3. Well, starting today you’re going to travel through some Midwest states to learn about this region. I’m going to be your tour guide and we’ll be traveling on a crop duster plane. Do you know what that is? Can you guess some of the things we’ll see in the Midwest?

4. When European Settlers came to America, they settled along the east coast of the United States. In 1804, U.S. President Thomas Jefferson asked Merriwether Lewis to lead an expedition across western North America. This was unexplored territory so no one knew what to expect. His friend William Clark helped him lead a special team on the journey. Their goals were to: map the rivers, make friends with natives, open the West to trade, and look for a water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Let’s learn about the new area they explored, which is today called the Midwest.

6. As we fly over St. Louis, Missouri you will see the famous Gateway Arch. The Gateway Arch is the tallest national monument in the United States! It stands at over 630 feet tall.

7. Let’s get another view… The Gateway Arch gets more than 1 million visitors a year! It is the 4 th most popular tourist attraction in the world.

8. Hold on tight! Let’s get a closer look… The arch was made using 900 tons of stainless steel. That’s more than any other project in history! It weighs 17,246 tons!

9. Why is the Arch so popular? When you visit the Gateway Arch, you can go all the way to the top for a stunning view of St. Louis. There is a tram (elevator) inside that takes you to the top.

10. Westward Expansion Museum There is also a museum at the Gateway Arch. The museum has artifacts to help preserve the history of the Midwest. Items include information about the Sioux Indians, the first to live on these lands, and information about Lewis and Clark, the explorers who led the Westward Expansion.

11. It’s getting dark, we better get going…

12. Have you figured out why we’re on a crop duster plane yet? If not, our second stop should help you understand why.

14. Iowa is often referred to as “The Farm State” or “The Corn State”. Much of Iowa looks like the pictures below.

15. Iowa is one of the Midwest prairie states. A prairie is flat, grassy land with few trees.

16. Agriculture is the process of producing food by the raising of plants and animals. Because of the flat land that is good for farming, Iowa and many of the other Midwest states are among the top agriculture states in the U.S. In fact, in 2005 Iowa led the nation in the production of pork, corn, soybeans, and eggs! Agriculture is a very important source of income for many people in Iowa.

17.  About 89% of Iowa’s land is farms  Iowa is ranked 2 nd in the nation in red meat production  Iowa has 5 ½ hogs for every person in the state (that was 16.3 million hogs in 2006!)  Iowa’s total agricultural exports for 2004 were valued at more than $3.676 billion (ranking Iowa 2 nd in the nation)

18. By now, I guess you’ve figured out we’re traveling on a crop duster because the Midwest is covered with farmland. Farming is a huge part of life in the Midwest. I wonder if we’ll see more farms on our journey?

20. As we fly over Chicago, Illinois we will have to watch out for more planes. The O’Hare International Airport in Chicago is one of the busiest airports in the world! It has been voted “The Best Airport in North America” by travelers.

21. Many people fly in to Chicago to catch a baseball game at Wrigley Field. The Chicago Cubs baseball team plays at Wrigley Field. Wrigley Field, built in 1914, is the second oldest baseball stadium.

22. Maybe someday you’ll be able to root on the Chicago Cubs by visiting Wrigley Field, but for now we have to move along. I have someone special I want you to meet.

24. Michigan is surrounded by the Great Lakes. The city of Sault Ste. Marie is the third oldest settlement in the United States. Before European settlers came over, the area was inhabited by North American Indians for almost 2,000 years. Because the area was surrounded by water, it quickly became an important fishing and meeting place.

25. Ships are constantly traveling between the Great Lakes. The Soo Locks are the busiest locks in the world, with an average of 12,000 ships passing through each year. In the winter months, the Soo Locks are closed due to ice on the Great Lakes. Click on the ship to see an animation of how the Soo Locks work.

26. Detroit, Michigan is known for its automotive industries. Ford Motor Company was established here in 1903. Henry Ford produced the reasonably priced, reliable and efficient Model T in 1908. Ten years later, half of all cars in America were Model Ts.

27. In 1913, Henry Ford developed the first moving assembly line. This meant that workers would stand in one place adding parts to the cars as the cars moved past them on an assembly line. This had never been done before. This was a huge change in production that reduced assembly time per car and lowered costs. Ford was now the largest automobile manufacturer in the world.

28. Those cars were really cool! Do you think assembly lines are used for anything else in the Midwest these days? That Henry Ford sure was a smart man. Let’s go check out a memorial to some other smart men from the past.

30. As we fly over South Dakota, be on the lookout for Mount Rushmore. There it is! Mount Rushmore is a mountain with the faces of four great United States Presidents carved into it. Do you know the Presidents?

31. Mount Rushmore is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Here are more pictures of Mount Rushmore. Mount Rushmore took 14 years to complete.

32. Crazy Horse Memorial is also located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The Crazy Horse Memorial is a carving in progress. Crazy Horse is a legendary Lakota leader. The Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota are Plains Indians, more commonly known as Sioux. The Crazy Horse Memorial is not finished, but you can see the head completed on the mountain.

33. The Sioux Indians still live in South Dakota today. More than 62,000 American Indians live in South Dakota. Many of the nine tribes in South Dakota maintain buffalo herds today. You will often see them as you travel across the open prairies. If you visit South Dakota, you can learn about the traditions, dances, dress, and food of the Sioux at one of their powwows or “wascipis” (dances).

35. Welcome to Kansas… ”The Sunflower State”. Just like many of the other Midwest prairie states, Kansas has lots of flat land good for farming. You will also see many sunflowers in Kansas, thus its nickname.

36. Often, when people think of Kansas, they think of a famous movie set here. The Wizard of Oz

37. We can learn a few things about Kansas from “The Wizard of Oz”. Tornadoes are common in the Midwest prairie states. Do you know why? Winter storms are often severe in the Midwest states!

38. Well, I guess that ends our tour of the Midwest. I’ve got to get back to my crops. I hope that you’ll visit the Midwest again someday! Good luck on your journey toward the Pacific Ocean. I hope you see many more exciting places.