In January, many students taking DE Government at Potomac Falls traveled to the U.S. Capitol, the National Museum of the American Indian, and the United States Botanic Gardens for a field trip. 

On Jan. 12, DE Government teacher Christopher Pelczar took two buses filled with his students on a day trip to Washington, D.C. to have them experience what they were learning in the classroom, in person. The day consisted of a tour of the Capitol Building, lunch in the Capitol Cafe, visiting and touring the Botanic Gardens, and then visiting the National Museum of the American Indian.

After leaving PFHS and driving through the streets of D.C., students got dropped off right in front of the Capitol to head to their tours. Students had to enter through the tour entrance in the back, so they got to walk right behind the Capitol Building for a perfect photo opportunity (see photo). After going through metal detectors and security, students congregated to get ready for their tours.

Before the physical walking tour, there was an orientation video, “Out of Many, One”, presented to go over the basic U.S. and Capitol history. After that, students were provided with headsets that connected to their tour guide to listen as they walked through the building. The tour consisted of walking through the Crypt, the Rotunda, and the National Statuary Hall. The Crypt is the first stop of the tour and houses various statues, as well as 40 columns. The Rotunda is arguably the most famous view inside the capitol, and it is where the massive dome and historical paintings are.

Before heading to the last stop, tourists walk past the Speaker of the House’s office, and PFHS students were lucky enough to walk by right as the current Speaker of the House Mike Johnson was entering.

“It was so fun. We got to see the Speaker of the House Mike Johnson which was really cool and unexpected,” said senior Thomas Kalka.

The last stop of the tour was the National Statuary Hall where students got to view statues selected by each state. Every state is allowed to donate two statues of historically significant deceased individuals to celebrate their history and share their stories.

“This was my first time being inside of the Capitol Building, and it was really cool to see what we were learning about in class in real life. It was also fun experiencing it with my friends,” said senior Cadyn Sohn.

After the tour students got to go to the Capitol Cafe where there was a large selection of food choices for lunch.

“My favorite part was the cafe because there was so much food. It was also fun to vlog and take pictures,” said Kalka.

After lunch, the students made their way across the street to the United States Botanic Gardens where they had free time to explore all the exhibitions and museum areas.

The last stop of the day was the National Museum of the American Indian where students were able to wander and explore the exhibitions, games, and shops.

“I was fascinated learning about the native culture, especially their clothing, in the
National Museum of the American Indian,” said senior Mohammed Elgamri.