Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Getting Ready To Go

Here is our project overview that will give you a little history of the Abernathy Brothers if you are not familiar with their story. 99 years ago two boys from rural southwest OK, convinced their dad, US Marshall, Jack “Catch ‘em Alive Abernathy, they should be allowed to ride their horses from their home in Tipton, OK to Santa Fe, NM and back. The boys were tired of “hearing” about adventures and wanted to create their own. They studied maps, created itineraries and schemed to convince their dad they were ready for adventure. Jack relented and the boys went on their first adventure in 1909. Louis, or Bud as his brother called him, was 9 years old, and Temple was 5. They traveled over 1000 miles alone on horseback.
Later adventures include a 1910 horseback ride to NYC to see their friend Teddy Roosevelt when he returned from an African Safari. After riding in a ticker-tape parade with Teddy Roosevelt, the boys bought a car and drove home. They were 10 and 6.
The next great adventure was in 1911. They would win $10,000 if they could ride their horses from NYC to San Francisco in 60 days. It took 62. They persevered with integrity, overcoming many life-threatening obstacles and heartaches, including the death of their precious horse, Sam Bass, who traveled with them faithfully on all adventures.
Coming from a rural background our students were immediately captivated with the book, Bud and Me: The True Adventures of the Abernathy Boys, written by Temple Abernathy’s wife. No other book sparked the desire to learn like this one.
When first reading this book, one student came to mind. As a fifth grader, he was the most reluctant readers we ever taught. In planning to use this book as a read aloud, he was one of the students we endeavored to reach most. While all students benefited from this book, the true measure of the success was when he said, “This is the best book I have ever read”. We agreed!
This story resonates with students. Bud and Temple grew up when cars, motorcycles, and airplanes had just been invented. Our students are interested in all the new “gadgets” and technology of today. Deep inside each student is a desire to have adventure.
Students will not physically travel, but we will bring the adventure to them and local community members through activities, correspondence, and blogging.
We want to experience our own “adventure”. Following Bud and Temple’s footsteps will allow us to see major historical and cultural landmarks across the US we have only read or heard about. We want to compare and contrast cities, country and technology to what it was 99 years ago. We want to discover the impact these young boys made on the history of the communities and people they encountered, and we want to know the rest of the story.
We studied maps, read and reread their books, created itineraries, and dreamed! We would like to receive the Funds for Teacher Fellowship for $10,000 to recreate the boy’s adventures so we can capitalize on our students’ genuine interest in this topic. It lends itself to an interdisciplinary study of reading, writing, math, speaking, geography, history, and technology.
Can this 21st century adventure based on a 20th century one, inspire our students to seek their own adventures now and in the future? We hope to find out.
This is part of what we submitted to Fund for Teachers to receive our grant.....and Wow! We really got the Fund For Teacher grant! Donna and I are busy planning our trip right now. The fun has just begun. We are excited to meet with all the friends and family in Frederick at the Crossroads Ranch in June.....
Here is our tentative agenda....ride horses from Guthrie OK to Frederick in time to meet with all the Abernathys in Frederick on June 7....from there we will set out to Santa Fe, NM
After dropping Matt at the DFW Airport on June 22, we will set out for the biggest part of our journey....
Check back soon for updates----and hopefully podcast to hear about our journey..........

62 comments:

Anonymous said...

kaleb#1 says good job and good luck.

Anonymous said...

would you take a picture with the president?

trey 5m

Anonymous said...

jackson$ good luck on your trip i hope that you meet the president.

Anonymous said...

i think it will be cool if u take a picture with the president.and i think this will be cool for one of r techers to go on somthing like this


alex 5m

Anonymous said...

i think this is a really cool thing that you and ms.McChesney are getting to go on this journey. and i really hope that you get to to meet the president and meet the govener of new mexico..

signed,
katelyn 5m

Anonymous said...

J-Dawg (jon h)says i hope u have a good time and meet the president and i hope u have a safe trip.(spend ur money wisely)

p.s. take a pic. of the president.

Anonymous said...

i think that this is going to be a really cool trip that you and ms. mcchesney are going to do this summer and i hope you have a great time.
(Brittany5m)

Anonymous said...

charles fyi C-DAWG good luck on the trip

Anonymous said...

you rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this is J-DAWG (Jeremy 5M)

can you take a lot of pictures of the governer.

Anonymous said...

Have A Good Time,And If You Dont Spind All Your Money Can I Have It LoL................................................................................have a fun time ok... see you next year................. lol............................................................................................................................... Chris G

Anonymous said...

hi hope you have a good time in all those states and good luck with getting peoples autograph. from ben tralalala

Anonymous said...

hope you have a fun and safe trip use your money wisley.bring me back a souviner tell ms.mcChesney
i said hi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sierra 6P
have an awesome time.

Anonymous said...

hey guys i hope you have a really fun and safe trip im really happy for you that you accually got the permishion to do this have a great time.
danielle 6p

p.s im looking forward to seeing mrs.aufill on that horse!!!!! haha

Anonymous said...

hi.i hope you have a good time on your trip breng me back something lol jk

Anonymous said...

Good luck guys,have fun and be careful,you will have a great story to tell.You are the first teachers to do this ,and you will make a good impreasion. sincerly,charlene

p.s.HAVE FUN!!!

Anonymous said...

hope you have a great trip mrs.Aufill and mrs.Mcchesney your pal josh P.S I'm really looking forward to future stuff and seeing both of you on a horse

Anonymous said...

hope you guys have an awesome trip and mrs.aufill i am so looking foward to seeing you on that horse
lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
cindy 6P


p.s. have fun on that horse
Ms.McChesney&Ms.Aufill
lol

Anonymous said...

hope you guys have an awesome trip and mrs.aufill i am so looking foward to seeing you on that horse
lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
cindy 6P


p.s. have fun on that horse
Ms.McChesney&Ms.Aufill
lol

Anonymous said...

reach far destinations grab every chance you have ,and smile a lot ,laugh at every thing funny,and take a lot pictures to show us,and have fun.
sincerly,
charlene

Anonymous said...

send me a picture of you and mrs.mcshesney on your horses plz.

Anonymous said...

i want to see a picture of you on a horse. i hope you meet the president and get a picture with him. hope you have a great time with mrs mcchesney! and dont fall of the horse!

Bailey 5-A

Anonymous said...

dear Mrs. Aufill i am so glad you are going on this trip. I wish I could go. I can't wait to here about your trip. I will be thinking about what you are doing all this summer. I can't wait to see you on that horse. LOL...........................LOL.................................................LOL.............................................................................LOL....................................LOL LOVE Tuesday

Anonymous said...

I am happy for you ,make God be with
you . love chris

Anonymous said...

WHATS UP MRS. Aufill?
Hope you have fun on your trip to retrace the Abernathy boys trip that they went on. I think it will be a great thing for you gise todo that. will you bring me pictures of you and mrs. Miccheseny in new York.

Anonymous said...

i am looking forward of seeing you on that horse! i wish i can go with you and see you on that hores!
bailey 5-A
p.s. spend our money wisely

Anonymous said...

CONGRATS!!! YOU EARNED THIS, GREAT JOB!!! BE SAFE*** LOVE, BRITTANY P.S. TAKE A PICTURE OF YOU SCREAMING ON A HORSE PLEASE.5A

Anonymous said...

i think you will do good on a horse and you look like your ready

Anonymous said...

i hope u and ms.m can make it there and that ms.m will make it there with out getting afarid of the horse. and i hope u wount lose all ur money on the way there..........................lol.......have a great time there..................love ya ....


(alex 5m!!!!!)

Anonymous said...

hey hope you have a good time on the horse and get to have a parade for you, and good job on getting the grant for 10,000 dollars alex said it's cool that you get to go and i think so too.

katelyn 5-m

Anonymous said...

Mrs. Aufil i am so glad that you have this website. So now I can check up on your trip. I can't wait to see you on that horse. LOL... Love, Tuesday

Anonymous said...

i think you will look funny onb your horse. Do you know what kind of hore you are rideing.
do you haft to give back the left over money.
What if you get sick and haft to go back.
will you ride a horse on the way back.
how meney miles are you going
and what if your horse runs out in the road whan you are rideing it.

hope you have fun jeremy

Anonymous said...

Hi I thinkc ti would the coolest thing a teacher has ever done and next year if you tell the 5th-graders what you did you will be the most coolest teacher in the whole state of O.k. anyway hope you have a fun and safe trip

heather 5-m

Anonymous said...

charles good luck

Anonymous said...

what if you get sick along the way what would you do ?

trey 5m

Anonymous said...

mrs. aufil I thought that was a great blog. I hope the NM GOV. I
wish i could meet him. { not LOL }

HAHA I love the podcast.

Love, TUESDAY

Anonymous said...

whats up.good luck up your trip.can you plaese take a picture of the horses?

from
Ashley V

p.s see you next year.

Anonymous said...

Hello Ms.Aufill,I hope you have a wonderful time from where your going.I think Ms.Mcchesney would have a wonderful time.I hope you and Ms.Mcchesney won't get sick.........Jaycie

Anonymous said...

wyatt Qb#9 says good luck on your trip.

Anonymous said...

wazzzzz appppppp hope you have a good time kaleb#1

Anonymous said...

hope you have fun on your trip and spend your money wizely your pal the Muffin Man

Anonymous said...

hey guys i hope you have a really great time will you give us pictures of the tallest building in New York................your pal sneezy achooooooo!

Anonymous said...

i hope you get to meet the president and if you do then send a picture if that is possible and don't fall off the horse.brady

Anonymous said...

i hope you have fun and don't get sick. evan

Anonymous said...

Hey this is Juanita. And I want to ask you a question both of you " Will it be you first time to get back on a horse agian or is it you'r second. Well i hope that you guys have a safe trip and i hope that you learn alot more of the brothers and i also hope that you get alot more fun learing how to ride a horse.

Anonymous said...

hey Mrs.Auffil amd Ms. Mcchesney cant waint 4 the trip seeing all the stuff that will get to do all the things they did so have fun i know you will miss me see you soon maybe lol


jackie/juge

Anonymous said...

hey Mrs.Auffil amd Ms. Mcchesney cant waint 4 the trip seeing all the stuff that will get to do all the things they did so have fun i know you will miss me see you soon maybe lol


jackie/juge

Anonymous said...

hey good luck we hope you and donna have a good time jessica6m

Anonymous said...

hope you guys have a great and safe time and may god be with you...................................................................your pal the Muffin Man haha p.s see you later

Anonymous said...

hi i just decided to post a comment i was board of reading i just hope you all have a great time and get that money your asking for from boon pickens and others oh and if george bush does come to meet you when your in washington dc will you get me an autograph please and thank you

danielle 6p

Anonymous said...

Hey!!! I hope U guys have an AWESOME time out there!!! Everybody just CAN'T wait to see a picture of Mrs. Aufill on that horse!!! Have A FANTASTIC time!!!


SINCERLY,
JAMIE****6P****

Anonymous said...

hey this is austin i hope u git to take some poeple with u i want to go if u git to take someone i would like to go

Anonymous said...

hey ms.aufill i hope u git to take someone with u i wnt to go if u git to take someone with u




austin the best kid in the hole world

Anonymous said...

Raelene says good job and good luck.I am really glad Ms.McChesney and you earned this trip. I have got one thing to ask you girls would it be your first or second time to ride for 5 hours.And really glad for Ms.McChesney and you.

Anonymous said...

I hope you get to meet the president. I would love for you to send me a picture of you and the president, on my e- mail.



Love, Tuesday

Anonymous said...

i like the idea

Anonymous said...

it sounds really cool and i hope u all have lots of fun!!!!!!!and i cant wait to se the pics of u all on horses... lol

katie 6p

Anonymous said...

i cant wait to hear how ur trip goes and i also cant wait to see all of the cool pics u guys take!!!!! i think u guys earned this trip and deserve to go!!!!! be sure to take a lot of pics with the president when u meet him!!!!! but most of all
HAVE AN AWESOME TIME!!!!!!

katie 6p

Anonymous said...

WWWWAAAAZZZZ UUUUPPPP OK DONT FALL OF THE HORSE AND DONT GET HURT WELL TRY NOT TO ENY WAY HAVE A GREAT SUMMER FROM KALEB GLASBY

Anonymous said...

(trey) you look as tall as that horse is but you look good

Anonymous said...

Hey I hope you have a great time,and they also I hope you don't get hurt!

Jaycie5-A

Anonymous said...

PRESTON#1 I HOPE U ARE OK WHEN U RIDE THE HORSRE AND WILL U TAKE A PIC OF NEW YORK AND SHOW ME

Anonymous said...

hi! i hope that you have a best trip you have ever had in your life.

lolololololololol
love Ashley V.