On May 10th, 2019, it happened to be the 150th Anniversary of the Famous Golden Spike Ceremony which happened in the year 1869.
Because Classroom 16 with Mr. Stathis had been learning all year great stiff about American History, and within that how important the Railroads were in our history, we decided to have our own 150th Anniversary celebration, a Party and a Game!
This is the photo of the actual event. Men were building the railroad acorss the country from the East Coast, and starting from the other end in San Francisco, men were building a railroad going from the West Coast. They met-up in Utah to join the first tracks connected all the way across the country.
This is the actual Golden Spike that was used. Classroom 16 Student, Nikki, that year had a replica of it because her father worked for the modern railroad. She brought it in for our celebration. At the end on the bottom of this page you can see why "Spikes" were used in building the railroads.
Here's how the game worked: Students start back to back, which represents the East Coast and the West Coast Railroad building. The student at the far end of the classroom, if you look closely, is hold The Golden Spike. ....
On the "go" signal students begin to race around the room in opposite directions and circle back toward one another. ...
They close-in on The Golden Spike, first one to grab it wins! And that winner holds the spike for the next race.
On top of their heads is something wrapped in the scarves. The scarves help to hold it on the head. Inside the scarves could be a little toy train or real heavy railroad spikes. On this day, it was just a white board eraser.
If the scarf falls off, you automatically lose, that is, if the other person makes it successfully around. Balance and speed are both important!
Depending on one's hair-do it could be a little more tricky to keep it on one's head!
Here Alison was the only one of the two to make it around with it still on her head!
Concentration!
Go Vernus! He had the hair for it for sure!
Ready, Get set, Go!
A Game that anybody could possibly be good at!
Emmeli vs. Ahimsa!
Adrian vs. Sylvanna
Actual old Railroad Tracks in Vallejo!
Who's that???!!!
Mr. Stathis taught us A LOT about A LOT of things!
He really cared that his students would love learning about everything! And he made it fun! Learning about railroads could be boring, but not in Classroom 16!
Mr. Stathis took this photo on the old tracks to show actual Railroad spikes to show what they do in holding down the Tracks steady in place as the heavy Trains rolled along.
This the famous photo of the actual old train from 1869 that was carrying the Golden Spike to the place at which the tracks would connect!
This the the famous photo of the actual old train from 1869 that was carrying the Golden Spike to the place at which the tracks would connect!
"Study to show thyself approved unto God." And then you experience the JOY of learning!
