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During World War II, Czech and Slovak men risked their lives by traveling across Europe and Siberia in search of creating a new nation and to pursue freedom. They traveled along the Trans-Siberian railroad with the determination to fight for a better life for generations to come.

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In a time of war, the perseverance and determination of the Czech and Slovak soldiers led their people to liberation by gaining control over the Trans-Siberian railroad.

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The Czech and Slovak peoples showed power, determination, and sacrifice to gain their freedom by seizing the Trans-Siberian railroad.

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The story of the seizing of the Trans-Siberian railroad by the Czech Legion during the chaos and devastation of World War I is one of perseverance and sacrifice, and of how the bravery and determination of those Czech and Slovak soldiers led to the freedom of their people and eventual homeland.

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Amidst the chaos of World War I, Czech and Slovak troops traveled across the world in order to join the Allies and fight for their independence.

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In the midst of World War I Czech and Slovak soldiers fought through Siberia seizing the Trans-Siberian railroad leading to the liberation of a new country (Czechoslovakia).

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During World War I, Czech and Slovak soldiers fought alongside the allies through perseverance and determination to reclaim their homeland.

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The courageous actions of the soldiers of the Czechoslovak Legion in Russia after the end of World War One profoundly affected the Allied establishment of the Czechoslovakian state.

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The story of Sacrifices that the Slovak and Czech soldiers went through to liberate their people, and create the nation of Czechoslovakia is still one related to today in what people will do for freedom and identity.

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The bravery and courage of soldiers in the Czech and Slovak legion in seizing the Trans-Siberian railroad helped lead to the victory of the Allies in WW1 and the eventual formation of Czechoslovakia. (I got to see this exhibit and it was super cool!)

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We wish to share the human story of the Czech Legion during World War One and how their heroic contribution and sacrifice helped found the Nation of Czechoslovakia.

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Following World War I, the Czech and Slovak soldiers continued their fight by taking control of the Trans-Siberian railroad in order to secure their nation and their rightful freedom.

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The Czech and Slovak legion demonstrates the lengths that people will go to achieve their freedom in the face of harrowing circumstances in their incredible, odds-defying journey across the barren Siberian landscape.

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From my understanding after viewing the video, the Big Idea of this exhibit was to exhibit an extraordinary feat of people who sacrificed everything to establish their nation and show visitors of the exhibit that through hard work, determination, and sacrifice, anything is possible if you set your mind to it.

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The Czech-Slovak halted the Trans-Siberian Railroad and battled there way across Europe to establish a new nation called Czechoslovakia as a new homeland for their people. The importance of this exhibit is to recognize the struggles they face to gain the freedom they wanted.

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The Czecho-Slovak legion seized the Trans-Siberian railroad and fought their way across Europe to create a new homeland for their people.

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The Czech and Slovak peoples seized the Trans-Siberian railroad in order to help establish and shape the nation of Czechoslovakia, and in so doing represented the importance of freedom, sacrifice and identity.

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While the world was at war, Czech and Slovak peoples seized the Trans-Siberian railroad to fight their way to Europe, where a new homeland was created.

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The treacherous journey made by the Czech and Slovak people along the Trans-Siberian Railroad after World War I led to the creation of a new homeland for them in the wake of a war-torn continent.

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The Big Idea I came up with for the Guts and Glory exhibit is:

The sacrifices Czechoslovakian soldiers made on their heroic journey during World War I led to the foundation of Czechoslovakia.

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According to Serrell, the Big Idea is a statement of what an exhibit is about. The Big Idea should be one non-compound, complete, active sentence that includes a subject, its action, and its consequence. With a Big Idea, an exhibition planning team has a focus to reference and strive towards during the exhibit design process. I kept these requirements in mind as I thought about what the Big Idea for the NCSML “Guts and Glory” exhibit was. I actually worked for NCSML over the summer and designed an obstacle course based on this exhibit, so I was interested to see what I could come up with for the exhibit’s Big Idea. Overall, after jotting down key words and phrases that I and the materials provided associated with “Guts and Glory,” I feel as if I was, hopefully, able to come up with a successful Big Idea for the exhibition:

"Through perseverance and sacrifice, the Czech Legion completed a harrowing journey during World War I that was motivated by the concept of identity and the hopes of forming a new country for its peoples."

I believe that this Big Idea satisfies Serrell’s “subject-verb-so what?” requirement and touches upon the narrative at the heart of “Guts and Glory.” Identity is actually something that NCSML as a whole focuses upon in most of its exhibits and other materials within the museum and is pretty pervasive in "Guts and Glory."

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Nationla Czech & Slovak Museum and Library Exhibit

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Nationla Czech & Slovak Museum and Library Exhibit

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Click the link below to read and watch the video.

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Guts & Glory: The War Train that Shaped a Nation
Open April 7, 2018 - December 31, 2018 in Petrik Gallery
It's the most epic, heroic World War I story you've never heard.

As World War I ended in 1918, political leaders in Europe and America created the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Crucial to that decision were 60,000 brave Czech and Slovak soldiers who supported the Allies, seized the Trans-Siberian railroad, and fought their way across Siberia- eventually reaching their new homeland in Europe.

This exhibition represents a unique collaboration among:

The NCSML staff

Kevin J. McNamara, author of Dreams of a Great Small Nation

Many students and teachers at two Cedar Rapids high schools: Iowa BIG and Metro High School STEAM Academy

Graphic novel artist Rachel Marie-Crane Williams of the University of Iowa faculty

Together they have created an exhibition that includes two virtual reality stations, three replica train cars, many period artifacts, and more than two dozen large-scale interpretive panels that tell the story in graphic novel form. Guts & Glory promises a unique experience that commemorates the centennial of the end of World War I and underscores the lengths people will go to obtain freedom. ( Read the news release.)

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Guts & Glory: The War Train that Shaped a Nation | NCSML

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Open April 7, 2018 - December 31, 2018 in Petrik Gallery It's the most epic, heroic World War I story you've never heard. As World War I ended in 1918, political leaders in Europe and America created the new nation of Czechoslovakia.