Berkeley Goes to Washington, Part 2: The Air and Space Museum!

My next day in Washington, D.C. was so exciting, that I have to split it into two posts!

Monday I went to the Smithsonian Museum. They are named after James Smithson, a scientist from England. He never visiting the United States, but he left all of his money to start museums in the United States so we could learn new things. I went with Mrs. Sponaugle to learn more about one of these museums, and the one we chose was the Air and Space Museum. It was very interesting, and I took many pictures (but I did not get many of myself, because I was so busy learning).

I learned about the Wright Brothers, who flew the first successful
airplane in the world! Their bicycle shop was in Ohio, but their plane flew
in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

This, my friends, is the very first airplane that flew! It looks very different
that the airplane I rode in to Arizona.

A bicycle from the Orville and Wilbur Wright's bicycle shop!

Where's Berkeley?

Another view of the Wright Brother's plane that flew in December 1903!

I like this missile best because it says Tomahawk :-) 

A model of the lunar module that landed on the moon!

This is a "Sun Gun," a telescope used for looking
at the sun safely.

That is a model of a space shuttle!

Space shuttle engine

Now don't laugh, boys and girls, but this is a space toilet.
You would find one of these in the bathroom of a space shuttle.

I am a very lucky bear to live close to all these museums, where we can learn about so many interesting things. I'm very excited to come back to D.C. with Mrs. Sponaugle in a few weeks when her fifth grade visits the National Zoo!

Soon I will tell you all about my visit...to the Vice President's home!

Until next time...

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...