Students in the 8th grade stand on the cusp of adolescence. They’re curious and exploratory. When they’re learning about the history of the USA and this nation’s governmental mechanisms, there’s no place they’d rather be than in Washington, DC.
This is the age at which watching what they’ve been reading about in the schoolroom come to life before their eyes is a magical experience. What they’ve only imagined is suddenly laid out before them.
Getting the most from your 8th grade Washington, DC trip means getting inside your students’ heads. As an educator, you do something like that every day. But when you take your kids out into the field, you want to feature maximum impact for optimal experiential value.
Following are Junior Tours’ top Washington, DC attractions.
The Smithsonian Museums.
The diversity of experience available in the magisterial collections at the Smithsonian is tailor made for the curious minds of the 8th graders. This is the world’s largest educational resource, research center and collection of museums.
With over 154 million unique artifacts on display, students need you to guide them to the areas of this massive complex that best meet your goals as an educator. What better place could there be to instill in your students a love of preserving and examining the historical record?
With everything from African Art to Archie Bunker’s chair on display, the Smithsonian has something for everyone.
Library of Congress.
Just telling your students that this famous library houses 540 miles of shelves with 90 million unique items on them is bound to leave them speechless. But just wait until they hear the library’s fascinating story, as they walk through it.
This is hallowed ground and one of the cradles of nascent American government. Established in 1800 with reference books and maps imported from England, everything in the library was subsequently used by the British as kindling to burn down the Capitol, only 14 years after it opened as a congressional resource.
It was Thomas Jefferson himself who rebuilt the collection, selling his personal collection of books to make it happen.
Lincoln’s footsteps.
Share the awe with your students, as they stand in the shadow of Abraham Lincoln, one of the USA’s greatest Presidents. As they’re dwarfed by the sheer size of the 19-foot-tall statue, they’ll feel part of something greater than themselves as they read the words of the Gettysburg Address, inscribed there.
Lincoln Park and Lincoln’s Cottage are also here in Washington, DC, allowing your students the unforgettable experience of walking in the footsteps of one of America’s most beloved and celebrated leaders.
Let Junior take you there.
Getting the most from your 8th grade Washington, DC trip gets even easier when you’ve got Junior Tours leading the way.
Since 1967, we’ve been creating educationally rich travel experiences for students like yours. As we celebrate our 50th year in the student tour sector, we’re proud to offer you logistical excellence and superior service that makes Washington, DC unforgettable.
Contact us for a sample itinerary and quote.