Personal and Minnesota Histories Meet

We took an exciting trip to the Minnesota History Center today. The day started at 9:30 as the first group of 20 students boarded the 64 bus toward downtown. Over the course of an hour, over 80 students rode public transit and practiced feeding tickets and tokens into the bus. One group even had the authentic (although not intentional) experience of getting on the wrong bus and having to backtrack.

Once we got to the museum, Chong assumed the role of bus driver on this restored bus in the MN150 exhibit.

Eh Dah practiced conducting as he listened to the MN Orchestra.

The "Open House" exhibit gave everyone a chance to practice the vocabulary they're learning this month in the housing unit. Here, two students are playing in the "yard."

Many of the students made connections between their own wartime experiences and the displays in the "Greatest Generation" exhibit.

Say K Paw compared notes with an interpretive volunteer on food rations used in the U.S. during WWII and those used in the Thai Refugee Camp where he lived.

On the way back to the school we packed the bus with Arlington Hills learners. A few learners joked that today was "Karen Language Day" on the bus. Several students were soaked after having run through the downpour to get to the bus. Despite the rain, everyone seemed to have a good time.