Nations Classroom Blog

Have you ever wanted to have a sleepover next to the U.S. Constitution?  Or have a nighttime scavenger hunt around the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence?  This is now possible, thanks to a program hosted by the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

After several days exploring the sights and sounds of Washington, D.C., walking an average of 20,000 steps a day, taking hundreds of selfies, and creating memorable experiences with friends and teachers, school trip leaders often incorporate a pleasure-filled activity to reward themselves for a successful trip to the Nation’s Capital.  Enter Smokey Glen Farm.

On this day in 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention, after four months of deliberations, signed the Constitution of the United States of America. 

But did you know that 71% of Americans cannot identify the Constitution as the supreme law of the land (2012 Xavier University Study) and that 32% of Americans can identify all three branches of government outlined in the Constitution (2018 Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey).

Looking for a lesson plan to help students grasp the magnitude of this day 231 years ago?

When it comes to learning about the Holocaust, many middle and high school students are usually introduced to it by reading the Diary of Anne Frank, watching the Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and/or reading Elie Wiesel’s Night. A visit to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum brings one of the most horrific events of the 20th Century to life.

On September 21st, Washington D.C.’s popular museum Newseum will unveil a sculpture of Alice Allison Dunnigan, the first African American woman to have press credentials to cover the White House and Congress.

So many groups get caught up with visiting the White House and Capitol Building that the Supreme Court often gets lost in the shuffle.  It’s hidden in plain site atop Capitol Hill beside the Library of Congress (LOC). The court is easy to spot once you know what to look for - it’s big, gleaming white, and has monumental statues out front that guard the imposing stairs. Dare you challenge them?

On the night of April 14th, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was mortally wounded by a gunshot to the head. The assassin was John Wilkes Booth.  The scene of the attack was Ford’s Theatre. Honest Abe would die the next morning inside the back bedroom of the Petersen Boarding House, located across the street from the theater. If you’d like to learn more about the complex and riveting series of events that led to Lincoln’s demise, there’s no better place than the actual historic site!

Last week, many veterans and Americans marked the 74th anniversary of D-Day.   On June 6th, 1944, Allied troops came ashore on Omaha Beach in France’s Normandy region in what was the largest seaborne invasion in history.  It is believed that over 150,000 American, British, and Canadian troops landed on that beach in 1944. This invasion was the impetus for the liberation of German-occupied Europe and a victory on the Western Front.  But these victories came at a tremendous price.

Located in the fast growing Capital Riverfront neighborhood, Nationals Park is an awesome, state-of-the-art, 41,000-seat venue where NationsClassroom student groups experience America’s favorite pastime and cheer on one of Major League Baseball’s youngest and most exciting teams, the Washington Nationals.

Many of the great buildings and monuments in Washington, D.C. are symbolic reminders of the freedoms we enjoy as citizens. The Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, more commonly known as the Washington National Cathedral, also represents one of the ideals upon which America was founded: freedom of faith.