Posted on September 1, 2011 by
missa
Ms. Avery on The Great Wall
Hi Everyone! I hope you all had a restful and fun summer vacation. I surely did! I greatly enjoyed traveling to China as well as Alabama, New Orleans and Washington , D.C. this summer. I had the great time journeying through China with many friends including Mrs. Winterhalder and Ms. Liberatore this past July. It was my second time in China. We flew first to Beijing where I got to see the Forbidden City, home of the Emperor when China was under Imperial rule, The Summer Palace, The Bird’s Nest, site of the 2008 Olympics and The Great Wall. We also enjoyed a pedicab ride through a tradition Beijing neighborhood called a hutong.
Next, it was an overnight train to the western city of Xian, ancient capital of China and ending spot of the famous Silk Road. It was also the final resting place of the First Emperor of China, Chin Shi-Quangdi, and Iwas able to take a tour his 8,000 strong Terra Cotta army that was buried near his tomb to protect him in the after-life. We then flew to Chongqing and took an incredible boat trip down the Yangtze River, China’s longest river and the second largest river in the world.
Ms. Avery, Mrs. Winterhalder, Mr. Fell and Ms. Liberatore at The Three Gorges Damn
We sailed through the gorges which were beautiful natural wonders, and we also made a brief stop to gazed upon the man-made magnificence of the Three Gorges Damn, the world’s largest damn. We docked in Wuhan and spent a night in this river town before taking a plane to the city of Shanghai at the mouth of the Yangtze. Shanghai is one of China’s largest cities and is very modern. We had a great time enjoying the festive atmosphere at night while walking along the Bund. During the day we enjoyed exploring the side streets of and seeing all the daily life of this city’s inhabitants.
The Children's March in Birmingham, Alabama
Also this summer I participated in a Teaching American History Grant on The Civil Rights Movement. I, along with about 25 other Connecticut teachers, traveled to Alabama and New Orleans stopping along the way at different historic locations along the Civil Rights trail such as Montgomery, Birmingham and Selma, Alabama. These were all places where ordinary Black Americans struggled and triumphed to achieve equal rights.
MArtin Luther King Memorial, Washington, DC
In late August I was fortunate enough to go and see the unveiling of the new Martin Luther KIng Memorial in Washington, DC. It will definitely be a stop for all of the eight graders in April. Martin Luther King, as you know, was the famous civil rights leader during the 1950s and 1960s, who was tragically killed by an assassin’s bullet in 1968 at the very young age of 39. The King memorial overlooks the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial, a memorial to the third President of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence and the words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”
My summer was not all travel. I relaxed too, reading, kayaking, BBQing, enjoying concerts in the park, visiting Mystic Aquarium with my mom, and reading several books.
So now I’m ready to begin a new school year and I hope you are as well. I’d love to hear what you did this summer? Feel free to comment and share your summer fun!
10 Comments »
Filed under: Global Connections
