Slideshow

Some of my favorite pictures

Day 3

Wow! I have been incredibly impressed by each and every memorial we have visited and can honestly say that I am so very proud of our GJHS students behavior.  They have been conducting themselves in an appropriate manner at each and every site, taking their hats off out of respect, saying "please" and "thank you", and cleaning up after themselves at meal time. It is nice to see students care about the reputation of Gladstone. Parents should be proud.
Yesterday was an interesting day, mainly because of the weather. We began our day at the Capitol Building where we learned about the architecture and meaning behind the statues and artwork. We were also able to head over to the Library of Congress and explore the exhibits. As we walked into the Capitol building we just barely escaped a major downpour!
Arlington cemetery was next. Many of the students really enjoyed their time here. It was extremely hot but the students were troopers. They didn't complain, but rather enjoyed their time visiting JFK's tomb, the Arlington house, and the tomb of the unknown soldier.
The most exciting part of the day's weather occurred right as we entered the Thomas Jefferson memorial when a thunderstorm came out of nowhere. Winds ripped through the memorial and many of us left the memorial wet. I'm sure the students will never forget the Thomas Jefferson memorial!
Last, but certainly not least, we visited the Dr. Martin Luther King jr. And Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorials. Before we entered MLK, our tour guide played his "I Have A Dream" speech. It was an amazing way to get the kids in the right mindset to appreciate the memorial.
It again became to rain as we entered the FDR memorial. It seemed that we had started to lose the students at this point but Carol, our tour guide, took us down to the tidal basin where she described FDR and his importance to our country. The students had an opportunity to describe their favorite sites and reflect on their experiences this far.
Pictures to come later...

Day 2

If you ask the kids how today went their response is probably "It was hot"  It really was a very hot day, but also a day filled (and I mean filled) with some amazingly cool tours.  We started the day at Mount Vernon as I have already posted.  We spent the entire morning exploring George Washington and his home.  After lunch we visited the National Cathedral where the intricate artwork, stained glass windows, and architecture were described.  The kids were in awe while visiting this National Cathedral.  We were then able to make a quick stop at the National Zoo where the highlight was the pandas!  After dinner we checked out the Air Force memorial overlooking the Pentagon and the exact location where the plane hit on 9/11.  We then attended a show called "Twilight Tattoo" which honored the veterans of every major American war.  Men and women were dressed in traditional US Army uniforms, created brief wartime reenactments, and played music.  One highlight was the Drill Team showcasing their precise execution.  Our night ended at the Marine Corps War Memorial Iwo Jima.  What an amazing way to end the day.  I think it really hit home when some of the boys found out that the men shown in the statue were only a few years older than they are now.
Unfortunately my phone died at the beginning of the Twilight Tattoo, so I will have to post a good slideshow tomorrow from pictures I gathered from others.  Here are a couple good photos that I was able to take today.

Student Podcast

We created a student podcast tonight, but after attempting to upload a mp3 to this blog for about an hour I gave up and just put it on my teacher webpage.  So....those of you interested in listening to a few students speak about their favorite spots so far, what they are looking forward to seeing, and how D.C. has impacted their life so far - CLICK HERE to find my teacher webpage with the podcast included. (Please don't judge my site just yet, it is still under construction =)

Thanks!

Mt. Vernon

Mount Vernon was absolutely beautiful. The kids enjoyed watching a fun movie on George Washington. The theatre seats shook and snow fell from the ceiling to make the movie more interactive and exciting. We saw Washington's teeth, his old and new tombs, the inside of his mansion, and all the other buildings on his estate. It is a hot day but the kids handled it well!

Day 1 Slideshow

Day 1 Slideshow! 

Honoring the past

Today was a wonderful day to tour Washington D.C.  We couldn't have asked for better weather.  Going through security was a breeze, the flight was smooth, and the transition to the metro was easy.  After having a filling lunch, the GJHS 8th graders headed off to buy some souvenirs (spending money was probably one of their favorite activities of the day).  We visited Ford's Theater where we heard a wonderful summary about the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.  After Lincoln was shot, he was transported to a brick home across the street where he later died.  We were able to go on a tour of the home as well!

Next stop was the Smithsonian Natural History museum.  We spent about an hour and a half exploring the exhibits and soaking up all the information.  After dinner, we were able to explore the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the Vietnam War memorial.  This time of day was gorgeous and the memorials were all amazing.   We ended our day with a group picture on the Einstein statue.  The kids are tucked into bed and ready to take the day on tomorrow.  

I will be attaching a slideshow of today's activities as soon as possible.  

 

And we're off...

Welcome!

Welcome to the Gladstone Junior High School's 2013 Washington, D.C. trip blog!  This blog has been created for parents to follow their children's adventures, to record student memories, and for use in my own social studies classroom.  The plan is to update during the day, but with so many exciting activities planned throughout the day, I may be updating mainly when we return back to the hotel each night.  All students and parents have been given the link.  Feel free to post comments!