Chicago

[Trigg]

I was a chaperon for my daughters 7th grade trip to the museum of science and industry yesterday. I was in charge of ten 13 year old girls.

It was a school trip so of course we had assignments, one of ours was our thoughts on the WWII sub and what we learned that we didn't know before. I was amazed at how little the girls were taught about this time in history and I tried to bring it into perspective by mentioning that most of their great grandfathers had fought in this war. In the end they showed a lot of interest and even searched out their last names on the memorial.

We had a great time.....once we got a current map. The one supplied by the school must have been 2 years old. We kept wondering why we couldn't find our way to exhibits. I felt like an idiot until I stopped at the information booth.:laugh2:

[Kathianne]

I was a chaperon for my daughters 7th grade trip to the museum of science and industry yesterday. I was in charge of ten 13 year old girls.

It was a school trip so of course we had assignments, one of ours was our thoughts on the WWII sub and what we learned that we didn't know before. I was amazed at how little the girls were taught about this time in history and I tried to bring it into perspective by mentioning that most of their great grandfathers had fought in this war. In the end they showed a lot of interest and even searched out their last names on the memorial.

We had a great time.....once we got a current map. The one supplied by the school must have been 2 years old. We kept wondering why we couldn't find our way to exhibits. I felt like an idiot until I stopped at the information booth.:laugh2:

I'm glad you got on the sub! Coal mine?

I will say in our curriculum, it's not until 8th grade that the students have US history beyond the Revolution, if I'm lucky. I literally am teaching 3 years of history, with kids that have little or no background knowledge. 6th grade is ancient history, (when I'm lucky I can get to Aztecs, Mayans, etc. Most of the time lucky to get in The Enlightenment. That's my most useful year. With Greece, Mesopotamia, Confucius, Rome, Middle Ages, and Renaissance at least I get in the Magna Carta, 10 Commandments, Civil Service, Democracy, Republic, Locke, Rousseau, Hobbes...talk about forcing connections.

7th is US history, including mandatory US and IL Constitution exams. That takes a month and a half to 2 months. Year begins with Spanish Conquistadors and ends at Civil War. 8th grade is the least harried-Reconstruction to today.

[hjmick]

I love that museum. The coal mine is something else.

[PostmodernProphet]

When I was in law school I worked to pay my way as a school bus driver....we were about an hour or so out of Chicago and I drove field trips nearly once a week....after seeing the museum a half dozen times, instead I would go to the research department, grab a chair and do my studying......got paid $7.25 an hour to study for a couple of years.....

[Trigg]

The girls wanted to go to the coal mine, but the wait was VERY long. We stopped to talk to a group that was in line and they'd been waiting 20 minutes and were only 1/2 way there.

Since we skipped that part we were able to see pretty much everything else. We also had time to sit and get ice cream.

I wish we'd had more time, but we didn't get their until 11:30 and had to leave by 3:45. With lunch in there the time just flew. We had quite a long drive.

[Kathianne]

The girls wanted to go to the coal mine, but the wait was VERY long. We stopped to talk to a group that was in line and they'd been waiting 20 minutes and were only 1/2 way there.

Since we skipped that part we were able to see pretty much everything else. We also had time to sit and get ice cream.

I wish we'd had more time, but we didn't get their until 11:30 and had to leave by 3:45. With lunch in there the time just flew. We had quite a long drive.

That's one of the things that is great about field trips, especially if the parent chaperones, trips as a family are inspired. After chaperoning trips to DC and Boston, we followed up as a family, seeing many of the things at leisure we had wanted to on the field trip.

The Museum of S & I is I'd guess, Chicago's most popular for field trips, but the Field Museum is my personal favorite. I'd never say, "No" to a trip to the Art Institute, The First Amendment Museum, Chicago Museum, or the Planetarium. Most of the kids I know, would pick the Aquarium as #1, I'm just not crazy about fish, other than eating them!

[Mr. P]

I've spent many a day sitting at Midway with nothing to do but read news paper after news paper..wish I'd have known about this museum. On the other hand we were always just a phone call away from departure...just the nature of the business.

[crin63]

I loved the Field Museum. I was in Chicago for a week of medical testing in 2006 and had to go to the museum. I wanted to see the Salvo lions. They also had that scam going at the time, the King Tut exhibit. That was quite a ripoff.

We used to take kids on 7-10 day field trips but it was just too much money and strain on us old folks. We went to D.C., New England, Virginia and Flagstaff. Our age group started at age 13 and I always got the trouble makers with me. I guess I had a knack for keeping them in line.

[Kathianne]

I loved the Field Museum. I was in Chicago for a week of medical testing in 2006 and had to go to the museum. I wanted to see the Salvo lions. They also had that scam going at the time, the King Tut exhibit. That was quite a ripoff.

We used to take kids on 7-10 day field trips but it was just too much money and strain on us old folks. We went to D.C., New England, Virginia and Flagstaff. Our age group started at age 13 and I always got the trouble makers with me. I guess I had a knack for keeping them in line.

When I go as a teacher, I'm usually the 'free' one, meaning the terror kids are with me. ;) I think the Field Museum may be one of the best natural history museums outside of the Smithsonian.

Here's a sampling of exhibits:

http://www.fieldmuseum.org/exhibits/

Can find more permanent ones by clicking on the right of page.

[hjmick]

The Field is another fantastic visit. I love museums. Spend many a weekend down in L.A. visiting the myriad of options there.

[crin63]

The Field is another fantastic visit. I love museums. Spend many a weekend down in L.A. visiting the myriad of options there.

Thats funny, it just occurred to me that I almost only go to museums when I'm out of town and almost never go to the museums here at home in Los Angeles.

I think part of it is we go to places where my daughter can take photos for competition.

[crin63]

The Field is another fantastic visit. I love museums. Spend many a weekend down in L.A. visiting the myriad of options there.

OOPS It said there was a server error.

[Kathianne]

OOPS It said there was a server error.

Hmmm, I didn't have a problem just now. google Field Museum Chicago.

[Kathianne]

Thats funny, it just occurred to me that I almost only go to museums when I'm out of town and almost never go to the museums here at home in Los Angeles.

I think part of it is we go to places where my daughter can take photos for competition.

Perhaps my brother and I were lucky. Our parents never had been to a museum or zoo until they had my cousins, then us. I think they were even more thrilled with the city than I am. However we went to one of the museums at least every other month, then out for dinner afterwards. They were members at both Field and Museum of S & I, as well as Brookfield Zoo. Never missed Christmas at Brookfield Zoo or Museum of S & I. 3 years our vacations were at the Palmer House, (my parents' honeymoon hotel), for a week: shopping, museums, plays restaurants, and Lake Michigan beaches. I did the same with my kids, now I do it with the kids at school.

With that said, I don't think government funding of them is the way to go. Sorry, just had to throw that in. ;)

[hjmick]

Thats funny, it just occurred to me that I almost only go to museums when I'm out of town and almost never go to the museums here at home in Los Angeles.

I think part of it is we go to places where my daughter can take photos for competition.


There are a lot around here to visit, crin. Petersen Automotive Museum‎, Gene Autry Western Heritage, Page Museum/La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, LACMA (art), the Getty, Radio and Television, Museum of Neon Art, The Reagan Library, Southwest Museum of the American Indian, California Science Center‎, the list goes on.

[Kathianne]

There are a lot around here to visit, crin. Petersen Automotive Museum‎, Gene Autry Western Heritage, Page Museum/La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, LACMA (art), the Getty, Radio and Television, Museum of Neon Art, The Reagan Library, Southwest Museum of the American Indian, California Science Center‎, the list goes on.

I've been to Getty! Way cool!

[hjmick]

I've been to Getty! Way cool!

The new one in the Mulholland or the old one out on PCH?

[hjmick]

You know, crin, if your daughter is into photography, the Huntington Library has some beautiful gardens, as does the The Los Angeles County Arboretum. In fact, the Arboretum is also home to Mr. Rourke's home from Fantasy Island.

[Kathianne]

The new one in the Mulholland or the old one out on PCH?

I don't know, went there on a tour bus from Loyola Marymount. Had beautiful gardens. About an hour and a half? If memory serves. Back in 2001.

[hjmick]

I don't know, went there on a tour bus from Loyola Marymount. Had beautiful gardens. About an hour and a half? If memory serves. Back in 2001.

The one on PCH has gardens and a lot of statuary, they also used to house the art collection there. The art collection was moved to the new Mulholland location which is where I'd bet you went, only because the Villa, as they call it, spent a few years undergoing extensive renovations and only reopened in 2006.

[Kathianne]

The one on PCH has gardens and a lot of statuary, they also used to house the art collection there. The art collection was moved to the new Mulholland location which is where I'd bet you went, only because the Villa, as they call it, spent a few years undergoing extensive renovations and only reopened in 2006.

I'm ashamed to say I don't remember much beyond the gardens. I was in LA 3 weeks, lots of law stuff and lots of tourist stuff.