My mom and dad have been watching my Blog this year so I just want to take a quick moment to wish them
a “Happy Anniversary” and thank them for helping me go to college all those year’s ago to become a teacher
in the firt place. Have a great day back in Colorado. Love your son Brian
There is only one thing that’s hard about these trips, and thats the fact that these amazing speakers and museums are thousands od miles away from my studentsand I only wish I could bring them here to experience even just one day in this amazing place.
Last summer when Carol Berkin came to speak at CSU Pueblo I unfortunately could not make it and all I would hear from those who saw her was how amazing she was, and she did not disappoint today, wow!!! What an engaging, amazing womanwho doesn’t need notes and could probably speak without them for hours on end. Of the books we read for the class her’s was my favorite. I do love the fact that she does make these men more human and gives us a chance to see that human side of these famous men.
Just when I think it could not possibly get better it did what an amzing museum, I loved the building, the displays, the video, the life sized statues of tose who signed, make sure below to check out the picture of me standing next to George Washington, in his prime he was 6′2 and 250 pounds. Here’s a presidential fact for you, less then 5 of all the Presidents have been over 6 foot tall, and here’s another starting with Reagan and finishing with Bush when he defeated Kerry the winner has always been the taller man.
Back to the Museum I will be sure to add the links to all of those websites to my school’s website what an amazing resource those could be for my schools studnt’s and teachers.
Finally I have to thank Lauren for taking me to Reading Terminal Market and China Town today, neither were on the agenda and it was fun to get to see another part of Philly.
We can tell that we were on the East Coast today it was Rainy and Muggy all day long, I wish some of this rain would make a visit first in Colorado talked with my parent’s today down in La Veta Colorado and they said it was Hot, Hot, Hot and Dry, Dry, Dry. Another comment before I get to the meat of my blog I wish we could have some of the amazing trees, bushes and flowers back in Colorado that they have here, Makes an enthusiastic landscaper like myself jealous of what they have here.
My two favorite places on today’s adventure was the Battlefield and the Memorial for the battle in downtown Princeton. Once again although it doesn’t look like it did back then our tour guide painted a very realistic picture of the battle and where certain groups were how the battle unfolded, and the main characters involved. As a teacher the way I would use todays events in my classroom would be to take them out to a park or a football field and on large pieces of posterboard write down major landmarks of the site and split the class into groups representing British and continental troops and have them walk through the progression of the battle. Seeing how this was one of Washingtons first successes it’s important for the kid’s to realize that without this win it could have been over for Washington as the General of the troops.
I would also show the students the picture of the memorial that I show down below and tell them to look at the detail and how beautiful it is as well as discuss why they think it took so long to erect the memorial.
Last Thoughts: Good Pizza and good company and very much looking forward to tommorow especially the life size statues of those who signed the Constittution. Below enjoy the pictures of the Battlefield, the Memorial and finally he’s back Kyle’s Dog and he’s become an Ivy Leaguer since we saw him last.
Musket Demonstration Click Here Amazing and Humbling, Thats what it was like for me today when I walked into the Headquarters for Washington at Valley Forge. To actually touch the same handrail that he had touched thousands of times as he went to bed weary and worried would he be able to pull this off ? Will they be able to take all of these men and all of these armies from different places with different styles of fighting and turn them into a well oiled machine. I could almost picture Washington looking out his second story window at the top of the stairs out into that bleak winter landscaping watching the smoke of campfires surounding his house of the soldiers whose job was to be the personal gaurd of Comanding General.
As a teacher I have been told over there years that I do an a pretty good job at telling a story and today I was able to truly discern many of the legends and myth’s I had learned before and replace them with facts and stories that are so much more powerful in depth and breadth then the Hollywoodized version the world has come to know. I would share the story of the life and hardships of the Soldiers at Valley Forgebut instead of just focusing on the difficulties they had I would also talk about some of the accoplishments they had as well, from building all of those amazing cabins, to baking 13,000 loafs of bread daily to the amazing Forges they had created as well. I would then have the students put themselves in theshoes of a Continental Army and share their thoughts on what would be going through their minds if they had been there, as a soldier, as an officer or even as Washington himself.
Ok going to go technology Geek on you guys and try to import a video lets see if it works.
One of the most amazing things to me when it comes to this trip and the one last year is the fact I am actually here in Philadelphia and I am actually visiting places and following the footsteps of some of the most famous people and events of our countries history. It’s one thing to see them in a text book or on a video, its something entirely different when you are standing 5 feet from the Liberty Bell, Or Standing in the actual room where two of the most important documents in our history were created. Our Guide today was an amazing lady and her knowledge was far beyond my highest of expectations.
For me something I will take back into the classroom is the in-depth information we recieved today on the years that the governement was based here from 1790 to 1800. I will be sure to share with students and teachers in my building the fact that The House of Reps and Senate and the Supreme Court all met in buildings a stones throw away from each other in what is now the Independance Hall Complex. I found it uniqu that in these buildings both the Federal Governement and State Government of Pennsylvania coexisted in the same spaces especially the State and Supreme Courts. Another highlight for me was Christ Church, what an amazing place and the fact that it is still a working church is mind blowing to me. I would also pass on to me students that it is one of the few churchesthat I have heard of in the United States with grave markers in the acutal building and that its an honor to walk on those gravesites. I would also point out the differences in appearance between that church and the Quaker meeting hall we went to later. I could go on but its time to see what my clasmates had to say about today.
I will have to say that the plane ride here this year was much more enjoyable then last year, we weren’t rushed and it was nice to actually get into our rooms with the sun still out. I also do like the neighborhood that we are staying in. Penn University is a very pretty campus and I really enjoyed walking through the historic part of the Campus I love the football stadium, very classy. I am looking forward to a good two weeks and all the new adventures and places of historical signifigance we will be visiting. Talk to all of you tommorow.
P.S. Throughout my trip along with pictures of the historical places we will be visiting I will also be taking pictures of my sons little Stuffie Dog who I brought with me so that my son Kyle can be excited to look at my blog and see were his dog visited for the day. Today he will get to see his dog in my dorm room. Love you Kyle.
Daddy XOXOXO
Well all I have to say is I have an amazing wife who is willing to once again watch two little ones while I go walking through History on the East coast I am thankful for my wife and thankful to ge to experience another wonderful trip that as a teacher I could never afford to take on my own.
I will be doing my lesson plan on “Growing up in Colonial America, A child’s perspepective.” A day in the life of a child in Colonial America.
1st order Document: John Adams Diary that he started when he was 11 years old: Source of the document the Massachusetts historical society website.
2nd order: There are other documents and letters both on that website and some of the other ones we were told about on the trip which have letters that were written by children as well as several pieces of artwork featuring children that I saw at the Peabody Essex museum that I could use.
Middle school level Brian Repola
Although I am dead-Dog tired and miss my family badly I am sad and can’t believe this trip is over. Although I didn’t get to know all of you as well as I would have liked I did like getting to know you at least a little bit. You are a great group of teachers and I know for a fact your students are very lucky to have you as their teachers. Wow I can’t get over this trip and can’t believe everything that I got to do and experience, I don’t think it will really hit me until I have been home for a few weeks and after I look at these pictures. I really think it will hitall of us when we get to teach our kids and use all this new information and resources that we didn’t have before. I can’t wait now to look in my text book and go wow I’ve been there oh and there oh and there too 
I also want to thank Jonathan, Matt, and Scott for all their hard work. To all of my new freinds I made on this trip take care, have a great summer and hopefully see you in Philly next summer!!!!!!!
Today was our last stop on this whirlwind tour of the Boston area. We got the opportunity to visit a town which had a lot of firsts in our country when it comes to industry. The thing that first struck me was just how many large buildings left over from the textile mills are still in town today. These buildings are massive in size and scope and I can see jsut building one of these mills let alone all of them must have been quite an undertaking. I enjoyed touring the museams as well as the video presentations, the streetcar/trolley ride and i especially enjoyed riding in the boat upto the lock house and the gate house. It boggles my mind to imagine 200 machines in one room and all running at once. Also after doing the little experiment with the hands on water system it’s impressive what they where able to create so long ago.
It’s a town that never gives up and keeps on recreating itself over and over again and I do hope eventually they find their nicch
There is one last thing I’d like to say, I know in our newspaper the subject of water especially in the fountain creek is always brought up when it comes to how clean it is and how contaminated it is. I have to be honest although our guide Seth says the river is considered to be a class b waterway I have a tough time believing it, the water looks pretty scary to me and after seeing all the trash both at the gatehouse and in town I’m notso sure how clean it really is and I question why its not cleaned up more regularly. I realize they use the water for generating electricty but they should clean up or tidy up or make the waterways less industrial and more natural and maybe even send water back in the Rivers original bed. I am not a tree-hugger but I do know that for as good as water has been to them and provided everything they needed maybe they should give back now to mother nature.
