Going to the zoo is worth your families time and money +0

Reasons to Agree: +3

1. It is worth it to have animals be part of your life
2. You should take your kids outside where they can walk around, see different people, and explore their surroundings. Kids get to see all different types of people at the zoo.
3. You should teach your kids about Animals. Kids learn about Animals by going to the zoo. You can't learn to appreciate animals unless you see them. When kids learn about animals, they learn about biology which may result in medical interest. Medical interest can result in an interest in many different jobs, from pharmacy to being a doctor. Learning about animals also teaches about geography. At least it did for our kid, as he learned what animals lived where. 

Reasons to disagree: -2

1. Usually people don't spend much time studying animals at the zoo. People tend to look at the animal, watch it for a few minutes, and move on... 
2. Kids will learn more about animals by having a pet than going to a zoo. Letting your kids have a pet teaches your kids. Having a long time responsibility for an animal can teach you a lot. 
3. Kids are taught that animal rights can be ignored when going to the zoo.

Score:

# of reasons to agree: +3

# of reasons to disagree: -3

# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: +0

# of reasons to agree with reasons to disagree: -0

Total Idea Score: +0

Images that agree:

Related Links:

• Near Chicago Tourism

Videos that agree:

This movie supports the conclusion because it shows that:
1. Kids can have authentic experiences with animals at zoos.

Dolphin show

Daughter dancing

Wolves

Youngest watching the giraffe. 

My oldest son doesn't know how to wear a hat...

Some zoos give animals lots of room

Bolingbrook has pretty good parks. -2

Reasons to agree: + 1

1. There are a lot of Bolingbrook parks.
2. Kids don't need anything special, but each neighborhood should have open places for kids to play soccer, baseball, or swing on a swing-set. Bolingbrook has that.

Reasons to disagree: -2

1. Often Bolingbrook parks are occupied by thuggish territorial teenagers (reason to disagree: this happens everywhere, perhaps).
2. Often Bolingbrook parks have small vandalization. 
3. Bolingbrook doesn't have parking for hardly any of their parks... its mostly just street parking.
4. Very few of Bolingbrook parks are connected with bike paths

Score:

# of reasons to agree: +2

# of reasons to disagree: -4

# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: +0

# of reasons to agree with reasons to disagree: -0

Total Idea Score: -2

Century Park Bolingbrook, Illinois
View Larger Map

• Parking: On the street
• Safety:
• Parking is an issue, as it gets very congested, and cars are trying to get through the area.
• Facilities
• Slides
• Swings
• Small Soccer Field

The kids playing at the park, while J was at Soccer Practice.
Serious
Great Expression. Poor lighting

Videos that agree:

Hidden Lakes

Hidden Lakes

Popular Park, Bolingbrook, IL

• Parking: On the street
• Safety?
• My kid got his finger stuck in the slidey thing. 
• Facilities
• 2 slides
• 2 Swings, 2 child swings
• Voice tubes
• Volleyball court (bring your own net)
• Lots of toads / frogs in the evening

Jonamac apple farm is the perfict farm-tourism destination outside Chicago +4.5

Background, Context, and Assumptions

Jonamac apple farm is a farm-tourism destination outside Chicago. It is located at 19412 Shabbona Rd Malta, IL 60150. Their phone number is (815) 825-2158.

Best reasons to agree: +3

1. Its good for kids to see farms. Kids should learn the science of producing food. It is good for all of us to try to produce food.
2. Joanamac is is a good farm. 
1. They have a: 
1. petting zoo with mules, sheep, chickens, and a Lama
2. apple picking, with a lot of different apple types
3. pumpkin canon, 
4. a big thing like a trampoline. 
5. old-timy-machines
6. slides
7. Kids like to play in the corn silo. 
8. they have an easy corn maze that kids can handle. They have a harder corn maze for adults.
9. they have a place where you can buy food
10. they have live music playing
11. they often have farm equipment on display
3. Joanamac is close to Chicago. It is 70 miles from Downtown Chicago, and less than that from the suburbs
1. Link

Best reasons to disagree: -

1. Jonamac should copy some of the educational stuff from the Lincoln Park Zoo farm display. Jonamac could team up with Illinois Universities to do farm-research or education. They could have signs for stuff. For instance they could say how much corn was a barrel (or bushel?) that day. They could tell you that the corn you let your kids play in won't be wasted because it will be fed to animals, or it was wasted. 
2. Jonamac could have a place for kite flying. Chicago is almost always windy. They have a lot of open space, and there is usually a crowd. Seems like a good place for kite flying.
3. Jonamac could be closer to the City. You pass an awful lot of farms on the way to Jonamac. You would think that any of these places could copy them, but get more traffic.
4. Jonamac could team up with Amish type country knick-knack stuff, to give the whole farm experience. 
5. They could have a real farmer's market at Jonamac. In the fall it gets enough traffic that they could probably sell more stuff than just apples, and fudge. 

Score:

# of reasons to agree: +3

# of reasons to disagree: -5

# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: +11/2 = 6.5

# of reasons to agree with reasons to disagree: -0

Total Idea Score: +4.5

Best webpages that agree: +

1. http://www.jonamacorchard.com/   Bias grade: poor

Best webpages that agree: -

Kids like fire works

Images that agree:

Ali watching fire works with Cousins in McCall, Idaho. 2012. It seems that we watch fire works at the Bolingbrook end of summer fire work show each year. But the best fire works are on the beach of the Payette Lake in Idaho. They bring a barge to the middle of the lake, and freak out the local wildlife. You can hear the explosions from the fireworks bounce off the mountains. They usually have a great show. Fire works are hard to capture on Camera, so sorry it is sort of a lame post...

Chicago Suburban Schools are pretty good

Images that agree:

1.  
• Punting Challenge 
2.  
• Climbing the Pole Vault judging thingy 
3. 
4. 
1. Not much of a hill, but enough for James to get some speed

You should go to the Illinois Train Museum in Union IL +2

Background: Before James loved animals, he loved trains. He spoke about them all the time. In particular was a train movie we got from the library that he must have watched 30 times.

I ended up driving up their with James on day, and Megan stayed home.

Best reasons to agree: +3

1. Kids like trains. 
2. The Illinois Train Museum has lots of trains. 
3. Trains are cool. Trains are some of the biggest things that people will see move. Trains have changed a lot over time. Trains used to be very important to our county's development. Learning about trains will also allow you to learn a little about what our grand parent's lives were like.

Best reasons to disagree: -1

1. Union Illinois is 59 miles from Chicago. It would be cooler if it was a little bit closer. 

Score:

# of reasons to agree: +3

# of reasons to disagree: -1

# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: +0

# of reasons to agree with reasons to disagree: -0

Total Idea Score: +2

Don't like the score? It is easy to change the score. Just post a reason to agree or disagree with the overall idea, or any of the reasons and the score will change.

Best webpages that agree: +

1. http://www.irm.org/ Biased score: 10/10

Best webpages that agree: -

1. 
   

This is my favorite picture, I think.
He just looks so small compared to those giant trains.  

This is in an area with no moving trains...
Don't worry...
I typically don't let my kids play on train tracks.

A very big train

Yes. I did let him climb the trains. 

This train was used to cut through snow. 

• Near Chicago Tourism

Images that agree:

I hear steam engines are coming back

Related Links: