We also found a couple of board games (one promoting reading, the other is Creationary, a LEGO building game), and several sets of Brain Quest cards at a bargain price. They'll be great for Rick to use in his classroom.
A BOLD PROCLAMATION: We started our day by watching a live rebroadcast of John F. Kennedy's famous "Moon Speech." It played at 8:15 our time, the exact time he gave the speech 50 years ago today at Rice University.
Here, JFK gets an explanation of the Saturn V launch system from rocket man Dr. Wernher von Braun, with NASA Deputy Administrator Robert Seaman over Wernher's shoulder. Photo: NASA, of course
The speech set the United States on a course of space exploration. In part, Kennedy said, "We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too."
RUBBED THE RIGHT WAY: Today was about as close to back-to-school as we get. We returned to the school in Shoreline where the kids take a weekly science class. (They were also happy to see the playground, eat the popcorn and visit the library there again.)
Once class started, it was good to see that they haven't forgotten classroom manners and how to listen and follow a teacher's directions. :) Annabelle is one of just two girls in the class. She's also the youngest. But no big deal. With three older brothers, she's used to being outnumbered and out "aged."
Today they did some rubbings of coins and textiles. In doing so, they discovered details that they hadn't noticed before about the articles. Interesting ...
I love that speech. Of course, at the time the US seemed to be way behind the Soviets in the Space Race so there was a real "half-time rah rah" feel to it.
ReplyDeleteIf it was intended as an us v. them rally, his halftime speech certainly worked. The Russians still haven't set foot on the moon, and they have a terrible record when it comes to reaching Mars. That said, it's important to note that we can't set foot on the ISS without buying a seat from them on a Soyuz.
DeleteIt was a great speech wasn't it? I was thinking the other day that reaching the moon brought us all together for several reasons, but maybe the biggest reason was that Kennedy had been assasinated a few years earlier, and we were still looking for something to make us "one nation" again.
ReplyDeleteWe had the Viet Nam conflict out there dividing us, too.........
The moon missions were a great testament and tribute to Kennedy's bold vision. Without him, they may never have happened. I have been heartened to see how the Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity seems to have set off a spark with the general public, but we really need to get an astronaut further than low earth orbit again.
DeleteHe was bold in many ways. Yes, the spark is there - now the money needs to get behind it. I have always believed I would be able to leave this earth before I literally "leave this earth".
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