FOURTH-GRADERS CELEBRATE MISSOURI WEEK

JACKSON -- Although today officially is Missouri Day, it's only part of Missouri Week at West Lane Elementary.

Since Monday, fourth-graders have been listening to speakers, constructing models and planning for their grand finale celebration on Friday, complete with fiddles, mules and ice cream cones.

Missouri history is a part of fourth-grade curriculum in this state, but as with many subjects, it can be tough to make history interesting for children. However, teachers at West Lane don't give a lecture and pass out worksheets. They plan hands-on activities for all 10 fourth-grade classes.

On Monday, a Missouri Department of Conservation employee discussed soil, streams and erosion. On Tuesday, Jack Smoot of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources spoke about Bollinger Mill. Today, Patsy Johnson will tell students about trains and hobos, and the students will dress up as their favorite Missourians.

Teacher Carol Baugh said she expected Jesse James would be the big hit, although another teacher said she expected a young Rush Limbaugh or two.

"We started all this about three years ago -- really observing Missouri Day as a celebration," Baugh said. "We divide the state into five regions and there are two teachers per region. Their students do projects relating to the assigned region."

Everyone is excited about Friday, when students go to their region of the state, outlined on West Lane's playground. There will be ice cream cones in St. Louis and barbecue in Kansas City. Gary Gilbert will set up a Civil War camp while other adults play fiddles or show Missouri mules.

"It's important for students to know their roots," Baugh said. "We want them to know what their state was like 150 years ago, before people could sit in front of the television. They have a lot of their questions answered."

And instead of staring blankly into space, the students get excited about the speakers and projects. When Smoot visited Thursday to talk about Bollinger Mill, there wasn't time for all the questions they wanted to ask.

They wanted to know about the cats and blacksnakes once kept in the mill to control rodents. They also were interested in the covered bridge and the Bollinger family cemetery near the mill.

Smoot answered the questions and demonstrated some equipment used at the mill more than 100 years ago.

"Locally, Bollinger Mill is a popular attraction," he said. "We've been trying to come and talk to the fourth-grade classes yearly."

The classes at West Lane will tour the mill next week.