Middletown North History students attended the school’s annual Washington, D.C. trip in a long-awaited tour to several monuments, museums and attractions on April 27 and 28.
After an early morning and four hour bus ride to Washington, D.C. on April 27, students eagerly walked to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, where they found artifacts belonging to historical figures such as George Washington and others. Traditional attire, tools and décor were found in several halls of the museum belonging to real people of colonial America. More recent pieces of history were found in the top level with students being able to see the real ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, real puppets from the Muppets and Sesame Street and more pop culture artifacts from several franchises, musical artists, etc. Students remarked that they had amazing times in this museum seeing both old and new pieces of American society.
Following this museum, the group embarked on a journey to many memorials and monuments throughout the city of Washington, D.C., including the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Unforgettable moments were captured on this walk that eventually brought the group to Arlington Cemetery, where students learned historical information about the site and saw some of American history’s most honored gravesites. An expansive trip up the hill brought the tour group to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where students and chaperones witnessed the distinguished Changing of the Guard ceremony. Students expressed their excitement over the first day of their voyage while enjoying some pizza.
The second day of the Washington D.C. trip was nothing short of memorable as well. The group visited more monuments and memorials, such as the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. The main event of the day was the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, where students saw first-hand footage and artifacts from the topics they had been learning about in their history classes. The museum did an incredible job of informing the public about the Holocaust and experiences of many during this time period. At the end of the day, students visited the Ronald Reagan Building for some lunch and souvenirs, a great way to wrap up their packed two-day trip.
Overall, the Middletown North Washington, D.C. trip was an unforgettable experience for everyone, with many finding memorable favorites along the way.
“My favorite part was seeing the Changing of the Guard and walking the [Arlington] cemetery,” one student on the trip said. “It was very inspiring to see monumental pieces of history.”
The Washington D.C. trip proved itself to be a great way to learn about our history and it is clear that this journey was extremely insightful to all.
