the poor in an attempt to save society.
Jane Addams’ Hull House and Architect Tour of Chicago
June 11, 2009
We went to the farm, which is new this year, where everything is grown from heirloom seeds. This means seeds that use are historical to any region for at least 50 years. Dana and I cut the salad for our lunch; the salad was good but the cream of mushroom soup was even better. Soup was perfect for the rainy and foggy atmosphere outside. Besides soup and salad we received a packet of information and a cellphone link where we can get information on the Hull House from anywhere in the country! Lisa Junken also mentioned there are grants available around the country to do organic gardens at school. Our school recently received an energy grant and we will be going green this fall; I wonder if we could get a grant for our school?
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- “Wow, that’s a little spicy!”
I gained an idea from the museum for the classroom as well. They had three historical possiblilties listed for one of Addams’ female friends, A, B, or C, people could choose one answer and explain why. This could be done with other unproven or controversial information in history.
From the Hull House we boarded the bus and Alex drove us to the Chicago River to catch a boat for an architectural tour. Yesterday this sounded like so much fun, but today it was raining and it did not let up. Our guide was very informative and spoke without a script and without an umbrella as we toured the North and South branches of the Chicago River; what a brave soul! There were many different forms of architecture along the river and from many different time periods; in fact there are several under construction. As you will see from the pictures below we couldn’t always see the structures to the top as the fog was moving in. This would make a great lesson plan on how climate and location affect a city.
Frank Lloyd Wright / Museum of Science and Industry
June 10, 2009
I really enjoyed the Wright architecture – you begin to see how he influenced the styles of homes; he was before his time. I like the way he hid the entrance to the homes and the way he angled his windows for privacy. His work had very clean lines but was also very detailed. His travel to Japan also had an influence on his designs. The tall ceilings, geometric glass art windows, and lighting made the rooms in his own home seem large. His work is very distinctive and I was soon able to pick out his art-form. His wide lines, accent of repetitive patterns, glass art windows, and his planters that brought in nature helped my pick out his work. This home was my favorite:
I learned that Wright was married to his first wife, Catherine, for 20 years; they had 6 children. Many of the children lived to be quite old. The tall ceilings, geometric glass art windows, and lighting made the rooms in his own home seem large. He had a mistress who died in a tragic murder; a fire and an axing incident in Wisconsin. He then had two more wives; he was married to the last one until his death. He sounds like he had the 20 year itch”. He might have been a player but he was very edgy-creative in his architecture.
From the Wright home we traveled to the Museum of Science and Industry. The Museum sits in Jackson Park; on the same spot as the Palace of Fine Arts during the World Fair. The city and private donations made it possible to renovate the location to its original beauty for the 2nd World Fair in 1933. The original structure was only temporary and was not built to last; the pillars were wood or steel frames covered with staff (plaster of paris, horse hair, and cement). The World Fair had electricity, state buildings, moving sidewalks, Cracker Jacks, a ferris wheel that was 26 stories high, Hershey’s chocolate and the largest building; Manufacturing and Liberal Arts. The fair attracted 27 MILLION people – almost double of what they expected. The museum demonstrated the layout, design and size of the buildings with a computer simulation. We took a short walking tour around the museum which showed the details of the renovation for the World Fair in 1933 – enjoy these pictures:
The Chicago Fire Tour
June 9, 2009
The Chicago Fire was an unexpected dilema, people did not expect it to burn for 36 hours! Many tried to keep the flames at bay but found themselves trying to outrun the fire. They ran toward Lake Michigan, across the northern section of the Chicago River where the bridges had not burned, and places the fire had not yet reached. Some ran for cover in the open space of the cemetary. Did you know the area of Lincoln Park near the Chicago was once a cemetary? Only one vault remains; the vault of Ira Couch. Many artifacts from the fire remain. We saw a wooden road, “The Blob”, five boxes of melted nails (see the indents in the photo), and the Lincoln Park Beach to name a few. Yes the beach; it is made up of landfill from the fire and then covered with imported sand.
When Heidi explained how the roads were made I was shocked at the engenuity that was used in building these roads. They were unaware they would help fuel the Chicago Fire; they first graveled the road, then layed down two planks of wood sealed with tar, then dipped the wooden pavers into tar and placed them on top. From a distance they look like rock pavers; but as you can see they are made of wood. ”The Blob” is a melted object(s) of some sort; they’re not sure.
Many people were left homeless; about 100,000 of the 300,000 residents. Relief aid was provided in the form of building materials to anyone who was handy enough to build a temporty structure. The house that you see is one of the relief homes; they weren’t built to last, but they needed to go up before winter. The fire happened in October and it was already November when supplies arrived for these temporary homes.
Chicago History Museum & Navy Pier
June 8, 2009
I learned that not only is Chicago a result of its location but a place where speculators were willing to invest in hopes of big returns. A canal connected the Chicago River to the Illinois River which allowed water transportation to the Mississippi River system. Trains also met in Chicago allowing its goods to travel the nation. All of this made Chicago a speculator’s dream. The Chicago History Museum has primary resources available on-line at: encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org !!! The thought of being able to use all of these primary resources without charge was exciting. In fact I think I found my lesson plan; the Chicago Riot of 1919 – why was there conflict between blacks and whites and how does that compare to racial conflicts in Colorado?
Chicago rebuilt quickly after the fire of 1871. More and more immigrants came to Chicago, it was experiencing an industrial boom. This included blacks from the “Jim Crow South”, especially during WWI while the city was manufacturing goods for WWI. I enjoyed listening to Dr. Sarah Marcus, she was expressive and interesting.
The afternoon included activities on the Haymarket event with Katherine San Fratello. We participated in an activity where students (us) filled in an empty brain with icons that represent the thoughts of our characters from a Haymarket story. This could be done with almost any event evolving different points of view on a subject. Before visiting the museum she ran us through an exercise that required us to use our background knowledge as well as our imagination. We examined artifacts; listed a description, analyzed its characteristics and stated what we thought it was used for. Our group had a flat iron heater – we thought it was a toaster (we tried). This would be a fun hands on activity to use with students. The museum had a variety of items; trains (how did they get these to the second floor?), newspaper articles, furniture, clothing, and even a Blues club. It had a childrens’ section with hands-on activities.
The Chicago Art Institute and Gino’s
June 7, 2009
The University Center is very nice and the staff is wonderful! We went to The Art Institute of Chicago; it was quite the walk from the University Center, or at least I thought so until we walked to two different Gino’s restaurants after viewing art (I can now claim to have been at both Gino’s)!
The art was magnificent! They had collection after collection; artist after artist. I saw a few of my mother’s favorite artwork by Munch – his artwork was very different. I took a liking to the “Remington” artwork; especially his sculptures. They also had a large number of pieces by Monet. Their collections included “Tiffany”, miniatures, art from Asia, art from Africa, Frank Lloyd Wright glass art, and photographs to name a few.
I need to teach my students a bit more about art, and its history. My favorite part of the institute was the European section with its impressionist artwork. I felt a bit more “cultured” after today.
Springfield & New Salem
June 6, 2009
I was surprised to see how quiet Springfield was; there were very few people on the streets. Everyone here has been so friendly. I learned that the Old Capitol building was dismantled and rebuild – the outside bricks were numbered as it was taken apart and the rebuilt it like a giant puzzle to its “more” original state.
I learned something new about our postal service; the receiver not the sender paid the postage. One was charged by the page and the distance; 6 cents per page for shortest distance and 25 cents per page for 400 miles or further. Another new discovery showed that Lincoln’s law office was actually around the corner and up the stairs from where they are currently displaying it now.
Lincoln’s neighborhood had a mix of people; different heritages and varying political affiliations. Lincoln’s family home was originally on one level, they expanded out the back and then later added the second floor; as Lincoln’s income grew so did the size of his home.
We ended our time in Springfield at Lincoln’s tomb. It was very sobering and peaceful. His body was first placed in two different vaults before he was laid to rest in the beautiful memorial tomb.
We traveled a short distance by bus to New Salem where Lincoln lived in his twenties. He taxied people on the river and where he ran a general store with his partners who left Lincoln in financial concerns. There were many structures in new Salem; the most fascinating was the saw mill – a painting at the museum showed Lincoln helping get a flat boat off of a shoal. He later invented an inflatable float that helped boats out of shallow water – it was never tested.
What amazing accomplishments Lincoln made in his lifetime!
Lincoln Library June 5
June 5, 2009
After a plane trip from Denver to Chicago we boarded an Obama convention bus driven by Alex and arrive in the early evening hours of June 4 to the luxurious Hilton Hotel in downtown Springfield, IL. Some of us took a brief walk and discovered we were planted near many historical sites; the Old Capital Building with reenactment Civil War soldiers, women spies, and others setting up camp. Just down the street was Lincoln’s law office complete with bronze statues of Lincoln and his family.
On June 5, we met with Erin Bishop at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. She modeled for us many useful items and techniques for the classroom using primary sources. One of my favorites was making students decide whether or not they agreed or disagreed with statement about Lincoln regarding slavery and race and then backing their choice. After waiting nearly an hour for a tuna sandwich at a local tea shop Bryan Anderson spoke about his exhibit on the Lincoln-Douglas debate of 1858. The issue of slavery was at the root of the debate. The winner of the campaign was different depending on how you look at the numbers. Lincoln was the local winner, Douglas was the regional winner, Lincoln had the popular vote, but in the end Douglas has the legislative vote. Bryon then explained the effort that goes into setting up an exhibit. We then went on a self-guided tour of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. It went from Lincoln as a young man living in a one room cabin with his parents and how he rose to become President of the United States and all of the struggles brought on by the position and how his feelings about slavery and race came about. It all showed how determined and dedicated Lincoln was.
Afterwards we walked around and came upon Lincoln’s home and took a free tour! We touched the original stair railing he would have touched going up the stairs to his newly added second story! We also visited the Ranger’s station and saw the long procession of Lincoln’s casket through Springfield before coming to his final resting place.
