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Articles, Washington D.C.

Add a Tour of Virginia Battlefields to a Washington D.C. Student Trip

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Student trips headed to Washington D.C. to tour may want to consider adding a visit to some Civil War battlefields in nearby Virginia to their itinerary. Many of the critical battles of the Civil War were fought in Virginia, with the ultimate goal being the capture of Richmond by Union forces, since it was the Confederate Capitol.

The furthest of the battlefields I suggest is Petersburg — a three-hour bus ride away. Appomattox, Shenandoah, Fredericksburg and Richmond are approximately two hours or less from Washington D.C.

A student trip can also be built solely around the Civil War. Or, it may include a more comprehensive look at history, beginning with the settlement of Jamestown and Williamsburg as Colonial capitals, and the early days of the Revolutionary War.

Shenandoah: New Market Battlefield and State Historical Park
The site of one of the Confederate victories, New Market Battlefield was the place where early in the war, young cadets from Virginia Military Institute fought and won a victory for the South. Student trips may visit a 19th Century farm, tour the Hall of Valor Civil War Museum, and learn about the actual cadets who made a difference that day.

Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Civil War Battlefields
These sites are within a forty-five minute drive from Williamsburg, so student trip organizers may want to consider a visit to Colonial Williamsburg and/or Jamestown and Yorktown while visiting the area. The Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park and the Manassas National Battlefield Park are important components to any study of the Civil War. Manassas is the Virginia town where The Battle of Bull Run was fought. One of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, the Battle of Fredericksburg, was fought there and was considered a great victory for General Robert E. Lee. Chatham Manor is located at Fredericksburg and was at one time a hospital and Union headquarters. Three other battles fought between 1862-64 include: Battle of Chancellorsville, Battle of Wilderness, and Battle of Spotsylvania.

Petersburg: the Siege Ending the Civil War
The historic battle where General Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant’s armies faced off for the final battle of the Civil War was the Siege of Petersburg, a strategic supply point for the Confederate Army. During this battle, which lasted nearly a year, Confederate troops dug in while the Union army seized railroad supply lines surrounding Petersburg with the ultimate goal of taking Richmond. Grant’s army was successful at routing Lee and his army from Petersburg, and this decisive battle helped to end the Civil War in 1865. Teachers may easily prepare a curriculum for the student trip by consulting the website at http://www.nps.gov/pete/forteachers/index.htm.

Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier
Pamplin was the place near Richmond where the decisive Breakthrough Battle occurred April 2, 1865. After the Confederate Army suffered a loss at Pamplin, Richmond was evacuated. Pamplin encompasses 422 acres. Student groups will be engaged in interactive living history programs, and have access to four different museums at this location. Student groups may visit four antebellum homes and shopping facilities.

Richmond: Confederate Capital
As the site of the White House of the Confederacy and the present day Museum of the Confederacy, Richmond is a must see on a Civil War tour of Virginia. Richmond is significant because the siege of Richmond signified the war’s end. There were also numerous battles fought there from the beginning of the Civil War in 1862, mostly in the farm and plantation land surrounding the city. Richmond National Battlefield Park spans 1900 acres and is divided into 13 units. Numerous battles were fought throughout the war in the Richmond area. Richmond’s inhabitants saw a steady stream of wounded and were subject to rationing on a regular basis. Learn about the lives of United States Coloured Troops (USCT) who fought for the Union at the Battle of New Market and were one of the first regiments to reach Richmond. Tour the battlefield by bus and stop at some of the earthworks to view them up close. Teachers may prepare an advance lesson plan by visiting: http://www.nps.gov/rich/forteachers/curriculum-based-programs.htm.

Appomattox Courthouse: Where the Civil War Ended
Grant and Lee at Appomattox Courthouse signed the final treaty sanctioning the end of the Civil War. On April 9, 1865 Lee requested a private meeting with Grant. They convened at the McLean residence in Appomattox Courthouse, where they conversed like gentlemen for 25 minutes before Lee mentioned a surrender of his troops. Grant put his terms in writing and Lee reviewed them there. Lee requested his men be allowed to keep their horses, since in the Confederate Army the men owned them. He also mentioned his troops were hungry. As an act of good will, Grant dispatched 25,000 rations that day. The war between the states ended quite calmly in this historic town in Virginia. A visit to Appomattox Courthouse is an excellent educational experience for any group. Learning materials for curriculum development are available at http://www.nps.gov/apco/forteachers/curriculummaterials.htm.

It is obvious that Virginia is a pivotal state in the study of the Civil War. Consider a statewide tour focused on the subject of the Civil War completely, or develop a combination tour with a visit to Washington D.C. or Williamsburg for even greater coverage of American history. Whatever the itinerary or learning objective for a student group, a visit to historic Civil War sites in Virginia can be integrated into just about any type of educational tour.

Blog, Washington D.C.

The National Museum of Crime and Punishment in Washington D.C.

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A new museum just opened this year in Washington D.C. that is of interest to student travel groups — the National Museum of Crime and Punishment. This museum traces the history of crime in the United States and our legal system’s methods of punishing criminal behavior.

The exhibits at the National Museum of Crime and Punishment are multimedia, three dimensional, and some are even interactive. Student travel groups will love the interactive exhibits that trace the history of notorious criminals and the consequences for crime throughout the centuries.

Interactive Crime Exhibits for Student Travel: Fun and Education
Students can experience the punishments for crime at the National Museum of Crime and Punishment. Some examples of great exhibits include: visiting a booking station, getting fingerprinted, visiting the jail cell and taking a lie detector test. Students can even climb onto a Harley Davidson motorcycle designed for a police officer and rev the engine. The opportunity to experience the history of crime in this hands-on way excites student groups and engages them more deeply in the learning experience.

The Facts About the History of Crime: Washington D.C.
The National Museum of Crime and Punishment does a fine job of conveying useful, factual, historical information about the history of legal investigations into the perpetrators of crime. The museum also incorporates several modes of communication into exhibits: print, television and film. Public fascination for crime and punishment is also well represented.

CSI Experience and America’s Most Wanted Exhibits
Many student travelers have come to understand criminal behavior and investigations through popular television programs such as CSI Experience or America’s Most Wanted. The National Museum of Crime and Punishment incorporates elements of both popular television shows into their exhibits.

For example, John Walsh, the driving force behind America’s Most Wanted, is featured at the Museum. And, the fully operational filming studio of America’s Most Wanted is actually housed on the second floor. The show has been a huge influence in capturing criminals at large, and is actually teamed with the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

The CSI Experience exhibit is not just for fans of the television program. It really is a wonderful way to learn about forensics and the methodology behind this science. Some relatively new technologies such as DNA testing are helping to solve murders that happen now or have been cold cases for years. Reconstruction of the crime scene, autopsies, artifacts, and interviews all become a ‘body of evidence’ when trying to convict criminals. The CSI Experience helps students to understand that details, hard work, expertise, and ability to critically analyze a crime scene are all skills that a true crime scene investigator must cultivate in order to out think perpetrators of violent crimes.

Student travelers can stop inside the Cop Shop towards the end of their visit to the National Museum of Crime and Punishment for authentic crime fighting memorabilia.

To add a trip to the National Museum of Crime and Punishment to a student travel itinerary to Washington D.C. email info@educationaltravelconsultants.com or call 800-247-7969.

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Itinerary for an Educational Field Trip to Orlando

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A student travel tour to Orlando Florida is a great destination for a high school class trip or a band trip. Orlando, Florida provides performance venues, education, and cultural diversity opportunities for students from various backgrounds. Educational tours that include performance and/or workshops are included in the student tour. Students can become a part of Disney Magic Music Days, with high school band performances and a wide range of other performance types to an international audience. Or, student groups more focused on active learning may choose to take part in Disney Performing Arts Workshops while visiting Orlando.

These two excellent Walt Disney World programs are a great way to focus an educational field trip experience to Orlando Florida. Any well-rounded student tour will also include visits to Universal Studios, Epcot Center, or other popular destinations at Walt Disney World. Culturally diverse dining and entertainment opportunities are also available at Walt Disney World.

Disney Magic Music Days

For the young musician, the thrill of performing in front of a live audience is critical to development and growth. While researching a school field trip for the band, choir, orchestra, dance ensemble, drill team or other types of performance groups, consider a visit to Walt Disney World to perform in front of a live international audience. Disney proudly proclaims on the website: ‘Become a star on the world’s greatest stage.’

Make the high school band trip a tour for all to remember. First, work with a qualified educational travel consultant to pull together a fantastic field trip and performance tour that includes Disney Magic Music Days. The educational tour company will work closely with your high school band or orchestra, or other type of performance group to schedule an appropriate Florida field trip that includes an audition for the Disney Show. Disney divides the auditions into three categories: instrumental, choral, and dance. If your student tour group is chosen, they will perform in front of a worldwide audience as part of Disney Magic Music Days.

The National Association for Music Education endorses Disney Magic Music Days performances by student tour groups. This program is an activity that contributes to greater musical learning and development. Overnight field trips to Orlando Florida to perform at Disney Magic Music Days are complemented by fun in some of Disney’s greatest theme parks including: Epcot Center, Universal and MGM Studios, Space Mountain, the Twilight Zone Mountain of Terror, and more. Rely on a qualified educational tour professional to schedule the Disney Magic Music Days performance and tour for your student travel group.

Disney Performing Arts Workshops

Student tour groups that visit Orlando Florida can become deeply engaged in the Disney experience through participation in a Performing Arts Workshop. These workshops inspire the student performance tour participants through direct interaction, coaching, and practice. Student tour groups are trained and coached by professional Disney performance artists.

Artistic techniques are taught under a wide range of programs, with participants from auxiliary units, pom squads, color guards, drill teams, orchestras, concert bands, jazz and marching bands, vocalists and dancers.

Walt Disney World Performing Arts Workshops are educational in nature and teach the student tour participants to improve their techniques, presentation and staging. Student travel groups are excited about learning from the professionals in the Disney Performing Arts Workshops. The enthusiasm builds if the student travel group is scheduled for a public performance as part of Disney Magic Music Days.

A student tour of Orlando Florida is greatly enhanced when an educational travel professional is engaged to take care of the details. Visit www.EducationalTravelConsultants.com for a complete overview of educational student tours.

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