Second graders have been learning about St. Louis landmarks this year. This past Tuesday, they took what one student called a “magical” trip to the Gateway Arch!
Currently, MICDS second-grade students are studying Westward Expansion. “We visited the St. Louis Arch for a ranger-led tour titled ‘St. Louis from the Beginning,'” explains Second Grade Homeroom Teacher Nicole Skaggs. “We were guided through the Museum under the Gateway Arch to learn why the Arch was built and a bit of history on the building of the Arch.”
During the tour, students got to hold pieces of material used to construct our city’s famous landmark. They learned about the founding of St. Louis, a brief history of our city, and why St. Louis is thought of as the Gateway to the West. “The children enjoyed seeing their learning come to life, with one second grader commenting, ‘This is magical!’ shared Ms. Skaggs.
To top off the trip, our Rams enjoyed a picnic lunch on the lawn by the arch and ran around on the open grass lawn. Beneath a beautiful blue sky and the bright sun, it was a wonderful day to see this Gateway to the West landmark!
“Our second graders did an amazing job making connections between their classroom learnings and the Arch museum exhibits,” reflects Miriam Rotskoff, Second Grade Homeroom Teacher. “A picnic lunch under such a significant U.S. landmark was the perfect way to end our visit!”
If you want to know more about the Gateway Arch, be sure to ask an MICDS second grader. Go Rams!