Highland View ES- Fifth Grade Field Trip to Washington, D.C.
Our Field Trip to Washington, D.C.
By Robert, Siena, and Wiley
The Capitol
We were excited at our first look at the Capitol. It was really big. Our first stop was the gallery. There were several models displaying how Washington D.C. evolved over the years. We viewed a movie about the history of our capital and the construction of the Capitol building and its history.
Our tour guides showed us the crypt where there are statues of individuals representing different areas of our country, such as Helen Keller who represented Alabama and Astronaut Jack Swigert, who represented Colorado. The crypt is also known as the heart of DC; it’s in the middle of the city and each of us had chance to stand there. Many of us felt that it was really cool to be standing in the middle of the District of Columbia.
Next we went to the Rotunda, the dome area of the Capitol. On the ceiling, there is a large mural displaying historical pictures of the founding fathers in different settings. Right below the statue that sits above the dome, there is a circle of Greek and Roman gods. Our guide shared stories about two of the many artists who worked on the mural. We were told that the first artist had an unfortunate accident. He lost his balance and while holding onto the edge of the Rotunda, he was suspended 15 feet in the air for 15 minutes until he was rescued. It was decided that it was time for him to stop painting. Another artist who was about to get fired painted his face onto the leaves of one of the trees.
The Supreme Court
It felt like we were in a mystery novel as we descended down a spiral staircase where the lights were dim. We found ourselves in the Old Supreme Court Chambers. Feathered pens and velvet chairs faced a clock that was deliberately set five minutes fast, so that the justices would not have any excuse to be late for a trial.
We also noticed several displays, such as the first Supreme Court Chief Justice, miniature models of the building, and a bust of Abraham Lincoln.
On our way to the main courtroom, statues of all the Chief Justices of the Supreme Court lined the hallway. We sat in the gallery and listened to Catherine, our tour guide as she shared information about the Supreme Court. She described the physical set-up of the courtroom. We learned that most of the materials came from different countries. For example, the marble columns came from Sienna, Italy, the mahogany benches and chairs came from India. She also explained the set-up of the court room and the procedures that the lawyers follow when they are presenting a case.
Catherine made us feel like we were one of the justices hearing a case. She made us realize there was so much more to the Supreme Court than we realized.
Overall, our field trip was exciting, interesting, and informative.