Kansas School

With our Story of the World Volume 1 (Ancient History) book being finished for the year, I've decided to end our semester with a Kansas focus.

It started off with a visit to Living History Day in Havensville, KS.

We spent some time focusing on the Prairie (incorporating concepts such as biomes, habitats, and climate).  A hike on the Konza seemed fitting.  It was fun to look at different grasses and wildflowers that were starting to bloom.  We saw that some of it had been burned and we talked about why that is a good thing.  We saw some deer.  We sketched the trail, the flowers, and the landscape.  We stopped for (many) snacks. :)  They LOVED it.  And didn't want to stop hiking.  They were troopers!

We took our first of 3 Kansas Field Trips!    This one was to Abilene and the surrounding area.

We started the morning at the Dwight D. Eisenhower home and burial site.  It was fun to interact with the kids through this.  They thought it was pretty special to be able to see these places.  We chatted about the Interstate system (as we drove I-70 to Abilene) and how Eisenhower was the president to initiate that.

 Dwight's mom used to make 9 loaves of bread every other day for her family.  This contraption was her bread dough riser.  I thought it was pretty awesome.

 We didn't get the chance to visit the library or museum, because we needed to make it to Salina in time for Aliza's first Vision Therapy appointment.  It was kind of sandwiched into our Field Trip, but it was a big moment for her and she did great!

 After her appoitment, we had lunch at the popular Cozy Inn Burgers in Salina.  We had not eaten there before.  It definitely has its own culture and the burgers are unique.  The kids thought they were amazing.  I'm not so fond of onions...they are not optional.

 I didn't get pictures of our next stop, the Smokey Hill Museum.  It was a spontaneous decision, as we had the time, and it was free admission.  The favorite exhibit there was a built-in authentic looking, furnished log cabin.

Then, onto Rock City near Minneapolis, KS.  This was a HIT!
This place is the largest grouping of Dakota sandstone concretions in the world.  It was fun to discuss how we think these rocks got here and what would have caused the different angles of layers.  Geologists have theories about Kansas being covered by an inland sea millions of years ago.  I wonder if it could have had something to do with the flood?

Does anyone else find it odd that there are multiple concretions that look like faces??

My kids call these the "Little Pea" rocks because of their resemblance to this character.

Aliza scratched her belly climbing down from a concretion and was pretty tuckered out after that.

  The other girls still wanted to "carve" their names into the rocks.

After a quick stop at Burger King, we left for home.  It was pretty fun to hear the girls so energized by this trip.  I got plenty of comments about being such a "fun" mommy and "having great ideas".  It filled my mom/teacher cup for the day.  School definitely isn't always so easy. :)  This motivates me to work more field trips into our school!