I realized I missed a few weeks, so to catch everyone up, here is what was missed:
O is for...Old Abe
Old Abe was the famous Civil War eagle that was named after President Abe Lincoln. He became the mascot of the soldiers of the Eighth Wisconsin regiment, and when the troops marched, Old Abe carried a corner of the American flag in his beak. He flew over Southern troops and screeched at them. The South even offered a reward to any soldier who could shoot him. After the war Abe lived in the basement of the capitol building. When a fire broke out in the building, the eagle breathed in too much smoke and died. Today you can see a replica at the Veteran's Museum in Madison.
P is for...the Peshtigo fire of 1871
The summer of 1871 was unusually hot and dry in northeastern WI. A forest fire sprang up on October 8, 1871, killing 1,200 people and destroyed the entire town of Peshtigo and more than a million acrea of forestland. It was among the nation's deadliest fires, yet no national newspaper covered the story. That's because on the same night, a major fire boke out in Chicago.
Q is for...Quarry
During the late 1800's the Montello Granite Quarry was known throughout the United States. It was declared that red Montello granite was harder than any other granite. Builders used it for the tomb of President Ulysses S. Grant, and many buildings in the Midwest. It also was used for gravestones and roads. We have a quarry right near Kenosha in Racine!
R is for... Ringling Brothers
The Ringling family circus was one of more than a hundred circuses that got its start in Wisconsin. The circus traveled around the country during the summer and spent winters in Baraboo, WI sewing costumes, and training elephants, horses, and tigers. The Ringling brothers bought out their competitor, Barnum and Bailey and declared their new circus the "Greatest Show on Earth!"
N is for...Name
This week's power point will share information on how Wisconsin got its name!
Last week we were excited to have more ambitious students be the teacher! Congratulations to Callie Aceto who made an awesome power point: "L is for LaCrosse, WI." We also learned about what it was like to be a lumberjack in Northern Wisconsin. The kids enjoyed the videos of the lumberjack contests held each year in Hayward, WI! They also had fun watching a short video on one of the most famous lumberjacks...Paul Bunyon!
M is for Madison, WI
Did you know the capital of WI was named in honor of President James Madison, who died that summer?
We'll find out information about our great capital city!
K IS FOR KENOSHA...UPDATE!!
A student walked into class on Monday morning with a great idea! Her uncle works at KLEMENTS sausage in Milwaukee! She took the initiative to make her own powerpoint on Klements Co. So...we are learning about their products and having a "taste test" of Klement Italian sausages, brats, hotdogs, etc.
We will also play an online game featuring the famous "racing sausages!!"
Thank you to Lili for providing K is for KLEMENTS!!
Awesome job!
K is for...KENOSHA!
Initially, I wasn't sure what to discuss for the letter "K," and then it came to me....Kenosha, of course! We'll learn some important facts about our great city!
"J is for...jumprope!"
The kids learned that in the small township of Bloomer, WI, there is a jump rope contest held every January. Each jumper has only 10 seconds to compete. We couldn't believe that someone jumped 72 times! We held our first ever SJCA jump rope contest in the gym. We are pleased to announce our winners: Nick Harron, Kennedy Muff, and Laura Steiner. We gave it all we had, but no one got higher than 26 jumps in 10 seconds!
" I is for Indians"
This week the children will learn about Wisconsin's first inhabitants...the Indians. We'll find out who the first Native American tribes wereto come to WI in the 1800's, what the Indians hunted and ate, and why they created effigy mounds!
"H if for Houdini"
The children will love learning about this famous magician and escape artist. Although he was born in Hungary his family moved to Appleton, WI so his father could take a job as a Rabbi in a Jewish church.
The kids will be shocked to hear about Houdini's escape from the "Chinese torture water cell." He was chained upside down, locked in a glass cell, and submersed in water. It only took minutes for him to escape!
"G is for Governor"
This week's powerpoint will introduce the students to our current governor, Jim Doyle. They'll also meet the two men running in the Nov. 2nd election.
Learning that one of the governor's responsibilities is to either veto or approve a bill will be explained in the fun, musical "Schoolhouse Rock" song, "I'm just a bill."
We'll also go back in time to 1848 and find out who the first Wisconsin governor was. Ask your child how many capitol buildings have been built in Madison on the same site?!
This week is "D is for Dairy." Wisconsin is known as the Dairyland State. We'll watch a video, and learn about the many dairy products that come from our great state. Ask your kids how our homemade butter tastes!
We are contacting the Dairy Council to see if "Alice in Dairyland" will pay us a visit this year! She visits the Kenosha schools every other year and comes for a wonderfully interactive program.
It is our hope to visit a Kenosha County dairy farm this Fall.
Last week we learned about famous Wisconsin explorers...Jean Nicolet, Marquette and Jolliet,and Samuel de Champlain. The kids were sure surprised that after all the exploring that Nicolet did to be the first white man to enter Wisconsin, he died when his boat tipped and he didn't know how to swim!
This week is "F is for Flag." We'll learn what all the symbols on the Wisconsin flag really mean!
