Mt Vernon

I enjoyed our SKYPE from here yesterday. I wanted to share a few pictures as well.  This was the home of George Washington.  Who owned this home after him?

The front yard

The backyard

The original tomb where Washington was buried.  Why were his remains moved?

Big excitement- Mrs. Plummer saving a cell phone.

The Capitol Building

I was unable to go to The Capitol because I was getting tickets for The Holocaust Memorial but Jeron took pictures for me.  The Capitol is having some renovations so that is why you see scaffolding at the top.

There is a great deal of security to get into the building but they did allow for some pictures.

Do you know who painted the ceiling work of art?

At the end of the Revolutionary War, George Washington handed back power to Congress.  This showed his support for Democracy.  There are many statues inside the Capitol Building.  Do you know how many there are?

What we've all been waiting for....

                 The White House!

And yes there is the Washington Momument to the left photo bombing my picture!

Bonus Statues

Can you name this famous American group honored in this statue?

What American President from North Carolina is seen on this statue?  The first equestrian statue ever made. 

Who can be found in front of the Treasury Department?

Which Union General that burned his way  South in the Civil War is honored here? (Hint: called his march to the sea)

Washington Monument

Why is this called a monument not a memorial? 

The pictures up close don't show the full building but it is very large.  It can be seen in many other posts because it stands so tall.  How much taller were the twin towers?  

The top is missing!!!

Yet Jeron can hold it!!  Magic!

What makes this different?

The WWII memorial is different than other memorials because it not only honors those who died in the war but all those who fought in the fields and on the Homefront.

Wall of stars represent people killed or missing in action

How many people does the wall of stars stand for?

This memorial also includes one column per state.  Here is the one to honor those from North Carolina.

SKYPE session

Where did I SKYPE from today?

It was finished in 1982 and the wall is 

Made of black granite from India.  To create the memorial they had a design contest with over 14,000 entries.   

Who was the designer?  

Some people wanted more to the memorial than just the wall so in 1984 "Three Soldiers" was added as was the women's statue I showed you today.

Korean War Memorial

Korean War was not a war fought between the US and Korea but a war between the United Nations and Korea over North Korea trying to invade South Korea.  North and South Korea are separated by what parallel?

(Hint- the created wanted to show that number in the memorial - 19 soldiers 

and their reflection wall)

These statues are not made of bronze like many others but are made of stainless steal.  It makes them look cold- Korea is cold, mountainous, and rainy.  What do you notice the soldiers  wearing?

Many suffered from cold related illness more than fighting.  It show that ...

The wall on the far side has etchings of those who died in the war.

Lincoln Memorial

Today was the 150 anniversary of Lincoln's death.  We were able to see this site on a very special day.  

He is 19 feet when seated.  

If they would have made the statue standing he would be 28ft tall. 

His statue shows strength and compassion.  Look closely and see if you can guess why.

The outside is where Dr. King gave his "I have a Dream" speech.  He stood where the stair color changes from dark to light.

Holocaust Museum

This was a very quiet and somber place. It is four floors each representing a part of  this terrible journey for the Jews.  

If you have read "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" these would have been the "uniforms" worn by the prisoners.

Can you name the Eve Bunting children's historical fiction book where this quote is used as the basis of the plot? (We have it in our school library.)

These shoes were collected as soon as the Jews were taken into the concentration camps.  A silent reminder of lives lost.

How Lucky

So we made a detour to our schedule last night to see amazing activity at Ford Theater.

Notice the men on the steps in the picture above?  Well tonight was the 150th anniversary of the evening President Lincoln was shot. Do you know who shot him? So we were able to be at the memorial vigil.

All tour leaders were dress in clothing of the time.  

Except for the umbrella because it was raining! After Lincoln was shot he was taken across the street to a home and later died.  Can you name this house?

The pinkish green one.

Meet the Mummy

These are the artifacts found from Ancient Egypt over 2,000 years ago!  The colors are still very well perserved.  

The bottom is an actual mummy laying in the coffin.  Notice his face has a mask!  The standing up part is the lid to the coffin that resembles the mummy mask!  

And Empty Coffin

Transportation at American History

Look at this Model T built by Henry Ford.  

There were many cool cars to see.  I also like the trains.  I hope the QR code works.

And look at this early school bus.  What do you notice that is different?

Natural History Museum

So many of you have seen Night of the Museum and this guy is in the movie- what animal does he act like when playing with the security guard?

This gem is one of the most famous gems.  It was once owned by kings, knights, and Washington's socialites.  Can you name this jewel?

Other gems and dinosaurs 

I'm really struggling woke up at 5:30 in shower by 5:32 getting kids up at 5:40 and bfast at 5:45