Eighth grade students recently spent two days and one night visiting Washington, D.C. where they were able to connect what they’ve learned in their seventh and eighth grade social studies classes to various places in our nation’s history.

Arranged by eighth grade social studies teacher Greg Schmit and chaperoned by nineteen other staff members, the full itinerary included a stop at Arlington National Cemetery where students visited John F. Kennedy’s grave site with the eternal flame and observed the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown soldier. Various landmarks were visited which spanned different parts of American History including the Lincoln Memorial, the WWII Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and Iwo Jima Memorial, among others.

Students also visited the Capitol Building and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, as well as the National Archives where they were able to see firsthand the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

“It was a great trip and I'm grateful that the district allows us the opportunity to go,” Mr. Schmit said. “Students made a lot of lifelong memories and learned about our nation’s history in a way that can’t be replicated.”