Flip the script and have your students be the tour guide! This engaging classroom project will deepen student engagement as they explore Washington D.C. on their school trip.
Student Tour Guide: The Assignment
It’s your turn to be the tour guide! Prepare a 5-7 minute speech that showcases one of the sites that we will visit during our Washington D.C. trip. Your speech should include historical context of the site, architectural elements, a story, and relevant logistics. Your presentation must also incorporate visual aids. Get ready to shine the light on Washington D.C. !
Student Tour Guide: Speech Elements
History
Provide brief context or background for events that inspired the construction of the memorial, building, city,
or sculpture. For example, for the Abraham Lincoln memorial, you could briefly highlight a few events from the
life and presidency of Abraham Lincoln.
Architectural Elements
Discuss the symbolism, layout, or interesting facts about memorial/building design. For example, at theLincoln Memorial, you could share that the 36 columns of the memorial are symbolic of the 36 states thatwere part of the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death.
Story
Tell a fun or interesting story pertaining to the memorial/building and/or the event it commemorates. For
example, at the Lincoln Memorial, you could tell stories pertaining to Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream”
speech or Marion Anderson’s Easter Sunday performance.
Logistics
Address any relevant information pertaining to bathrooms, photography, security, meeting time, etc.
Student Tour Guide: Visual Aids
Visual aids are essential context for your presentation. However, since tour guides do not implement Powerpoint, Prezi, etc. while on tour, this is not to be included. You may include one or more of the following:
- Virtual Tour
- Poster
- Photographs
- Relevant 3D objects
Student Tour Guide: Places to Choose From
- Choose a site from our Washington D.C. Itinerary
- Choose from these popular Washington D.C. sites:
- Lincoln Memorial
- Korean War Veterans Memorial
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
- Thomas Jefferson Memorial
- United States Navy Memorial
- Washington Monument
- American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial
- World War II Memorial
- The White House
- United States Capitol
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo
- Washington National Cathedral
- George Washington’s Mount Vernon
- Arlington National Cemetery
- Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
- Library of Congress
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- National Archives
- National Gallery of Art
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
- Smithsonian National Museum of American History
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
- Smithsonian Museum of American Indian
- Newseum
- International Spy Museum
- Ford’s Theatre
- The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
