The first stop was the print shop, where the kids learned about the long, expensive process of printing a newspaper (on a paper-type material made from rags - how have I never heard this?) and the importance of using the correct word for things instead of using slang.
Next we went to the saddlers' shop, where we learned about the various methods of tanning and heard a true, truly horrific tale about Big Nose George, perfect for the day before Halloween.
The third stop was the most interactive but also the least pleasant as we were outside in the freezing wind. The kids went on a little trek, pushing/pulling handcarts in a loop within the park. The kids did a great job! We learned that adults were allowed to bring about 17 pounds of personal belongings in the handcart, while kids were allowed about 10 pounds. Not much to get you comfortably across the country and ready to get settled in a new place, is it?
Our next activity was a "train" ride (more of a bus) around the park with commentary from a tour guide. We learned some interesting facts, including...
the story behind the wall around Heber C. Kimball's home. In the below picture, the wall is about 3 feet high, but in real life the wall around his home was 9 feet high. I immediately started wondering why in the world someone would want such a tall wall around his home, but the explanation is beautiful. You see, he used the building of his wall as a way to put people to work when they were new to town, until they were able to find regular employment.
When the train tour was over, it was lunch time. Jack ate his sack lunch in record time and begged me to take him home so we could get out of the cold. The teacher agreed to let us leave a little early, and I was so glad that I'd driven myself instead of having to wait for everyone on the bus to be ready to go. Hooray for a warm car!
I was so glad to be able to join Jack and his class on this field trip!
PS> Here's a little video I made for the teacher to share with her class.
So interesting.
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