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Mill Creek's Fourth Grade Students Take on Springfield

Field trip to Springfield is special adventure for the fourth grade class at Mill Creek.

Oct. 1 was no ordinary Friday for Mill Creek's fourth grade students. On this Friday, the students woke up early and were divided into two charter buses that headed for Springfield at 6 a.m.

The students did not mind the early hour or the three-hour bus ride. Each bus had a different schedule for that day, but all the students were able to see the same sites.

The first destination was the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The kids and their chaperone had two and a half hours for the self-guided tour of the museum. What was the favorite attraction at the Lincoln Museum? It was Mary's Attic. In this section of the museum kids take on an interactive role as they are able to dress and play as children did back in the 1800's. Another feature that the students were enthralled by was the original black top hat that Mr. Lincoln wore through out his presidency.

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The next stop was Lincoln's Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery. The 117-foot granite tomb contains the bodies of Lincoln, his wife Mary, and three of his son's, Edward, William, and Thomas. Robert, Lincoln's oldest son is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C. The kids silently entered the building following the circular hallway to the burial chamber where the red marble marker sits atop of Lincoln's coffin which is buried below the floor in a steel chamber. The biggest question that all the kids wanted to know was asked by Jack Belloli, "Which way does his body go?"

The courtyard on the outside is the home of the bronze bust where the kids lined up to rub the nose of Lincoln hoping that good luck would come to them.

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Our next stop was the State Capitol. The tour began with a climb up five flights of stairs to the Senate chamber. The senate was not in session but the kids liked to see where all the government working takes place. The House of Representatives chambers, the supreme court hearing room, the portrait hall of former governors and finally the governor's office were also on the tour. What was the best part of the Capitol tour? The kids liked the security check the best.

The final stop on the trip was Lincoln's family home. Lincoln purchased his one and only house, a one-and-a-half-story cottage, which was expanded into two stories where the Lincolns raised their family for 17 years. The house today reflects the home of 1860 and contains many of the original artifacts that were used or owned by the Lincoln's. "How come there is no bathroom in the house?" was frequently asked. Finding out that the family had to go outside to the little building in the yard was a big surprise.

The top three sites that were voted the best by Mohmammed Kadiri, Ayden Timberlake and Robbie McGorty were the Lincoln's bronze bust, Lincoln's hat, and Mary's attic room.

When I asked the kids would they like to go again, it was a resounding "YES."

 

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