• On the Road Again: Where Were We?

    If you guessed the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri you are correct!  We have actually been in St. Louis 4 times already this month.  I have seen the Arch many times driving through St. Louis, but a couple years ago we actually went up in it.  It is a great place to visit with some neat history.  There is actually a museum in the bottom of the arch.

    Did you know?

    • Arch is 630 feet tall
    • It is made of Steel and Concrete
    • Eero Saarinen was the Finnish-American architect who designed the Arch
    • From the top of the Arch on a clear day you can see up 30 miles in either direction
    • Tram ride takes 4 minutes to go up and 3 minutes to go down
    • There are 1,076 steps inside the arch, however, they are only used for maintenance and emergencies
    • It was originally called the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial now it is the Gateway Arch National Park
    • The Memorials to Thomas Jefferson, for his role in opening the West & Dred Scott who sued for his freedom in the Old Courthouse
    • Directly across the Mississippi River from the Arch on the Illinois side is the Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park  where the Gateway Geyser (the tallest water fountain in the U.S.) and the Mississippi River Overlook can be found

    If you are going through St. Louis, Missouri and have extra time I encourage you to check it out.

  • Kids Day at THE AG: Framers Who Were Farmers Constitution Day

    U.S. Constitution

    The girls earned their Jr. Historian Badges for Framers Who Were Farmers – U.S. Constitution Event

    On September 17th every year we celebrate Constitution Day!  Back on September 17, 1787 a total of 42 of the 55 delegates held their final meeting at the Constitutional Convention.  It was the day they signed the Constitution of the United States of America!

    Shortly after Constitution Day we attended an event at the Bart Garrison Agricultural Museum.  The event was called Kids Day at THE AG: Framers Who Were Farmers.  It was for students in 4th to 7th grades.  They had activities, role playing, field work, and discussions pertaining to the U. S. Constitution.  They covered information such as:

    • The Preamble
    • Separation of Powers
    • History, Framers, and Impact of the U.S. Constitution
    • Declaration of Independence
    • Articles of Confederation
    • Bill of Rights

    Constition Day - Framers that Were Farmers - On the Farm Event

    Staff dressed up as James Madison.  Discussion on the U.S. Constitution.

    The Founding Fathers used scientific inventions and various forms of farming techniques.  Some of the men who signed the Constitution were farmers, a few of them were:

    • George Washington
    • James Madison
    • Charles Pinckney
    • Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
    • Thomas Jefferson
    • Benjamin Franklin

    There were several things the farmers experienced such as depletion of soil nutrients, purchasing local produce and crops, local insects, trees, vegetation, and being self-supportive farms.

    Some of the activities the kids did at the event were discussing the Constitution.  Designing a poster.  Experimenting with soil and the nutrients in it.  Planting some seeds and recording their findings.  The kids received a Jr. Historian Pin and a U.S. Constitution pocket guide.    The girls had a lot of fun learning about the U.S. Constitution, activities, and experiments.

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    Timeline include French & Indian War, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, American Revolution, Constitutional Conventional, Bill of Rights, and more!

    U. S. Constitution

    Brina’s poster!

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    The poster Karlie made at the event!