Salinas Field Trip: Success!

Just a quick review of our trip on Friday.  In a word: it was great!  Everything went well.  The students behaved well.  We made each of our stops mostly on time.  You couldn't ask for better weather.  It was just very smooth, fun, and relaxing.  I personally enjoyed it very much.  The museum was very nice and had very interesting exhibits, which our students, I think, really liked.  The house was super, with very nice docents to explain its history.  And Cannery Row was probably everyone's favorite just for the beautiful weather, the ocean, and just a little free time.  I'm very happy with how the trip turned out.  I trust the students benefited from their time and will express an explosive enthusiasm about Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, and all things literature.  Here are a few pictures I was able to capture.

English 1 - Of Mice and Men 1

Today was a good day.  We finished the first chapter from Of Mice and Men, and discussed the major themes introduced in that chapter.  We also discussed Steinbeck's writing style and elements of effective story telling.  In the last few minutes, we reviewed important information for tomorrow's field trip.  And speaking of the field trip, I can't wait.  It's going to be a great day, and I'm very excited about this opportunity.  As I was telling the students today, this is a rare experience.  This is the first year we are able to have this, and only a few classes are able to enjoy this.  I hope the kids understand that.  Just in case you are wondering, here's a brief description of the day's activities.

1. 6:30 - Leave Redwood.
2. 9:30 - Stop in Soledad for a break and tour through the Old Downtown.
3. 10:30 - Arrive in Salinas at the Steinbeck House.  We have a tour through the house, where Steinbeck wrote many of his early books.
4. 11:00 - Convene at the National Steinbeck Museum, where we also will have a tour and explore the various exhibits available.
5. 1:00 or so - Head for Cannery Row, where students will have lunch and some free time.  There is a Steinbeck exhibit there as well, that we will see, but I also want to give the students some time to simply explore and enjoy the area.
6. 3:30 - Leave Cannery Row.
7. 7:00 - Or hopefully a little earlier, arrive at Redwood.

This should be a good day.  I'm glad it's finally here.