On a recent road trip, we ended up spending the night in Wilson, Kansas.
This city is the Czech Capital of Kansas and has the largest Czech Egg in the
world!
There were also many other smaller, gorgeous eggs around the town. If you
have ever visited Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, it reminded me of that town,
except there were Groundhogs all over Punxsutawney, and Eggs all over Wilson.
So much of authentic learning is paying attention to what is around
you. Add a dose of curiosity and a cell phone to do some research, and an
overnight stop becomes a lesson in Czech and Slovak folk art, culture, and history.
I was fortunate enough to attend a middle school that operated by authentic
teaching and learning. This developed a life-long curiosity that has never left me. I just can’t drive by the largest Czech Egg in the world without looking this up and doing research. By the time I was finished I had spent an evening reading about the history of the Slavic region of the world.
What a gift that middle school gave me.
Unfortunately, the town Folk Art Gift Shop was being renovated. My husband
viewed this as a bonus as we didn’t leave the town with a shopping bag of gorgeous Czech Eggs. (No worries, I believe you can buy them on line!)
The Educational Journey 