Third graders at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit learn about the city of Detroit through a bus tour and through research. In school, each student researches the significance and history of a specific place in Detroit. Students learn to summarize, take notes, and turn their notes into a well crafted paragraph. Each student then designs a slide in PowerPoint to teach others about the importance of their place. The slides include information from students’ research, from personal knowledge, and from the actual tour of Detroit that the third graders take in the spring. The work for this project was done in students’ classrooms and in their weekly computer class with Ms. Rothfeld.

1. Detroit Tour Project Mrs. Brown’s Third Grade Class June 2011

2. Fox Theater Have you ever been to the Fox Theater? Here is some information. The Fox Theater opened in Detroit on September 21, 1928. It took 18 months to build, and cost $12 million. The theater was designed by architect Charles Howard Crane, and WAS the 2nd tallest theater in the world. It is also very beautiful. The lobby of the theater is surrounded by blood red marble columns. Each column holds its own jeweled figure that represents a god. Some of the theater was even made of gold. The Fox Theater is where you can see plays, concerts, and shows. By: Aaron Levine

3. D.I.A. Do you like art? If you do the DIA is the place for you. Did you know the DIA is really called the Detroit Institute of Arts? Go there to see art, sculptures, and more. Did you know it is one of the biggest museums of art in the country? Also, the DIA has over 65,000 pieces of art in the museum. The museum is 65,000 square feet. Isn’t that big?! BY JACOB BLUMENSTEIN

4. Motown Museum! The Motown Museum opened in 1985. The name Motown comes from the music business Motown. People come to this museum to learn about the people that sang for Motown records. People all over the world come to the Motown Museum. Motown is one of the largest record companies. Motown was an American treasure. Going to the Motown Museum costs$10.00 per adult, $8.00 for seniors, and $6.00 per child. LeenoyShemesh

5. Hart Plaza Have you ever been to Hart Plaza? People go there to see fireworks on July 4th. There is a walkway by the Detroit River. There is a fountain. It is an outdoor place. It has a stage and you can see Canada. It opened in 1976 and has a capacity of 40,000. It was designed in 1976 as a public space. It is fun. Zach Rones

6. Ambassador Bridge Have you ever been on the Ambassador Bridge? Did you know that people drive on the Ambassador Bridge to get to Canada? The Ambassador Bridge took two years to make. It was done in 1929. The Ambassador Bridge is open 24 hours a day. It is 1,850 feet long. It is made out of steel. The Ambassador Bridge is four lanes wide. Did you know that the Ambassador Bridge has lights so people can drive at night? I can’t wait to see the Ambassador Bridge in real life! Donna Schock

7. Detroit Opera House If you like opera the Detroit Opera House is the place for you. The Detroit Opera House performs operas of many kinds. The Detroit Opera House opened on January 22, 1922. It has been open for more than 80 years. It holds up to 4,250 people. The Detroit Opera House is the 5th largest in the world. That’s really big! At the Detroit Opera House you can also see ballet and musical theater. The Detroit Opera House is one of the few opera theaters in Michigan. People would like to visit the Detroit Opera House because their performances are really great! I love the Detroit Opera House and you should, too! Emily Feldman

8. The Detroit Public Library Have you ever been to the Detroit Public Library? On March 25th 1865, the Detroit Public Library formally opened as a reading library with a collection of 5,000 books in the Old Capitol High School. On May 29, 1875 they made a new library called Center Park Library. The Detroit Public Library is nice to visit. Blake Zamler

9. Detroit Science Center Do you like science? At the Detroit Science Center you learn about science! It’s like a play place but you’re learning. It wants scouts to come. It has an IMAX theater. It was built 30 years ago. It is a popular place. It has 100 year old mummies that are naturally wrapped. There are 200 hands-on exhibits. Aydan Feldman Roman

10. Ford Field Have you been to Ford Field where the Detroit Lions play? When it opened on August 24, 2002, the Lions played a game against the Pittsburg Steelers. Sometimes they have monster trucks at Ford Field. They Have 65,000 seats. The Lions played their first regular season game on September 22, 2002. Jacob Kam

11. The Fisher Building The Fisher Building is a historic place in Detroit. It is a theater plus a skyscraper. It’s really cool. The Fisher Building has a theater, stores and offices. The seven Fisher brothers hired Albert Kahn to design the Fisher Building in 1929. It was built with a golden roof and during World War II they had to peel off the golden roof so it would not get bombed. Now it’s the Fisher Building’s 82nd anniversary! BenKlein

12. Bonstelle Theater Do you like plays? If you do the Bonstelle Theater is the place for you. One thing you can do there is watch wonderful fantastic plays. The Bonstelle Theater was built in 1925. It used to be Temple Beth El and a playhouse. Albert Kahn and Howard Crane built the Bonstelle Theater. One interesting fact is that it is part of Wayne State University. That’s great because you can watch your kids, sisters, brothers, cousins, and even friends. No matter whom you watch you’ll always have a good time. I love the Bonstelle Theater, and someday you should go there too. Maya Wolock

13. Old Main Old Main is one of the oldest buildings in Detroit. It was built in 1895 and was originally built as a Detroit city high school. It is now a part of Wayne State University. You can see it from Woodward across from the Whitney house. It is now used as classrooms for Wayne State University. Old Main is an interesting place to go. Emily Sherman

14. The Spirit of Detroit The Spirit of Detroit is a 26 foot statue created by Marshall Fredericks in 1958. It is a large bronze statue. The statue is located on Woodward Avenue in Detroit. It is a seated man holding a sphere in his left hand to symbolize God, and in his right hand, a family group symbolizing all human relationships. On the back of the statue it says: Now the lord is the spirit and where the spirit of the lord is, there is liberty. The plaque in front reads: through the spirit of man is manifested in family, the noblest human relationship. And that is the Spirit of Detroit. Tal Rubin

15. Music Hall Do you like music? People play music at the Music Hall. Today the Music Hall is used for concerts. It was originally called the Wilson Theater. It was finished in 1989. Somebody would go here because if they like music they will like the Music Hall. Danny Ylyaguev

16. Renaissance Center There are many things to do at the Renaissance Center! Henry Ford ll owned the Renaissance Center but General Motors bought it from Henry Ford ll. General Motors bought the Renaissance Center for 73 million dollars. It took 7,000 workers to build the big project. Inside the Renaissance Center there are many things to do. There’s shopping, entertainment and the GM Learning Center. There is a hotel in it and restaurants. The offices for General Motors are inside the Renaissance Center. The Renaissance Center is next to the Detroit River.The Renaissance Center is a huge building. You can see it from far away. The Renaissance Center is a very nice place to visit and learn about! Lauren Schostak

17. Detroit Historical Museum There are lots of interesting things in the Detroit Historical Museum. Two things in the museum are a big, old plane and a used, signed baseball. Many people visit the museum. This museum is all about Detroit. There are 19th century stores, an auto assembly line, and many more things that are a part of Detroit’s history. The museum was built in 1945. This museum is a cool place to visit. By: Evan Baxter

18. People Mover The People Mover is fun. I have been on it and you should try it too. The People Mover opened on April 8, 1987. It takes 15 minutes to go all around the city and costs 50 cents. Did you know that the People Mover goes at night too? The People Mover is a big train on an above ground track, and it takes you all around the city of Detroit. The People Mover ROCKS! Kelly Meir

19. Comerica Park Looking for something fun to do? How about Comerica Park! The Tigers play there and it opened on April 11, 2000. It cost $300 million to build, and it has the biggest score board in the U.S. It’s soooooo cool! There are rides, and stores, and restaurants. So go to Comerica Park for a fun day. Jacob Banooni