I introduced the kids (some of them knew about it and some had no idea!) to the running of the Art Museum steps.  They researched the history of it after viewing a clip of the movie Rocky Balboa.  At the end credits there are multiple scenes of people running the steps - from little kids to senior citizens to the Phillie Phanatic! 

And of course, they wrote about it all.  I can't wait to see what they write after they experience it for themselves!

Below is a letter I wrote to my sons about their experience:

 

 

 

April 12, 2007

Dear Griffin & Chase,

            We do not remember days…we remember moments.  The best moments from yesterday are ones I will never, never forget.  I feel like you both will never forget them too.  I hope you will remember them.  We ran the steps at the Art Museum - like Rocky!  Millions of people have done this.  It is a Philly thing.  In fact, I don’t think there could be anything that would be more of a “Philly thing”!  Maybe cheese steaks – but I’ll let you experience those a little later!  (Steve’s have the best!)

            Today I was reading a book and one of the sentences described a diary the character saw.  It said that the front cover had the year stamped in gold on it.  If the date for these moments was on the front cover of a book – it would be stamped in platinum for me. April 11^th, 2007!  I am glad I gathered you into the car and drove you down to the Art Museum steps!  I remember when my mom and dad took me to see the first Rocky movie.  It was 1976 and I was ten years old.  I can vividly remember walking in to the theater.  I was excited.  And I loved the movie.  Then, over the next almost 30 years,  Sylvester Stallone (the actor who played Rocky and the author who wrote the movies!) made four more sequels.  Then he made this last one – Rocky Balboa (Rocky 6).  It came out last year in 2006 – 30 years later.  Now you guys are both almost ten years old too. 

            Chasey, when you danced like mad the other day watching the end of Rocky Balboa I thought of taking you and Griff to the steps – to do it for real!

            Thank you for these moments. 

            I hope you take your sons, Griff & Chase – one day in the future.

            I love you both – each day.  I really loved you yesterday on top of those steps.  It was magic.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

 

Love,

Daddy

         

Check out some of what we did!

The first clips are Griff & Chase and their first visit to the steps.

 The Steps 1

The Steps 2

The Steps 3

The Steps 4

The Steps 5

Response by Sarah Lamon:

Today I was shown parts of the movie Rocky Balboa. I saw when he was running up the steps. The steps are a symbol of achieving things that you could not before. I want to have my mom and dad take me there sometime. If I go I want to race my brother up. Maybe even my sister.

 Maggie and Lisa Simpson ran up it in the show Will Smith as well. I think that it would be cool to run up because you will be running up in the foot steps of famous and great people. I would to go see the art there too. (Just so the people that work there don’t get mad.) I would like to run up also just to have the feeling of doing it and finishing things that I know I can do. It would be cool to be there when Rocky actually did - it must be fun. I hope I can go.

 

By Sarah Lamon    

___________________________________________________________________________  

Response by Cole Eisenberg:

Today I learned about history without even knowing.  It is about the Art Museum in Philadelphia and a movie character, Rocky Balboa.  He ran up the steps in all of the movies but one.  Lisa Simpson also ran up those stairs with Maggie Simpson’s in an episode of the Simpsons.  Will Smith also ran up the steps in an episode of The Prince Of Bel-Air.  Allen Iverson ran up the steps dribbling a basketball!  So not only did Rocky Balboa run up the steps, but Will Smith did, Lisa, Maggie, and Allen Iverson.     

____________________________________________________________

Response by Robert Beatty:

 I one time went to Philadelphia and I asked my parents if we could go to the museum, but my parents said since one of my sisters was not there we could not. Than when the next week came we went back to Philly and just like Rocky I myself ran up the stairs to the Philadelphia Art Museum. It was the hardest thing I ever did, but I learned if you go for a goal you will eventually get that goal. Just like Rocky wanted to go the distance and make it to the 15^th round. And he made it to that goal. I think that Rocky inspired lots of people. So the museum has a statue of Rocky at the bottom of the steps and more people go there to run up the stairs instead of going there for the museum. So that is basically everything I know about Rocky in a jar.

 

_________________________________________________________

 

 

 Response by: Sabrina Yakubovich

I have seen two Rocky movies and I am going to convince my parents to take me up the stairs that Rocky went up in one of the movies!!!! Those stairs are very popular!! Thousands and thousands of people have gone up them!!!! My teacher Mr. Murphy went up the stairs with his sons Griffin and Chase up the stairs, but they got really tired!!! There are a lot of stairs!!! Have you ever been up them?!!! I know that I’m in better shape thanmy dad. I will bet him 40 dollars for me to get myself another Webkinz!!!! The bet is: whoever can get to the top of the stairs wins. If I win, I get 40 dollars and my dad will take me to get me another Webkinz!!!! If my dad wins, he just gets a hug and a kiss and I will clean my room!!!!       

_______________________________________________________

 

Response by Alex Stolz:

Today we learned about a piece in history. I learned about Philadelphia Art Museum and the steps that are there. The steps represent accomplishment. I also learned that Maggie and Lisa from the Simpson’s. Will Smith also did it. But today Mr. Murphy showed us a part of a clip from Rocky and how he climbed the steps. And yesterday Mr. Murphy took his kids there and took a few videos and some pictures.