Exploring Washington DC

The Grade 11 American History class learned about the history of the nation through exploring its political centre: Washington DC.

They flew out early on the morning of Friday, April 13, ready to explore Washington. After dropping their luggage off at the hotel, they headed to the US Capitol Building for a guided tour. It was pretty unbelievable to stand in the room where the presidents they’ve learned about were inaugurated, and where every bill becomes law.

Over the course of the trip, they visited Washington’s many museums, monuments, and memorials, learning about American history through many lenses. Students took in the stately beauty of the Lincoln Memorial, the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin, and the monuments to great leaders in American History like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

They considered the different approaches used to portray different kinds of history as they moved between the triumphant monuments and the solemnity of the war memorials, from the Korean War to World War II to Vietnam.

The visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was especially powerful. Two veterans who served in 1968, Tony and Ron, ran a workshop for the students. They took them on a tour of the memorial and helped students pay their respects to the Canadian service people who lost their lives.

Greenwood alumnus Claire Vanderwood (‘17) joined in the touring on Saturday. She is currently studying at George Washington University. She was happy to share her excitement for her newly adopted city and be a tourist for the day with the Grade 11s.

Visiting Washington’s many museums was another great experience. The city seemingly has a museum for every aspect of American history housed in the impressive Smithsonians. A highlight was the newest Smithsonian, the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Then, to learn more about one of the darkest points in our recent history, they visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum and paid their respects.

On their last day, they went to one of Washington’s most unique museums: the Newseum. This museum takes advantage of interactive media to tell the history of communication, especially news media, and promotes free speech and the First Amendment. In today’s media environment, the Newseum felt especially important

There was lots of time to explore the fun side of Washington as well. They watched a Nationals baseball game, and saw a performance of The Wiz in the Ford Theatre — significant in American history as the place of Lincoln’s assassination.

All too soon, it was time to head to the airport and return to Toronto. Thank you to everyone who worked to make the trip so exceptional.