Chicago Day 2

 

We visited the Chicago History Museum on today.  We had a morning session with Dr. Sarah Markus on Chicago at the Turn of the Century.  I found this talk infomative to say the least.  I appreciated the stories behind the Great Chicago Fire(s) of 1871.  This was the type of presentation I was expecting in Chicago – a deeper look by a scholar of specific topics.  I had always wondered why did Chicago grow so fast? What physical characteristics and geography allowed for it to be the center of commerce for the center of the US.  I had no idea how important the Chicago River was to the development and how they took a slow moving river and dug canals to allow ships.

The discussion of land speculators and the railroad helpping to propel Chicago also added a depth to what I knew about the start of Chicago.  I knew from our readings that it experienced rapid growth, but now I have a better understanding of why.

Again, The Great Chicago Fire(s) of 1871 was fascinating, and the reasons for why Chicago had built their homes with so much lumber made sense as Chicago was a lumber shipping center.  The misakes made at the start of the fire made sense as to how it towered out of control.  How exactly they knew how hot the fire became wil fascinate my students in future discussions and lessons.

Question:  If Chicago knew they made a mistake building houses and buildings entiorely out of wood, then why was it such a common building material in 1906?

The question posed by Dr. Sarah Markus about the reason the Chicago Fire received more press than the Peshdigo (yes, I’m sure I spelled it right) Fire certainly would or should spark lively discussion.

Although their are many theories as to how the Great Fire started, I believe that it was started by the “gay” ghost of Lincoln and I know this for a fact.

 

While discussing the Chicago World’s Fair, I had an idea for my lesson plan.  I am going to use literature to present Chicago and Illinois at the turn of tthe century as well as the idea of city life verses rural life in southern Illinois.  I will keep working this unit out, but think it will be utilizing literature and writing.

Now on the the later morning and afternoon workshop.  I did not care for Heidi Moisan’s presention.  The web-site is certainly useful; however,  the style of in-service for teachers certainly concerns me.  I do not know why a great deal of in-service presentors feel they need to have the teachers engage in the very activities they would turn around and have students do.  For example, why do we need to choral read something together, or work in groups to ask obvious questions to artifacts.  The artifact lesson was great! The way we had to do it ourselves in a group was not.  Why not assume that we have college degrees and are used to working in the world of ideas and are able to take an idea presented and then ruminate about it and decide if and or how we are going to apply it in our classroom.  Most teachers are familiar with this style and I notice they just fall in line and do the activity just to get it over with and put in their time.  I m perfectly capable of applying ideas presented and actually appreciate it when someone scholarly presents material in-depth so I can have a deeper and broader knowledge to use for presentations to my students in the class.

The museum itself is great!  I love the Lincoln artifacts and although no photos were allowed, I happen to have an illegial photo of the actual deathbed of Lincoln.  Viola!!!

~ by marksims on June 9, 2009.