More on the third grade-mural photo.

The Icon posted this photo last week. It shows third graders in Ann Kingsley's class at the Main Street mural. We ask Ann for more details and here's what she sent us:

In third grade, social studies focuses on "community." 

We spend the month of May learning about Bluffton. This is our first of three Bluffton history walks. 

We start with the plats on Riley Street where Joseph DeFord built his cabin and gristmill. This trip takes us across the current Main Street (which originally was a Native American trail), down Thurman Street (the original Main Street) where we look over the "bluffs" to the Riley Creek below. 

We stop at the "beer factory," and move on to the slaw cutter and glove factories. We stop at town hall and talk about local government. 

We make an extra stop at the law office on Main Street. There we see a big plat map, so we can compare it with out small map of 33 lots.

Our final stop was at the mural where we talked about more things we have learned this month. The second trip is to the old cemetery where we have talked about the first settlers.

The third walk goes from Citizens National Bank down Main Street to the funeral home which was the location of David Goble's store.  We loop around to the corner of Grove and Bentley to see the location of the first log school house. 

It is wonderful to be able to mix the classroom work with these walking tours. One of the things we emphasize is the growth of the town and the fact that all our storefronts today  have working businesses.