Thursday, June 11, 2009

Thursday, June 11, 2009

We answered a 7:30 a.m., bus call to be whisked away by our friendly Ukrainian bus driver Alex. He dropped us off at the Jane Addams Hull House Museum, where we were treated to a tour.  The guide explained that Jane Addams was independently wealthy and felt there was much suffering in the world and set out to do as much as she could to eliminate and fight for rights of the oppressed.  She lived and worked out of her beautiful home, set in a neighborhood that she wanted to help.  She and her friends set out to do just this.  By the time she was twenty-seven she had gone through her inheritance and relied on generous donors to fund Hull House.  She went on to fight for immigration rights, women’s rights, health, safety and housing rights, arts education, labor rights, and was an advocate in general for social change.

The part of the Hull House tour that thrilled me, was the organic garden tour.  Like Princeton Elementary and the Amish that we saw last year, I was once again impressed that gardening is a worthwhile pursuit.  I remember catching just a glimpse of Jonathan’s old elementary school and noticing that they had begun vegetable beds on their school grounds, and of course when we went to the Amish home last June for dinner, I was impressed by the family’s reliance on their garden.  Also, on the Boston trip we went to view the Victory gardens and I fell in love with them.  So, for a couple of years, school yard gardening has been in the back of my mind, and when I saw the Hull House gardens I became excited and determined to do this at Pueblo West Elementary.   I am really interested in this project, as I asked my students this year how many had been to a farm and about three students raised their hands.  Oh my gosh!  So, I thought why not bring the garden to the classroom and have students work it.  How fun!  I can incorporate history – the heirloom seeds, victory gardens, Michelle O’Bama’s new garden, science, math, and of course reading.  This could be a really cool project.  Hopefully, I can talk my Principal into using some area of land for this venture.   While we were at the garden some teachers (thank you Dana and Chris) picked lettuce and broccoli for our lunch salad alongside mushroom soup, and rolls.  The Hull House does a soup kitchen meal once a week and we were able to experience that today for our lunch.   It was very tasty!

The boat tour on the Chicago River was very nice.  It was rainy and cold but I did manage to stand outside for awhile, and soak up the architecture that our docent was so nicely describing.  I think I got some beautiful pictures and will hopefully get today’s blog done and posted, so we can do something this evening.  It seems the weather makes everyone tired and lethargic.   It has been a nice day of touring although a bit damp.

Frank Lloyd Wright Tour and Science and Industry Museum

 

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

      We took off at 8:15 on the Ex-Obama bus and head for Frank Lloyd Wright’s studio.  I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this tour and explanation of his work.  About 20 years ago, I had visited a house of his in California and didn’t really see what all the hoopla was about.  Today however, I saw the way he integrated light, octagons, rectangles, leaded glass, and nature into his work. In class when we talk about the Progressive Era, I will use pictures of the Queen Anne style homes and compare them to the Wright homes.  The neighborhoods were absolutely delightful and the gardens were charming.  Our guide Gert was quite a funny lady and a joy to spend time with. 

 

     Our next stop was at the Museum of Science and Industry.  I sure could have used more time at this museum.  It was fun to think of the 27,000,000 people who attended the World’s Fair and most likely visited the building we were standing next too.  The museum is beyond beautiful and the work and effort that went into all of those buildings, was incredible.  I did buy a video of the fair, that I will show when we get to the Chicago World’s Fair in our class.  Hopefully, it will give them some idea of all the new ideas that were brought forth because of the Fair.  According to our lecturer the Chicago World’s Fair was called to rival the 1889 Paris Fair and to celebrate the 400^th anniversary of Columbus’ arrival to the New World in 1492.  The job of creating the Fair was originally given to New York, then taken back and put out for bid.  Chicago won.  It was then called the “Windy City” because politicians had lobbied so hard to get the Fair in Chicago.  They were out to prove that Chicago had recovered from the fire and that America could put on a better show than Europe.  It was called the White City because the buildings were made of plaster of paris, horse hair, and cement, then spray painted white.   The buildings looked old on the outside but were new and up to date on the inside.  What a ton of work for something that might last a few years!  Whew!  The Fair opened in 1893 and new ideas from all over the world, such as moving sidewalks at 10 cents a ride.  You could choose to ride the sidewalk at three miles per hour or six miles per hour – some people choosing to ride and eat their lunch at the slower pace.  Also introduced was electricity, postcards, cracker jacks Aunt Jemima pancake mix, cream of wheat, the hamburger from Germany, and carbonated beverages were on display.  George Ferris made the Ferris wheel and it was so large and scary to people that George had to put his wife on it and show them that they wouldn’t get hurt.  They figured since he was willing to put his wife on it, it must be safe.  

 

 

         We did see the Harry Potter exhibit, which was delightful. 

Harry Potter Car

     For dinner tonight we tried Giordano’s Chicago pizza and really enjoyed that.  Then we took the el train to the library and saw the Lincoln exhibit upstairs.  Lincoln memorabilia never fails to move me.  It was a very full day and I’m exhausted!