St. Ben's take Iowa History field trip

On Friday, May 17th, St. Benedict third, seventh and eighth graders traveled by Hawkeye Stages busing to Des Moines for an Iowa History field trip.  Students began with a tour of the Iowa State Capitol.  Built between 1871 and 1886, the Capitol Building represents, both inside and out, one of the nation's finest examples of 19th century architecture. Inside, the building features an array of majesty including many different types and colors of marble, works of art, fixtures and carvings in both wood and stone. One of the most commanding features of the building is the towering dome.  The dome, constructed of steel and brick, is externally gilded with 23-karat gold leaf. A belvedere on top of the large dome features a golden lantern at the top. In addition, four smaller golden lanterns are each attached to copper-covered domes at every corner of the building. These four domes are decorated with vertical lines of intermittent gold, giving each a braided look. Several offices are also found in the Capitol including those of the Court of Appeals, Governor's office and the Legislative Information Office. The Capitol also includes the Law Library, Senate and House Chambers, Supreme Court Chamber and other department offices.

Students then visited the State Historical Museum.  Students viewed exhibits which told the stories of Iowa's growth and development through the exhibitions of a rich collection of historical artifacts and documents.  Students learned of famous Iowan's who helped shape our state, as well as ordinary Iowans who settled the state and helped it to flourish.

Later in the day, students toured Living History Farms to learn about the changes in Midwestern agriculture and rural life since the 1700s.  Students were introduced to a 1700 Ioway Indian farm, 1850 pioneer farm, and 1900 horse-powered farm.  Further, students viewed an exhibit on 20th Century farming as well as visiting businesses in an 1875 village.
 
The field trip was part of a study of Iowa History and correlated with the Iowa Core standards.  The trip was funded by grants from Silos and Smokestacks and Farm Bureau and by St. Benedict parents.