On Friday, Dec. 7, McLean’s Project Enlightenment went into D.C. to explore the National Museum of American History, the National Gallery of Art and the Library of Congress.
Students left the school on FCPS buses, which they all pitched in for, at 9:15 a.m. and went to the different museums on foot.
“It was all intriguing,” senior Niab Montgomery said. “It’s mind-boggling to be in a room with so much knowledge and so much history. They let us touch some of the books, and when you’re holding in your hand an original print of a book from the 1700s that redefined a whole manner of thinking, it’s awe-inspiring.”
At the Library of Congress, students were given a specially designed tour which was centered around the Enlightenment and, most specifically, on Thomas Jefferson.
The tour was largely an independent experience. The guides gave students information about the various resources and let them explore for themselves.
Aside from the paid tour guides, Living History teacher Dean Howarth turned out to be a great tour guide himself.
“Mr. Howarth has a way of making you think about things differently and consider the different aspects and ramifications of things. Yes, we all know history is important, but when you’re put into the mode of considering both the big picture and the smaller picture, you see more in an artist’s series of portraits or a President’s library,” Montgomery said.
Overall, the day went off mostly without a hitch, the only caveat being a slightly ambitious crowd of history buffs. But even this seemed to be relatively unproblematic.
“The museums themselves were a bit busy, but Mr. Howarth had been able to get us special tours, so that didn’t really affect us,” Montgomery said.
The museum day gave students a chance to shake up their day-to-day learning routine; it gave students an opportunity to utilize the resources that the neighboring city of D.C. has to offer.
This out of the box field trip provided them with historical references and a fun educational outlet.
“It certainly makes you want to go explore the world and your mind more than any textbook would,” Montgomery said.
