We're not in Kansas anymore.

The other morning, Tessa Johnson invited me to come into her first grade class to talk to the kids about my recent trip to Kansas City. Her kids were studying the geography of the Great Plains, and I jumped at the chance to be with them.

I started that I was in Kansas City and asked them, "What state that would be in?" "Canada" and "Washington" were the first tries until I heard a "Kansas." Yes, I said, and then another voice said, "Missouri." "Right!" I exclaimed. "There are two Kansas Cities right next to each other but in two different states, and I was in both this week." They thought that was cool.

I asked them what they knew of Kansas and many yelled, "It is flat." I asked them what is the highest point in Washington, and after a pause, I primed them with "What mountain do we see?" "Mt Rainier" everyone shouted, and pretty soon they were laughing when I put the name of the highest mountain in Kansas on the board: Mt Sunflower.

I thought I had them going when I acknowledged a raised hand. "My grandad lived in Nebraska." "That's good," I said. "Nebraska is a Plain State." That opened the door to five other places where grandparents lived, but I kept it going. "What did you learn about the weather in Kansas?" "Tornadoes; they have tornadoes!"  Excited now, I drew a map of the US and asked them what country cold air would come down from and which country hot air flows up from? "Kansas!" a boy said. "Nay, Kansas is a state, remember?" I said. "Missouri!" said another. I jumped back in: "Canada and Mexico are the countries I was looking for, because that is where the air comes from that causes the tornadoes." "My Dad is from Mexico," a girl said while another was telling me that they went on a family vacation to Canada. My head was swirling as if I were in a tornado trying to keep up with their train of thought!

I told them famous people have lived in Kansas and Missouri and asked them to close their eyes and think of their favorite spot to go. Two instantly said, "Disneyland," and then a third "Disneyworld." I told them that Walt Disney grew up in Kansas, and I thought I had them back on track when a boy said, "My Dad lived in Germany." Random, I thought, "but let me go with it." So I asked them the name of the castle in Disneyland. "Sleeping Beauty Castle," everyone shouted. I explained that the castle was built to look like a castle in Germany, and asked whether anyone knew its name.  After two "Sleeping Beauty Castle" re-tries, Mrs. Johnson said, "Let's look it up." I said that if they could find the name today and tell me before they left for the day, we would have another class together with pizza.

Mrs. Johnson didn't have much time left before the kids were off to Art class, but Patty Davidson had already been alerted to their task and had the computer on. And using their art shape lesson, every kid drafted a "Sleeping Beauty Castle." Each had Neuschwanstein printed at the bottom of the page. Three representatives came to my office to officially declare that the puzzle had been solved, and excited inquired whether pizza was still on.

What had started as me showing them pictures of flat Kansas detoured to Mt. Rainier, headed off to Nebraska via Canada, and landed in California, only to find its way to Germany. I guess it wasn't too strange that I offered pizza to them because we also went to Italy since I had mentioned that Kansas City, Kansas is the "Venice of the US." I was as random as them!

I loved the trip with both first grade classes and was instantly reminded that the human imagination is remarkable and something we need to cultivate during school. I don't know what they will remember about my 35 minutes with them, but I won't forget my adventure with 1J and 1R.  And yes, pizza is on me.

Peace,