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Kansas Stories |
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Lawrence City Band: Summer Concerts in the
Park
What's the oldest musical group you can think of that is still
performing? The Rolling Stones? Aerosmith?
The Lawrence City Band in Lawrence, Kansas, can trace its roots back
to the Civil War, a time when most of Lawrence's citizens were
originally from New England.
The band's first performance was presented on a beautiful summer
evening in 1863. As fate would have it, that was the night before
the legendary raid on Lawrence by William Clark Quantrill. Quantrill
-- and his men, who included the dangerous Frank and Jesse James --
was a murderer of Union sympathizers, many of whom were
abolitionists (people who were against slavery). Quantrill and his
450 Raiders attacked Union sympathizers, such as the people of
Lawrence. The Raiders killed more than 150 residents of Lawrence
during that raid, including all but one of the original members of
the Lawrence City Band.
Since then there have been many different members in the Lawrence
City Band as the group grows and shrinks depending on the number of
musicians in it. Today, the Lawrence City Band commemorates that
terrible day and continues the tradition of offering free music on
Wednesday nights during the summer to the citizens of Lawrence and
anyone else who travels there from far away. |
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Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty
"The government of the United States desires peace, and its honor is
here pledged to keep it. The Indians desire peace and they now
pledge their honor to maintain it."
Those words were part of the Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty of 1867.
That treaty was drawn between the U.S. government and the five
tribes of Plains Indians -- the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa, Apache,
and Comanche in the city of Medicine Lodge in southern Kansas.
The Plains Indians had settled in Medicine Lodge, which, for them,
was a sacred area. The different tribes of Indians peacefully shared
a "lodge" on the banks of the river, which they believed had the
power to cure ills. This treaty allowed for white settlements in the
area, opened it up to railroads, and fixed the southern boundary of
Kansas.
Today, the treaty is celebrated every three years with a colorful
outdoor pageant re-enacting the events that led to the signing at
the place where the Medicine River and Elm Creek meet on the Kansas
prairie, now designated Memorial Peace Park. Events also include an
Intertribal Powwow featuring Native American dance competitions,
crafts, and food booths. The powwow is open to all tribes, with
special recognition given to the five Indian tribes that signed the
treaty. |
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Community Life in Strawberry Hill
Do you know the expression "Every picture tells a story?" With the
paintings by Marijana Grisnik of Kansas City, Kansas, that is
definitely true.
Marijana Grisnik, a Croatian American born in 1936, captured
everyday life with her colorful paintings of the Strawberry Hill
neighborhood in Kansas City, Kansas. Strawberry Hill lies on the
bluffs overlooking the Kansas and Missouri rivers, and legend has it
that the name comes from the wild strawberries that once grew there.
Grisnik's work is influenced by the "naïve" artists of Croatia. The
"naïve" (pronounced nye-eve) style of painting is usually practiced
by someone who is self-taught and presents images in an
uncomplicated way. Do you think that is true in this painting?
The area of Strawberry Hill is most closely defined with the South
Slavic immigrants, especially the Croatians, who came in the late
19th century to seek greater opportunity and prosperity. As was the
case for many ethnic communities, life in Strawberry Hill at first
resembled life in the old country. Although many changes have
occurred, it remains a strong ethnic community and a center for
Croatian Americans throughout the Kansas City area. |
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Little Sweden
Do you know who founded your city or town?
Lindsborg is a city in north central Kansas that was founded by
nearly 100 Swedish immigrants. Nicknamed "Little Sweden," this city
honors Lindsborg's Swedish settlers and cultural contributions.
Nestled in the Smoky Valley region of north central Kansas, the
community of Lindsborg was settled in 1869. The Swedish immigrants
who moved there were all followers of the Lutheran faith, which they
could not practice freely in their native land, and they also had a
great love of music. In the early days many of them were farmers.
Other Lindsborg founders were craftsmen, educators and musicians.
The Swedish immigrants had a passion for all things cultural, and
that attitude still exists today. A large number of artists and
musicians still live in Lindsborg, a community of approximately
3,200. Even now, the city has a Swedish character.
Are there any ethnic characteristics in your community that you can
trace to the area's beginnings? |
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Wichita River Festival
Have you ever seen a bathtub race or a dinosaur raft? If you are in
Wichita, Kansas, during the River Festival in May, you will have
your chance. Every year Wichita celebrates with a 10-day-long party,
which was first held in 1972. In addition to the raft and bathtub
events, the festival features live entertainment, cook-offs, and a
fishing derby.
The Antique Bathtub Race, an event that is even recognized in the
Guinness Book of World Records, features antique tubs, mounted on
flotation platforms, all racing across water for the top trophy -- a
gold-plated bathtub. In the early days of the race, some of the tubs
never made it to the finish line. Some people suspect that there are
still a few tubs at the bottom of the Arkansas River!
During the Saturday morning raft race, decorated rafts float down
the winding Arkansas River, their occupants spraying the spectators
with river water. Besides the dinosaur raft, there have been race
car rafts, a Snoopy raft and a Dumbo raft. If you were to enter a
rafting contest, what would your raft look like? |
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Tornadoes in Kansas
Kansas is known for many things -- wheat, sunflowers ... and
tornadoes! What famous story set in Kansas features a tornado?
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, tells the story of
Dorothy, who gets caught in a Kansas tornado and lands in the
imaginary land of Oz. This story has been dramatized on stage and
film. You might have seen the movie version, which stars Judy
Garland as Dorothy.
Tornadoes are storms with rapidly rotating winds that form a funnel
cloud. Also known as "twisters," they extend downward from the huge
clouds of a severe thunderstorm. The winds that rotate within a
tornado usually reach a speed of almost 300 miles per hour! A
tornado often sweeps through an area quickly, but it can cause
considerable destruction. There have been a number of remarkable
reports of tornadoes. In one instance, a schoolhouse was demolished
while the 85 students originally inside it were carried more than
400 feet with none killed. There was also a case of five railway
coaches, each weighing 70 tons, lifted from their tracks. |
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Neewollah
Spell "Neewollah" backwards and what do you get?
Halloween, of course! Neewollah first began as a fun alternative to
trick-or-treat vandalism. According to newspapers from 1918,
vandalism was especially bad that year, and Neewollah was created to
give kids a healthy option for their Halloween activities.
This event, held in Independence, Kansas, has grown from just a
Halloween night celebration to a festival that lasts nine days! It
features three parades, community theater musical productions such
as The Wizard of Oz, a talent show, and the coronation of a
Neewollah queen. Musical entertainment and games such as the
Neewollah medallion hunt add to the festivities. |
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Source:
Library of Congress |
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Cool America |
 About the U.S.A.
About the U.S.A. is an American
Studies reader that examines the customs, government, and history of the
United States of America. The text provides a wealth of information on U.S.
geography and history; the roles of local, state, and federal government;
national holidays and symbols; the Constitution; and citizenship. The book,
which was written for intermediate to advanced learners of English, contains
a range of activities for language students to practice listening, speaking,
reading, and writing. (opens to a new PDF window)
Great English reading
practice. |
 About
America
Learn about the fascinating history and government of
the United States of America. Lessons include content on
American Government, American History, and Integrated
Civics. Handouts with interactive games and
student-centered activities encompass all four language
skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
Great English reading practice for
beginning to intermediate students. |
 American Teens Talk!
Americans Teens Talk! is a collection of interviews of
American high school students. Each interview is accompanied by vocabulary
notes and discussion questions. The interviews in American Teens Talk! give
learners a view into the lives of adolescents in the U.S. Through the
written format of the interviews, learners are able to increase their
vocabulary, practice their reading and listening skills, engage in
discussions, and learn more about U.S. culture. These
interviews come with audio programs.
Great English listening and
reading |
 Sing Out Loud Children's Songs
Sing Out Loud Children's Songs includes popular children's songs in the U.S.A. Posters accompany the
individual Sing Out Loud Children's Songs. These
songs come with audio programs.
Great English listening and reading
practice. |
 Sing Out Loud Traditional Songs
The Sing Out Loud Traditional Songs
collection contains 13 traditional American folk songs and song lyrics.
Listen to the songs online, read the lyrics, and collect the posters that
accompany the songs. These
songs come with audio programs.
Great English listening and reading
practice. |
 Sing Out Loud American Rhythms
Do you love music? Want to use it
to learn English? Check out the hip-hop inspired song "Peace" from Sing Out
Loud American Rhythms. American Rhythms includes a variety of musical genres
from many different artists in the U.S.A. These songs will appeal to teens
and young adults. These
songs come with audio programs.
Great English listening and reading
practice. |
 Route
66 - Famous American Road
U.S. Route 66 (US 66 or Route 66), also known as the Will Rogers Highway, the
Main Street of America or the Mother Road, was one of the original highways in
the U.S. Highway System. The highway, which became one of the most famous roads
in the United States, originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri,
Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before ending in Santa Monica,
California, near Los Angeles, covering a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km). It was
recognized in popular culture by both the hit song "(Get Your Kicks on) Route
66" and the Route 66 television show in the 1960s. |
Route 66: The Highway That's the Best
(Beginner - Listening)
A video lesson which shows you an interesting place in America.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening practice.
This video shows travel along Route 66, the most famous road in
America. |
Chicago: The Start of Route 66
(Beginner - Listening)
A video lesson which shows you an interesting place in America.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening practice.
This video shows travel along Route 66, the most famous road in
America. |
Going West for Decades on Route 66
(Beginner - Listening)
A video lesson which shows you an interesting place in America.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening practice.
This video shows travel along Route 66, the most famous road in
America. |
Arizona: The Spirit of Route 66
(Beginner - Listening)
A video lesson which shows you an interesting place in America.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening practice.
This video shows travel along Route 66, the most famous road in
America. |
Route 66 California: The End of the Trail
(Beginner - Listening)
A video lesson which shows you an interesting place in America.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening practice.
This video shows travel along Route 66, the most famous road in
America. |
Ten Must-See Route 66 Attractions
(Beginner - Listening)
A video lesson which shows you an interesting place in America.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening practice.
This video shows travel along Route 66, the most famous road in
America. |
Four Famous Foods On Route 66
(Beginner - Listening)
A video lesson which shows you an interesting place in America.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening practice.
This video shows travel along Route 66, the most famous road in
America. |
International Tourists Drawn to Route 66
(Beginner - Listening)
A video lesson which shows you an interesting place in America.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening practice.
This video shows travel along Route 66, the most famous road in
America. |
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Kansas
State Facts
