A new virtual White House field trip featuring First Lady Jill Biden provided access to the nation’s capital to students who can’t travel due COVID or lack of resources.
In the field trip, “The City of U.S.,” which premieres May 26 on Discovery Education, Biden gives students a virtual tour of The White House, the U.S. Capitol Building, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and several other Washington D.C. monuments and museums.
“It really gives students a chance to go behind the scenes at key landmarks,” says Stefanie Wager, president of the National Council for the Social Studies. “I love that the field trip features student voice, as they ask questions at each stop.”
The trip features students from Operation Homefront military families interacting with officials at each landmark.
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Discovery Education has developed learning resources and family activities to accompany the field trip, which can be viewed as a single event or in selected segments for specific lessons.
A Spanish version premiers on Discovery Familia on May 28.
Wager says the field trip helps teachers shift from the traditional memorization of facts to questions of inclusivity and symbolism around how Washington D.C.’s landmarks reflect a shared history.
“Symbols unite us but they also raise questions about what it means to be an American and how we wrestle with both the good and bad,” she says. “Every student should have the chance to visit Washington D.C. in some capacity, regard of COVID restrictions.”
