Got To Love New York!
First off, I would like to thank Jonathan, Matt, and Scott for a magnificently planned trip. It was better than I possibly thought it could be, and I already had high expectations!
What an amazing adventure, and what a learning experience! This is definitely the greatest city in the world. How could anybody argue otherwise? From any location in downtown New York you are within walking distance of Wall Street, Ground Zero,
The Kid in the Middle is Freaking Out!
the Brooklyn Bridge, and a place where you can gaze at the Statue of Liberty. You can mingle in the same streets where Hamilton and Jefferson struck deals, and where George Washington first took the oath of office as President of the United States, a block from where Apollo Astronauts rode through ticker-tape parades. This is definitely the Big Apple. It is loaded with political power and historical significance,
Lady Liberty
and is without a doubt the entertainment capital of the world; boasting the best of the best in museums, opera, ballet, entertainers, dining, and sight-seeing of the most recognizable structures anywhere. Where icons like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Marlin Monroe, and James Dean walked the streets and where American heroes like Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt began their public service. And above all it is the multicultural capital of the universe where diversity is celebrated and not viewed as a means to ending America’s identity. This IS America’s identity and has been ever since the Dutch first inhabited islands in the harbor around four hundred years ago. As if it couldn’t get any better, it is also one of the safest big cities in the world with over 40,000 police officers within the five boroughs. Ken Jackson put it best when he said that an outsider visiting the city has a much greater chance of being struck by lightning than being the victim of a violent crime. And that’s just the city! Farther north are some of the most incredibly scenic
Mockingbird on Cliffs over Looking Hudson River Below Culinary Institute
landscapes anywhere with gems like Cooperstown dotting the map along the way. The Hudson and Mohawk Valleys are spectacular and the cities along the Erie Canal all have special stories to tell. This entire experience has changed the way I look at American History, and even though I have always included many things about New York in my lesson plans, I have a feeling the units will be a little bit more precise. I will certainly have enough nice photographs for the visual learners.
