Third Day

On today's adventure throughout Memphis we learned several things ranging from information about the Civil Rights movement to the importance of music to Memphis's culture. The parts to me that stood out most were when we learned about the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and the musicians that recorded at Sun Studios through time. The grief shown by not just the African American community but by the whole world about the assassination was a very emotional and moving moment for hopefully all our students there. The people involved with the Civil Rights fought through the pain they felt towards Martin Luther's death and they focused on additional, real issues facing our country. It would be beneficial to us all to use what these people did as an example of how we should conduct ourselves when we are standing up for something we believe in. - Ryan

My favorite place we visited today was the National Civil Rights Museum. It was really interesting to learn about Civil Rights history. It was also really saddening to know that in those times African Americans would be treated so terribly. The 8th grade Adventure Week trip is really fun and interesting. - Michelle

During Adventure Week 2017, there were many stories told that shed light on a darker time in the history of the United States. These times impacted the world and many of the people that walked through the corridors of the Civil Rights Museum and the Slave Haven museum today. For me, the Civil Rights Museum coupled with Slave Haven impacted me the most, presenting the difficult past of the African Americans in gritty detail. Using video footage and authentic documents, the realism was put in the foreground, educating me and at the same time inspiring me to do the right thing. - Hunter

Today we went to the Rock and Soul Museum after the Civil Rights Museum and it was very interesting! After that, we had a delicious lunch of chicken and waffles at Miss Polly's on Beale Street. After dinner, we were privileged to watch "Hidden Figures" and it was an excellent movie! This has been a very fun trip. - Hayden

Today we went to a variety of museums across downtown Memphis. First, we visited the Civil Rights museum, which was very interesting, but also gloomy considering it was the place where Dr. King was assassinated. Later in the day we went to the Rock and Soul Museum, where the class got to experience a collection of old rock and roll hits on a tour headset. What I loved the most about that was the album art hung up in the walls. The other museums  of the day where very intriguing because we had great tour guides talk and teach about rock and roll, musicians, slaves, and secession. Overall Wednesday was very busy and exciting. - Kathryn

We saw many interesting sites in Memphis today, one of which was the Rock and Soul museum. It had an audio tour that included songs from different periods and styles of music. I learned about how soul music lead to the creation of the Rock genre. The museum was entertaining. Afterwards we made a stop at Miss Polly's where we ate skillet fried pies! - Sarah

After lunch, we visited an Underground Railroad stop in the form of an old farmhouse now made into a museum. Here we learned about the secret codes passed from person to person via quilt patterns that would be hung on the line at safe houses. These codes told the slaves when to prepare and how to get to the northern states. After visiting the house, we went to Sun Studios where many famous musicians have recorded well known songs. It was a really fun day. - Sophia

This afternoon, we visited the Slave Haven Museum, where we saw a typical hiding space under a house that a runaway slave might crawl though on the Underground Railroad. It is different to hear the measures the slaves took to get away and how quiet they had to be on their journey while standing exactly where they have stood in the past. It really opened my eyes to see how hard the slaves worked and the conditions they endured, like being in those small cramped quarters for two to four weeks or maybe longer. It was an amazing experienced that I appreciated. - Jourdyn

On the third day of our Adventure Week, our 8th grade class went to various museums. One destination was a house that slaves fleeing the South used as temporary shelter from bounty hunters. The owners of the house would make quilts and, sometimes, hang them on a large magnolia on the front lawn. These quilts had secret codes in the patterns that slaves used for directions to the North. If the slaves needed to stay in the house, they would hide in the cellar. In order to get to the cellar, slaves climbed down onto the cold ground under the house through a trap door near the front of the house. They would have to army crawl about 15 feet to a tiny hole that they had to squeeze through to get into the cellar. The amount of bravery these runaway slaves had to have in order to survive astounds me. Entering the cellar and looking into the tiny crawl space made me wonder if our grade could survive as runaway slaves. - Cecelie

 Going to Sun Studio was one of the best places we went today!  The museum on the second floor was really interesting because of all of the original records and some items from the first artists who signed with the label. The guide, also a musician in her spare time, made it really interactive by playing the music each artist made, while explaining how they impacted the record label. The best part of the tour would have to be when we were in the actual recording studio. The microphone Elvis Presley used when auditioning for the label and the drum set from U2 were some of the incredibly interesting artifacts they had that we were allowed to touch. -Annabelle

 

For dinner, the students were able to enjoy pizza at our dinner restaurant, Mellow Mushroom. By the way it arrived and almost immediately disappeared, the students certainly enjoyed their dinner meal! Just a three minute walk away, an evening film awaited the group.

At the end of the long, busy day we went to see the movie Hidden Figures. The film centers around three African American women, Katherin G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. These women made important, previously unknown contributions to NASA that enabled the organization to launch the first Americans into space. The movie takes place during segregation and shows the struggles that these women faced daily and how they overcame through perseverance. - Marissa

Hidden Figures has a lot of historical meaning and references to what we've seen this week. It taught everyone a lot, but was also enjoyable to watch. The film is largely about Civil Rights, the subject that this trip during Adventure Week has focused on. In entirety, it was a fun and new addition to our trip that I am glad we were able to take advantage of. -Maggie

Second Day

Today we traveled further back in time, all the way to the Civil War. With a very early morning, most of the students slept on our forty-five minute bus ride to Shiloh. At Shiloh students were able to tour an exhibit and see sights both on foot and from the bus. Mrs. Blanchett  and Mr. Trout provided tales and facts as we drove through the battleground, stopping at various sights.

After our video, the students were surprised to hear drum beats. A Park Ranger came in and gave an informative but rousing talk about the drummers of the army and their duties.  He demonstrated the various beats that signal retreat, bedtime, the morning alarm, and victory in battle. His descriptions of how a regiment would spread out shoulder to shoulder on the battlefield and the workings of a musket better helped students understand the importance of timing and clear communication during the chaotic battles.

 In the morning, we got up at 5:45, and we went to have breakfast at around 6 a.m. We ate a delicious breakfast. We left the hotel around 6:45. Though it started raining, and we had to visit the museum in the rainy weather, it was pretty cool. At both Shiloh and Corinth we watched historical re-enactment videos and we were able to shop for souvenirs.  What a fun day and wonderful day today! - Owen

At Shiloh, I learned about how difficult it was to be a soldier during that era. The men fought long and hard and overcame many trials. Boys my own age would play drums in the middle of war, run through battlefields to retrieve supplies, and they were some of the most courageous people ever. They fought for what they believed in. - Nathan

The thing I remember the most from today's trip is the weather (the same rainy weather that the soldiers fought in way back then) and the details of the battle of Shiloh. It shows me how hard it was to fight in rain or at a muddy place. It was also difficult to fight because there were trees everywhere and people could get confused and go the wrong way in battle. It was very loud at the battle, so people might not be able to hear the drum during the battle, and there were also risks of getting ran over by your own cannon or losing arms or legs because of accidents while firing a cannon. - Johnny

From Shiloh we rode another forty-five minutes to Corinth where we would learn about the importance of the rail system for both armies, the taking of Corinth by Union forces, and the Contraband Camp.

At the battle site of Corinth, Mississippi they showed us a timeline of U.S. history by way of a memorial water feature with stone blocks and waterfalls. At the 'beginning' of the memorial, a black square of stone displayed lines from the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, two documents that identified the U.S. as an independent nation. Thirteen small waterfalls represented the original thirteen states. Sunk into the shallow pool, hindering the water's progression, were red bricks representing moments of conflict. Farther along the memorial, stone pillars marked major Civil War battles. Their size corresponded to the number of casualties while each side of the pillar showed the Union name for the battle/campaign and the Confederate name for the same skirmish. Overall the main point of this valuable lesson is that, while the Civil War separated our country, it also caused Amendments that would bring us closer together. - Jason & Christian

At Corinth we were able to learn how to load and fire a cannon. It is fired by a string that is pulled back to create friction, instead of lighting a fuse with fire. I also learned how the Union beat the Confederates with strong battle strategies. General Ulysses S Grant was the general before he became President. - Andrew

Today we learned about battles! After we went to lunch, we went explored the museum exhibit detailing the Civil War history of Corinth and the Contraband Camp. - Matthew

Before dinner, some students engaged in pool time at the indoor, heated pool. Others opted to rest up before our Memphis BBQ. A filling and delicious dinner was had at the famous Corky's near our hotel. We all stuffed ourselves with ribs, pulled pork, catfish, sausage and sides. Now it's off to bed for another night of comfy sleep.

First day

         
Hello! What a whirlwind first day full of great experiences. Below, please find several 'reflections' from the day.  

           
Our first day of adventure week was spent driving in the bus. We drove for a couple hours until we reached Jimmy Johns and ate lunch there. We then got back on the bus and drove to Central High and were taken on a tour. It was upsetting and saddening to see all of the things that the Little Rock 9 went through just to go to school every day. They struggled immensely, but they persevered. We take equality for granted, but it wasn't always around and not everybody had it. We need to learn about these struggles so we can appreciate what we have. The first day of 8th grade adventure week has already taught me so much. -Grace

We set off this year and made it all the way without any bus problems! When we arrived at Central High School, I was surprised to see such a magnificent school. The architecture of the building struck me. I was also surprised to hear about all the very real violence faced by the Little Rock nine. They showed me that a few people can make a difference. - Zoe

Central High was very cool. We got to see the lockers and sit in the auditorium. We also saw a monument with historical pictures. Overall, it was a very cool place to see because of how much happened and how much history is contained in one school - Justin

Today, we got to go on a tour inside Central High School, which was very cool because recent, previous trips had not walked through the school. We were also able to visit their Memorial Garden where we saw pictures from the integration. We watched a newer video inspiring youth to use their voices and to fight for what they believe in. All that we visited was really awesome. For our dinner in Memphis, we went to a diner/arcade, which was extremely fun and a good way to end the first day after being on the bus for such a long drive. - Keegan

Central High is a magnificent building. In the late 50's, nine African American students integrated with the white students in order to get a better education. Those students exhibited tremendous effort and, eventually they succeeded. - Cytheria

The interesting and surreal part of visiting Central High was walking up the same stairs that the Nine walked up. They traveled those stairs and changed the world. It was a very special experience that I was happy to take part in. - Ender

Our tour guide today accurately and effectively told the story of the Little Rock Nine, which allowed us to picture what it would have been like to face such a challenge. This event was very interesting and provided an excellent start for our 8th grade adventure week. Although we spent a lot of time in transit on the bus, we still had fun and are excited for tomorrow's events. - Emerson

Learning about the Little Rock Nine gave us a glimpse of education in the 50's. We were able to see an engaging exhibit in the main lobby of the visitor center. After we got to the hotel in Memphis, a few of our classmates took a walk on a trail next to the hotel and saw deer and the beautiful sunset. We then went to bed to rest for the next day. - Emma

Looking Forward to a Week of Adventure!

Are you ready for an adventure? 8th grades will update this blog each evening, reflecting on the good times had each day! Here's a sampling of what's to come:

Monday:
Little Rock Central High National Historic Site
Check in at hotel
Dinner and games at Incredible Pizza

Tuesday:
Shiloh National Military Park
Civil War Interpretive Center--Corinth
Dinner at Corky's Memphis BBQ

Wednesday:
National Civil Rights Museum
Rock and Soul Museum
Lunch at Miss Polly's Soul City Cafe on Beale Street
The Burkle Estate/Slave Haven Museum
Sun Studio

Thursday:
Load up and head home!