Schermerhorn Park, Galena, Kansas: Travels in the USA

(Travelogues--Travels in the USA)

Schermerhorn Park, Galena, Kansas

Address: 3501 S Main St, Galena, KS 66739

This is part of my project to document my family's travels in the USA.  For more information on this project, see here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2026/07/travels-in-usa-index.html

Related Playlists:

Travelogues Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x71JnPJ1gs_uaswSALX-7V9

Travels in the USA Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyBwmNz6w5o&si=twqhcTKQk8a0WyoI

Kansas Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJJC3SyxFzUU&si=zbz5rDctwza0J3Cp

-ig Word Family: 2 Word Combinations

(TESOL Worksheets-- -ig Word Family)

Cards: docs, pub

Images were created on Google Gemini--original images here, the chat is here.

	pig in wig
	pig digs
	pig jigs
	pig zigs
	fig in wig
	pig gig
	big pig
	pig on rig
	fig on rig

Started: Persians: The Age of the Great Kings by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

City Museum, St. Louis, Missouri: Travels in the USA

(Travelogues--Travels in the USA)

City Museum, St. Louis, Missouri: Travels in the USA

Address: 750 N 16th St, St. Louis, MO 63103

This is part of my project to document my family's travels in the USA.  For more information on this project, see here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2026/07/travels-in-usa-index.html

Related Playlists:

Travelogues Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x71JnPJ1gs_uaswSALX-7V9

Travels in the USA Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyBwmNz6w5o&si=twqhcTKQk8a0WyoI

Missouri Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGAr6k9_NAfY&si=gTEc6b_31vkq50ws

St. Louis, Missouri Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAmf50xXkm4Q&si=J2OGaffiK4fpOeI7

Word Family -ig | Phonics Song for Kids | Jack Hartmann

I used this video in my classes to help students learn the -ig word family.  

Gateway Arch National Park and the St. Louis Arch, Missouri: Travels in the USA

(Travelogues--Travels in the USA)

Gateway Arch National Park and the St. Louis Arch, Missouri: Travels in the USA

This is video of the Saint Louis Arch, and some of the surrounding area.  Our guide told us that the surrounding area and the arch had been designated as one national park--Gateway Arch National Park.  We took a guided tour of this area, and because I didn't want to be rude to the guide, I wasn't filming through most of the tour, but I did get some footage of the Old Courthouse (where the Dred Scott case happened).  It was crowded at the Saint Louis arch, and I was busy watching my kids, but I got some footage from inside, and filmed the cable car ride going up.  And then we also filmed some of the park underneath the arch once we got down.

This is part of my project to document my family's travels in the USA.  For more information on this project, see here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2026/07/travels-in-usa-index.html

Related Playlists:

Travelogues Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x71JnPJ1gs_uaswSALX-7V9

Travels in the USA Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyBwmNz6w5o&si=twqhcTKQk8a0WyoI

Missouri Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGAr6k9_NAfY&si=gTEc6b_31vkq50ws

St. Louis, Missouri Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAmf50xXkm4Q&si=J2OGaffiK4fpOeI7

Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri: Travels in the USA

(Travelogues--Travels in the USA)

Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri: Travels in the USA

The Saint Louis Zoo was absolutely packed with people, and so, in order to minimize filming strangers without their permission, I did my best to try to aim my camera only at the animals and not at the people.  The result is that I wasn't really able to document the overall look of the zoo and the walkways, but hopefully this gives some sort of taste of what the zoo is like.

Address: 1 Government Dr, St. Louis, MO 63110

This is part of my project to document my family's travels in the USA.  For more information on this project, see here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2026/07/travels-in-usa-index.html

Related Playlists:

Travelogues Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x71JnPJ1gs_uaswSALX-7V9

Travels in the USA Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyBwmNz6w5o&si=twqhcTKQk8a0WyoI

Missouri Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGAr6k9_NAfY&si=gTEc6b_31vkq50ws

St. Louis, Missouri Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAmf50xXkm4Q&si=J2OGaffiK4fpOeI7

An important conversation:

Neighborhood Vocabulary

(TESOL Materials--Places)

Google Docs Folder HERE

* Leo's Big Walk--created from this chat here (Made using Google Gemini Storybook)

* Slideshow: slides, pub (The slideshow is based on the above storybook)

* Write the First Letter: docs, pub

* Coloring Sheet: docs, pub

* Lesson plan: docs, pub

[Note: These are all materials that I used to supplement the lesson 22 The Neighborhood p.58-59 from Oxford Picture Dictionary Content Areas for Kids, and the specific choice of vocabulary in the storybook is influenced by that lesson.   But I believe this material could also be used independently for any lesson on place vocabulary, so I'm posting it here.]

Target vocabulary: house, apartment building, street, street sign, address, 

Sidewalk, corner, streetlight, stop sign, fence, park, bench

Content objective: learn the names of objects in the neighborhood

Language objective: practice spelling and letter sounds

Stage Name	timing	Procedure
Expectations and Learning Target	10:25- 10:30
Lead-in	10:30-10:35	Slide 1 on the slideshow.  Elicit from students what the slide is.  (Or if necessary, give answer).  Ask students what things are in a neighborhood.  Students talk briefly with a partner.  Then whole class feedback.
Present Vocabulary (language from a text)	10:35-10:45	Gemini Storybook  (on slideshow).  Read through the storybook.  As the target vocabulary comes up, check with students to ensure they are noticing it.
Clarification and practice	10:45-10:55	Write the first letter.  Clarify the animals on the sheet with students, and sound out the first letter of each word.  Students write first letter on the sheet.
Time allowing	10:55 to end	Display page 58-59 on the white board.  Get students to find and circle the target vocabulary.  (Students can circle on their photocopy as well.) Coloring sheet

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, Illinois: Travels in the USA

(Travelogues--Travels in the USA)

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, Illinois: Travels in the USA

Also includes some video of the nearby area.

For better or for worse, I wasn't able to capture a lot of the Lincoln Presidential Museum.  For a few reasons.  There were some other groups going through, and I wasn't able to film some exhibits because other people were in the way.  (I didn't want to film anyone else without their permission).  Or other people were right behind me waiting, in some cases.  Also my kids weren't interested in most of the exhibits, so I was spending a lot of time just trying to keep track of my kids.

There actually were some impressive interactive exhibits at this museum.  (One of the museum clerks told me that the museum was designed by the same animatronics people who worked at Disney World.)  But my kids were probably just a bit too young for it.  This museum would probably be ideal for kids about 10-12 years old.

Address: 212 N 6th St, Springfield, IL 62701

This is part of my project to document my family's travels in the USA.  For more information on this project, see here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2026/07/travels-in-usa-index.html

Related Playlists:

Travelogues Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x71JnPJ1gs_uaswSALX-7V9

Travels in the USA Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyBwmNz6w5o&si=twqhcTKQk8a0WyoI

Illinois Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcfr_SnFEpto&si=H96JxHRaZhO1ULYk