Berkeley Goes to Washington, Part 1: Memorials and Monuments!

I have been a very sick bear.

Yes, I know you boys and girls have been waiting patiently for me to tell you all about my travels - but this past week I just had such a rotten cold that I couldn't stay up to write in the evenings, after helping Mrs. Sponaugle teach all day. My nose was stuffy, my chest was tight - and I felt a bit chilly, even though I'm covered in fur! Now I am starting to feel more like myself, and I'm ready to tell you all about my adventures in Washington, D.C.

Ready to go - just need to buckle up!

 Our nation's capital is Washington, D.C. (D.C. stands for District of Columbia). It was named after our very first president, George Washington. Even though I'm a West Virginia bear, I only live 90 minutes from D.C.! A long time ago, the states of Virginia and Maryland donated land for the most special city in the U.S.A. Washington, D.C. is not a state or a part of a state. It's a little complicated to explain, but I like to think of it as a city that stands on its own, just like a state. I knew that this was where all of the people we elect to make our laws for the U.S.A. go to work, and that it is the home of our president! I was very excited to get on the road.

The Flag of Washington, D.C.

On our first evening in our nation's capital, we went on a tour (kind of like a field trip) of the monuments and memorials. There are many monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C. in honor of important people and events. First, we had to get something to eat! On our way to find honey - I mean, food - we came across this building: The United States Capitol!

The Capitol building is where the senators (two from each state, for a total of 100) and the representatives (435 total...it depends on your state's population how many you have) meet to make the laws for our country! That is called the legislative branch of our government! The dome of the Capitol is made of 8.9 million pounds of cast iron! On top of the dome is the Statue of Freedom.

Where's Berkeley?

On to the monuments and memorials! First we saw the Washington Monument. It reminds me of a pencil, with its pointy top (its called an obelisk). It honors our first president, George Washington. He has many things named for him...I guess that's why he's called the Father of our Country! The monument is 555 1/4 feet high! There are 50 flags, one for each state, all around the monument. It is the tallest structure in D.C. and the tallest obelisk in the world!

The Washington Monument

Next we visited the World War II memorial. This honors the 16 million service men and women who fought for our country during this war. Every state, territory, and Washington, D.C. has a special column with its name surrounding a beautiful pool. This memorial is ten years old - the same age as a 5th grader.

World War II Memorial

Here I am with the West Virginia column.

Some states and territories I have not visited yet.

We then went to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. This honors an important man who fought for equal (civil) rights for all United States citizen. He did not want people judged or treated differently based on their skin color. He gave a speech, "I Have a Dream," on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. Now he has a memorial of his own.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

The MLK Memorial look out to the Jefferson Memorial. It honors
our 3rd president, Thomas Jefferson.

The last place we visited was the Lincoln Memorial. It honors Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president. He was our president during the Civil War, a time when our country was split in two and fighting one another. There are 36 columns, one for each of the states that fought during the Civil War. Inside is a 19 foot sculpture of Abraham Lincoln! On the walls are the words from two of his speeches, The Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address.

From the Lincoln Memorial, you can see the Reflecting Pool
and the Washington Monument.

The Lincoln Memorial

Inside with the statue of Abraham Lincoln.
Mrs. Sponaugle says this is her favorite president.

I felt like a very smart little bear after all I learned that evening. Although I was very excited and wanted to stay up to learn more about the things I had seen, I had to get some sleep. I had a big day tomorrow - going to a museum and meeting the Vice President's wife!

Until next time...

Adventure to Huntington, Part 2: The One-Room School Museum!

It's not every day a little black bear gets to visit a one-room school! Your school probably has many classrooms and teachers, and you may take as school bus to get to school and go home each day. About 100 years ago, your school day would have been very different. It is so wonderful when we can visit places that show us what life was like long before we were born!

When Mrs. Sponaugle and I were walking to Jenkins Hall (where all the students at Marshall go to learn how to be teachers), we came across a little white building that didn't fit in with all of the other brick buildings on campus. When we got a little closer, we read a little sign that told us all about Union ( also known as Punkin Center) school! That little white building was built in 1889 in Cabell County, and students in grades one through eight all attended the school - in one little room, with just one teacher all day!

Here is the one-room school, just as we were walking to Jenkins Hall!

Are you ready to go inside?

Children went to this school for many years, until the early 1950s. Even though the school didn't have students walking through its door to learn, they kept the building for many years. One day, someone decided that this school should be moved to a place where many people could see and learn about one-room schools! In 1995, it was moved to Marshall University - and people donated all of the desks and books to make it feel like you were going back in time!

Mrs Sponaugle and I were sure to sign the guest book (I left my paw print)!

Here are some interesting facts about one-room schools in West Virginia (you may need someone to help you read the cursive handwriting)!

Mrs. Sponaugle and I peeked inside and could see how very different classrooms were long ago. I really wanted to go inside and see what it would be like to be a student back then, so we asked very politely for a key to go inside - and we did! We took many pictures so we could tell you all about how schools and classrooms have changed, so please ready the picture captions carefully so you can learn about one-room schools!

Your desks would be in rows facing the blackboard. That's George Washington's portrait above the alphabet. He was our first President of the United States!

The youngest students would be seated up front, so they could see and pay attention better.

These are called Peabody desks. Each seat has a desk attached to the back for the seat behind it. You came and sat in the front row with your slate when it was time for your lesson.

The teacher's desk was in the front of the room, so she could see all the students. Someone brought apples for Berkeley (I mean the teacher)! That Golden Delicious one looks yummy...

The pot belly stove kept you warm during the winter! It was in the middle of the room to keep everyone toasty. The teacher would have to get it going when she arrived at school each day. There was no heat over night, so it could be very chilly in the mornings!

Coal was added to the stove as fuel. It will get your clothes and hands dirty if you are very careful.

How would you do your lessons in a one-room school? There were no computers or colorful textbooks - and there wasn't a school library to check out your favorite story book!

There was a hole in all of the desks to hold your jar of ink! When you were in the upper grades, you would do many assignments with by dipping your pen in the ink, then using your very best handwriting!

A younger student would have lots of chalk to write their lessons on a slate for the teacher. 

Here I am practicing my best cursive. Learning to write neatly was very important, since there were no computers - and very few people had typewriters!

What do you think of Berkeley's handwriting?

What does your spelling book look like?

You may have sat in a corner to study or practice your lessons with another students in your grade. Do you see the bells on the shelf? That is what the teacher would use to start the day and bring the students back to class after lunch!

Hmm. They took good handwriting very seriously!

If you were to get in trouble in school at the turn-of-the-century (which happens to the best of us bears)...

You may have had to write sentences on the blackboard after school! Some bears are just chatterboxes!

You may have to sit in the corner in the front of the room...and wear the dreaded dunce cap! That would not make you feel very good about yourself.

Did you know that teachers couldn't be married long, long ago? I found that fact and more on this website, and this link takes you to more information on one-rooms schools across the USA! School sure has changed a lot for students (and little black bears).

With my favorite teacher :-)

I'm so glad I could share this special experience with you! Think about how different things were "back then" when you are on the school bus tomorrow morning!

Until next time...

Adventure to Huntington, Part 1: Visiting Marshall University and Geneva Kent Elementary!

The week before my big adventure in D.C., Mrs. Sponaugle and I went across the state to Huntington to visit Marshall University! It was a very long journey for us, but we are always so happy to meet with students across West Virginia, because we represent them all! Huntington is in Cabell County, which is very close to Ohio and Kentucky. We could have been in either of those states in a matter of minutes!

Cabell County!

Marshall University is a very large school where students go to learn new things, once they have graduated from high school. I was a little scared of Marco, their mascot (I didn't want the Thundering Herd to trample right over me!), but everything else was just beautiful! In 1970, there was a terrible plan crash, and most of Marshall's football team and coaches passed away. That made me very, very sad to hear, but there are many special ways they remember those people on campus that make you feel better - but always remember.

Here I am in front of Old Main! Can you find me in this picture?

Paying my respects at the fountain in memory of the 1970 football team.

We were in Huntington for two days! On the second day, I went to visit some very special Kindergartners at Geneva Kent Elementary! They were very good listeners, and I loved all of the murals in their hallways dedicated to children's books (remember, Berkeley loves to read)! I was so excited to make new friends that I almost forgot to hand out my bookmarks - but Mrs. Sponaugle reminded me just before we walked out the door, hand-in-paw. Bears can sometime be forgetful.

Geneva Kent Elementary!

Some of the murals inside the school!

Did you know that Mrs. Sponaugle was Little Red Riding Hood in her Kindergarten class play?

I am so proud of all the students in Cabell County and at Marshall University for their hard work. They make me glad that I'm a West Virginia bear! But wait! There was something very special that I was able to see before I left Huntington that I am so excited to share with you. What could it be?!?! I promise I will tell you soon!

Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Sponaugle!

We are telling the students all about our wonderful state!

All of those special students I had the chance to meet!

Unit next time...

My Visit to Moorefield Intermediate and East Hardy Early Middle

Boys and girls, by now you have probably heard that I've have had an exciting week in Washington, D.C.! I am so excited to share that with you, but there are three other posts I must write first, You see, I don't want to leave out the other schools I visited in April, because they are special, too. So first I will tell you about the students I met in Hardy County, then those Kindergartners I spoke to at Geneva Kent Elementary in Cabell County, then  a special post which is a secret.

During Spring Break, I went with Mrs. Sponaugle to share my adventures with the students in Hardy County. This is a county in the Eastern Panhandle, not too far away from where I live in Berkeley County! Mr. and Mrs. Funkhouser were so nice to take us around to the other schools. I had a very busy day, but it was very exciting to meet so many new students! I spoke to third grade students at Moorefield Intermediate, and handed out my bookmarks with my favorite facts about West Virginia. After lunch, we went to East Hardy Early Middle School, and I met some very special second and third graders. They were very excited to meet me and my Sugar Maple Friends! I told them all about my favorite places in West Virginia, like New River Gorge Bridge and Blackwater Falls. Many of them had visited those places, too!  

Hardy County!

The only thing about my day that did not go so well was the weather. Can you believe that it was cold and sleeting, even though it was April? Sleet is a very cold rain that looks and feels like soggy snow. This little bear is ready for clear skies and green, leafy trees! No more cold for me - I am done hibernating for this year!

This is Mr. Funkhouser, the 2013 WV Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Hershberger, the 2014 Hardy County Teacher of the Year, and Mrs. Sponaugle

Morgan the Monarch Butterfly was excited to flutter by all the classrooms - because it's finally Spring!

I will place more pictures of my new friends in Hardy County soon, but I did not want you to think I forgot about you, so I made sure to get up early and write this post! My little bear eyelids are very droopy from all the excitement last week. Don't worry, Geneva Kent - I will write about visiting your school this evening, after I help Mrs. Sponaugle tell her students today about our week in D.C.!

Until next time...