After learning about cultural regions of long ago and the regions of the United States today, third graders study the state of Missouri in depth (natural features, natural resources, Missouri history, important people of Missouri, and Missouri government). They dove deep into their learning and took a trip to the state capitol of Missouri: Jefferson City. “We’ve been working for years to make this field trip a possibility, and our hope is that it will continue to be a cornerstone of our social studies work in third grade for years to come,” noted JK-12 History Department Chair Carla Federman, who, with other teachers and parents, tagged along on the trip to help the third grade faculty.
An early arrival at school meant the students could get on the road quickly, arriving at the Capitol building by 9:30 a.m. After a quick bathroom break, they were off and running!
The first stop? The Supreme Court! Students were able to see the seat of the Missouri judiciary, taking in the courtrooms and the Supreme Court Library.
The Supreme Court of the State of Missouri was created in 1820, the year before Missouri officially became a state. Since the state’s third constitution was adopted in 1875, the Supreme Court has been located in Jefferson City, the state’s capital. In 1905, using a portion of the proceeds from the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, the general assembly appropriated $400,000 to build the present Supreme Court Building.
The class then visited the Capitol House, starting in the rotunda on the first floor and visiting the Hall of Famous Missourians and the House Lounge. A guide explained how the legislative session works.
Students were able to meet with Senator Tracy McCreery of the 24th Senatorial District in St. Louis County, where MICDS is located. “Senator McCreery and several of our tour guides commented on what an amazing group our third graders were,” said Federman. “They were curious about everything, from the number of books in the Supreme Court Library to the paintings and insignia on the walls of the Capital, but also deeply interested in and unafraid to ask questions to the many government employees and guides we met with.”
Everyone enjoyed lunch outside on the South Lawn before walking to the Governor’s Mansion for a tour. The Missouri Governor’s Mansion is one of few executive residences in the United States open to the public. It has been the official residence of Missouri’s Governors since 1872 and is one of the oldest governors’ homes in the United States. It was completed in late December 1871. The cost, including some of the furnishings, was $74,960. The Mansion was designed by noted St. Louis architect George Ingham Barnett and is an example of Second Empire architecture, a style characterized by the patterned mansard roof popular in the 1860s. The original three-story structure was built containing 13 bedrooms and no bathrooms or closets. The home includes a freestanding winding stairway with a hand-carved black walnut banister, marble fireplaces, elaborate 17-foot ceilings, and handsome Renaissance Revival furnishings.
Their final stop was a visit to Jefferson’s Landing, a former general store turned into an interactive museum. A guide led the students through the museum, explaining exhibits along the way.
“In the second semester, third grade focuses in on Missouri history and government, and this field trip was able to bring so much of that to life,” said Federman. “The opportunity to hear about the judicial branch while sitting in the main courtroom in the Missouri Supreme Court, or ask questions of a state Senator in the halls of the Capital, or tour the Governor’s Mansion, all were remarkable opportunities for our students. And, this gave them a unique opportunity to practice so many of the skills that they’ve been working on all year, from note-taking, to interviewing, to summarizing, to digital literacy!”
At each location, students worked on graphic organizers designed to help them get the most of this field trip. They recorded what they noticed and answered questions such as “What is the purpose of this building?” and “Who works here and what are their jobs?” They noted two facts about each spot, and considered additional questions that their visit sparked. Their last page encouraged them to be creative, filling an outline of the state of Missouri with words, images, questions, ideas, observations, and wonderings from the day.
The bus ride home was made more enjoyable by Central Dairy ice cream cups.
What a wonderful experience for our third-grade citizens. “I am so grateful to Third Grade Homeroom Teachers Meg Mottl and Jessica Lloyd, and Teaching Associate Angela Bruun, for the tremendous amount of work that they put in to make this field trip happen. Their love of experiential learning and exceptional attention to detail is what made all this possible,” said Federman. Hear, hear! We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!