The sixth graders enjoyed a trip to Old Town, Alexandria as part of a history trip to close a unit in Social Studies on archaeology. Sixth grade Social Studies Teacher Anita Carr recaps the girls exploratory trip:
The next stop was The Lyceum where an on-going exhibition told the story of Alexandria, a place that was once one of the busiest ports in America. Using archaeological finds, old photographs, maps, original art, and a wide variety of historic artifacts, sixth graders explored the city’s past and took part in a “Scavenger Hunt for History."
"To celebrate the culmination of our unit on Archaeology, sixth graders traveled to Old Town, Alexandria on
November 11 to experience a three-part walking tour. First, they visited the
Alexandria Archaeology Museum, where they had the opportunity to see a working laboratory. In the working laboratory, the girls observed
archaeology in action as soon as they walked in the door! Once inside, the girls worked in teams to
examine artifacts and primary source documents related to a nineteenth century,
African American community in Alexandria named Hayti.
The next stop was The Lyceum where an on-going exhibition told the story of Alexandria, a place that was once one of the busiest ports in America. Using archaeological finds, old photographs, maps, original art, and a wide variety of historic artifacts, sixth graders explored the city’s past and took part in a “Scavenger Hunt for History."
The third part of the field trip was to Gadsby’s Tavern, circa 1785, where students participated in a program
called A Tavern at Work. Gadsby’s
Tavern used to be an important community center in Alexandria frequented by prominent
individuals like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Students toured the
original tavern rooms, reviewed primary source documents, and participated in a
hands-on activity, which explored the daily life, politics, entertainment, food, and travel of eighteenth-century Virginians. At the close of the tour, we
gathered at the large, beautiful, gazebo on the Potomac River behind The
Torpedo Factory and enjoyed a picnic lunch in the crisp, autumn air.
This
valuable experience throughout Old Town Alexandria helped our sixth graders understand why archaeology is an important facet to building a broader view of history."
