MONROE – If it weren’t for a 19th-century postal practice, this city might still be called Park Place.
That’s one of the historical facts fifth-graders at Fryelands Elementary School learned while researching the history of their hometown for a project called Where in Washington.
Kevin Nortz / The Herald
Using videoconferencing equipment, students in seven classrooms from around the state shared clues about their schools’ spots on the map. Students then had a half-hour to use research skills to deduce each team’s location.
Fryelands students correctly guessed all but one of the participating schools’ cities, towns and hamlets.
And they groaned and cheered as other teams correctly guessed – though at times mispronounced – their city as “MON-row” and “MUN-row.”
“It teaches you about your state,” said Carlos Gonzalez, 10, as he used hiking and travel guides and the Internet to discover the location of a small town with a garlic festival.
Students also learned things about their own city that they didn’t know before.
For example, Monroe was named after the nation’s fifth president in 1899 because the town needed a post office, but regulations didn’t allow two-word names.
And the town’s trademark concrete smokestack was the only thing left standing when an old milk condensing plant burned to the ground in 1944.
“It’s kind of fun to know what your town used to be like,” said Brandon Wood, 10.
“You can tell people about the town and what happened here and other things to help your town,” said Iaian Lyle, 11.
Teacher Judy Irving said the project helped teach kids about working together and research skills such as using indexes and maps.
“It was fun,” said Kimberly Mota, 10. “You learn a lot.”
Here are a few of the clues Fryelands Elementary School students were given to deduce the location of other schools. Can you figure it out? Answers are below.
1: Expressionist painter Robert Motherwell was born here. Lake Sylvia is the nearest state park.
2: An observatory is its main attraction. The Little Klickitat River is a natural feature.
3: The first train traveled through here in 1893. Its main industry “reforms people.”
4: The 100th anniversary of the reburying of Nisqually Chief Leschi was celebrated here this year. It’s also home to the Daffodil Festival.
5: President Franklin D. Roosevelt dined at a local lodge here before establishing Olympic National Park.
6: Students who attend school here speak many languages, including Russian, Spanish and Bosnian. The mayor is Jim White.
7: This town of 1,005 people has a garlic festival and was named for an Okanogan chief.
Answers: 1. Aberdeen; 2. Goldendale; 3. Monroe; 4. Puyallup; 5. Amanda Park; 6. Kent; 7. Tonasket
Reporter Melissa Slager: 425-339-3465 or mslager@ heraldnet.com.
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