| Educational travel can give teachers and | | | | fee. Once you have decided to include them in a travel |
| administrators a boost in exciting many students about | | | | itinerary, the key is to make sure the students receive |
| their academic lessons. Travel brings curriculum to life | | | | the strongest possible educational connections during |
| while teaching lessons that students will need | | | | the actual visit. |
| throughout their lives. As a former middle school | | | | You can easily increase the educational value of the |
| principal I found that educational travel goes | | | | visit by using a reputable student tour provider that |
| hand-in-hand with offering a total educational program | | | | specializes in educational travel to plan your trip. To |
| to young adolescents. This is even more important | | | | begin with, their experience will help prepare an |
| today as teachers and principals are facing increased | | | | itinerary that sequences the stops so that the students |
| pressure to prepare students to pass mandated | | | | are not overwhelmed with information. Their |
| academic tests. | | | | experience will also present you with strategies for |
| During my years teaching in middle school, I learned | | | | planning effective group visits. I strongly recommend |
| that young adolescents can gain a multitude of | | | | you ask the travel provider about adding Washington, |
| invaluable experiences from travel, learning both the | | | | DC guides when visiting the monuments and |
| information they will be able to apply in the classroom | | | | memorials. Their historical knowledge base will only |
| and skills that will help them develop personally. | | | | enhance the educational experience. |
| Unfortunately, some young people will never be able to | | | | Another outstanding educational venue is Arlington |
| take educational tours without involvement with their | | | | National Cemetery. In addition to visiting the John |
| school. So, middle school educators can contribute to a | | | | Fitzgerald Kennedy and Challenger Astronaut |
| young adolescent's complete education when they | | | | Memorials, your student tour provider can schedule a |
| include education travel in their program. | | | | wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the |
| Once you've decided to include travel in your student's | | | | Unknowns. This ceremony adds depth to the |
| education, there are important plans and decisions that | | | | educational value of the visit and allows those students |
| will affect the overall success of their travel | | | | selected for the ceremony the rare opportunity of |
| experience. This article focuses on selecting the best | | | | interacting with an Army Honor Guard member. |
| educational venues in Washington, DC for a class or | | | | A visit to the U.S. Holocaust Museum can be |
| grade level trip. | | | | extremely educational especially if the students have |
| The best time to consider such a trip is during seventh | | | | studied this era in American history and/or read The |
| or eighth grade when the middle school social studies | | | | Diary of Anne Frank in English class. The museum is |
| curriculum focuses on U.S. history. An educational trip | | | | self-guided. The emotional impact of the tour, coupled |
| to Washington, DC coinciding with this year can | | | | with their collection of newsprint, historical video and |
| provide substantial benefits to both the individual and | | | | news reporting provides an outstanding educational |
| the school as a whole. | | | | experience for all visitors. |
| All student groups that visit Washington, DC should | | | | A student trip to Washington, DC should also include a |
| tour the White House and the US Capitol. Their | | | | visit to Mount Vernon - the estate of George |
| educational links to the classroom are countless. It's | | | | Washington. The new Donald W. Reynolds Museum |
| important to note that the popularity of these two sites | | | | and Education Center, and a tour of the beautifully |
| coupled with the recent increase in national security | | | | restored estate, outer buildings and the grounds have |
| now require that an appointment must be | | | | strong educational value. |
| prescheduled by a Senator or State Representative. | | | | Finally, I recommend that student groups traveling to |
| Next, I recommend visiting as many of the following as | | | | Washington, D.C. schedule a cultural activity. Exposing |
| possible: | | | | young people to the arts and culture is invaluable to the |
| - Ford's Theater and the Peterson House | | | | overall development of the individual. One of the most |
| - Arlington National Cemetery | | | | popular activities is attending a theatrical performance |
| - Smithsonian Museums | | | | at one of the area dinner theaters or a performance |
| - Washington Monument | | | | at the Kennedy Center. The theaters schedule age |
| - Lincoln Monument | | | | appropriate productions like "Beauty and the Beast or |
| - Jefferson Memorial | | | | Fiddler on the Roof" to help make this opportunity both |
| - Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial | | | | educational and entertaining. |
| - Iwo Jima Memorial | | | | In summary, educational travel to Washington, DC can |
| - Korean War Memorial | | | | add an important dimension to the total learning |
| - Vietnam Veterans Memorial | | | | program at your school. I strongly recommend that you |
| - World War II Memorial | | | | consider adding travel to the curriculum and visiting as |
| All of these sites have strong ties to the social studies | | | | many of the aforementioned venues as possible for |
| curriculum and, best of all do not charge an admissions | | | | the best educational value. |