Morgan Frye, M.Ed.

Master of Science in Education


Why America? Initiative Partnership



Table of Contents



Introduction
Reasons for Choosing Why America? Initiative
Pre-Work for Experiences
Connections to Academics and Fourth Grade Standards
Pictures from Partnership Experiences
Student Reflections from Experiences
Continuous Learning
Conclusion




Introduction





What is the Why America? Initiative?



The Why America? Initiative Partnership through the Center for Education Reform is a program specifically for students that attend a charter school in the D.C. Metro Area. Teachers who teach students in grades four through eight are allowed to request for their students to attend. There are several different events throughout the school year, and educators must proactively request attendance for each event. Space is limited, and schools are allowed to attend on a first come, first serve basis. The Why America? Initiative is especially relevant for students as they provide activities and guides throughout the different historical sites visited that are not available to the general public or if the school took the students to the site themselves. This includes question and answer sessions with historical interpreters, such as Alexander Hamilton or George Washington.


The Why America? Initiative events below occur on a monthly basis, allowing for students to visit a variety of different places in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area. The initiative also has a contest to get students involved in their own learning- a classroom project- where students must propose an idea for a research project in class. Winning projects will be awarded a trip to a historical site outside of the D.C. Metro Area, including to the Liberty Bell/Independence Hall or Gettysburg. Teachers will also receive professional development to better incorporate the Social Studies into the classroom.


The event that students attended for this part of the Why America? Initiative Partnership was visiting the Dirksen Senate Office Building and the Capitol Building. There, students were able to listen to the Chief of Staff from Wyoming Senator Jon Barrasso's office and ask questions about daily life as a senator. Afterwards, students engaged with an Alexander Hamilton interpreter. Students were able to ask questions while Mr. Hamilton explained his role in establishing the United States and the National Bank. Afterwards, Mr. Hamilton traveled with the group to the Capitol Building, where we were able to take a tour of the Capitol Building and the surrounding National Mall area.


For the second Why America? trip, students attended a session with George and Martha Washington at George Washington University. Students focused their learning on the Founding Fathers and how Washington is considered to be the "Father" of the United States. Students learned about Washington's slaves, and watched a short sketch about a slave that escaped from Washington's plantation. Students also interacted with the Old Guard and were taught how soldiers used music during the Revolutionary War when marching.


Due to COVID-19, students will not be attending the last two outings.



Above is the itinerary for the Why America? Initiative's second outing. The events are well planned and support to teachers is provided through the Why America? Staff. The transitions allow teachers to provide students with a structured day.



Above are lesson plans given to teachers by the Why America? Staff. Teachers are asked to present the information to students before they come on the trip to ensure that students are familiar and able to comprehend the material there. If teachers do not facilitate the information for students, students would not be able to fully access the opportunity.




Reasons for Choosing the Why America? Initiative





How does bringing the Why America? Initiative to Bridges provide students with access?



Bringing the Why America? Initiative to Bridges Public Charter School was a process that involved emailing and requesting access to the program through the program's coordinators. The coordinators of the program made it known that since our students were in the fourth grade, our students would be some of the youngest to attend the program. We were also told that as the program goes on, they would accept students solely on a first-come, first-serve basis. I, as well as my co-teaching staff, worked hard to maintain correspondence with the coordinators so that our students would be the reserved spots on the trips. Below are some of the email correspondences that were recorded when planning the first trip.


The Why America? Initiative was sought out to provide our fourth grade students access because of the uniqueness of the opportunity and the exclusiveness of the program. Students that attended the program were given exclusive opportunities to interact with Congressional staff and have their questions answered, as well as receive a VIP tour of the Capitol Building and have the chance to interact with historical figures that would not otherwise be available. This opportunity provided students with access to knowledge of the government and the government's processes firsthand, when they would not have access to them otherwise. Students learned about what their elected officials do, how Washington, D.C. does not have voting representation in Congress, and had their interests piqued when they listened to Mr. Alexander Hamilton tell them "in person" that he was an immigrant who helped to shape the United States. Many of my students are immigrants or children of immigrants, and having access to a "living" historical figure in the Capitol Building to answer their questions provided them with the insights that they might not otherwise ever hear.


When students learn firsthand and are involved in the learning process, they are more likely to retain the information. By actively seeking out this program and by bringing our students to the sites, students are provided with an opportunity that is not readily available to all. They are able to have first hand experiences, make deeper connections, and begin asking questions that lead to more questions. One such question might be "why does Washington, D.C. not have representation in Congress?" (For more information on the questions students starting asking about representation in Washington, D.C., please see Advocacy).



Above is an email correspondence confirming that the Bridges PCS students were going to attend the event Hamilton's Vision.



Above in an email correspondence from the program, confirming our RSVP and accepting us to attend the event.



Above is an email correspondence giving further information regarding the Hamilton's Vision program on January 29th, 2020.



Above is an email correspondence stating that the program received our request to RSVP to the event The Father of our Country and the Presidency.




Pre-Work for Experiences





What did students do to prepare for the second outing?



To prepare for our trip to the Capitol Building and to the Dirksen Senate office building, students spent two weeks focusing on learning about the legislative branch and Alexander Hamilton. The Why America? Initiative provided teaching materials to prepare students for the experience, so students were able to develop background knowledge on the subjects and topics discussed. There were several lessons plans that were catered towards specific age groups, and my students spent two lessons over the course of two weeks learning about the legislative branch and Alexander Hamilton.


The first lesson taught before the experience was to ensure that students had an understanding of Congress, and focused heavily on the difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate. Students learned how many members each house has, the minimum requirements one must have to run for Congress, and what each house of Congress is able to do. These lessons were especially relevant as they were happening at the same time as the impeachment trial of Donald Trump, and students were able to understand how the impeachment process works through both houses in real context. Below are examples of student work, provided by the Why America? Initiative to ensure that students would be prepared for the experience on Capitol Hill.


The second lesson taught before the experience was to familiarize students with one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Alexander Hamilton. During the pre-work lesson, students learned about Hamilton's life, his role in establishing the Unites States and his work in creating the National Bank. During the lesson, students were able to watch a video about Hamilton's life and write an argumentative essay on whether or not Hamilton should remain on the ten dollar bill. Below is the PowerPoint (PPT) used during the lessons.



Above is the lesson plan that was used when discussing Congress and the Constitution. Students learned about the two houses of Congress and what each house specifically did.



Above is the lesson plan for Hamilton's Vision. Students learned about Hamilton's life and his role in creating the National Bank.



Above is an example of the handout from the lesson on Congress. Students were excited to learn about Congress, and it was perfect timing as Congress was in the news daily due to the impeachment trials.



Above is another student work sample where students had to categorize the information learned about the two houses of Congress.



Above is the teacher-made Power Point (ppt) that was used during instruction. While the Why America? Initiative gave teachers the tools to teach students, teachers created resources around those documents that best fit their students. My students typically learn from Power Points, and so I created my own in order to best teach my students.



Above is another example of a teacher-created resource using the information given. This lesson was specifically in reference to the portion of the trip that would relate to Alexander Hamilton.




Connections to Academics and Fourth Grade Standards





How do these experiences connect to academics and fourth grade standards?



These lessons and experiences connect with the fourth grade curriculum in a way that is supplemental to core instruction. Bridges Public Charter School follows the TCI Social Studies Curriculum, and the core strands for fourth grade focus primarily on geography and the development of the United States.


The Why America? Initiative also connects to fourth grade language arts standards in ways that allow for students to continue practicing and mastering those standards in relation to understanding and being exposed to new information.


The standards that are addressed specifically are...


CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.8 Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.




Pictures from Partnership Experiences





What were the second and third experiences like for students? How did they feel about the trips?



Students thoroughly enjoyed the second and third experiences with the Why America? Initiative. For the second experience, students began the day by entering the Dirksen Senate Office Building and sitting with students from three other D.C. Metro Area Charter Schools. There, they watched a presentation from one of the Why America? staff, and were able to interact with Dan Kunsman, the Chief of Staff for Wyoming Senator John Barrasso.


While we were still in the Dirksen Senate Office building after the interaction with Congressional Staff, students were able to interact with an Alexander Hamilton interpreter who answered questions as if he were actually Mr. Hamilton. Since students were prepped with information about Mr. Hamilton's life and accomplishments, students were able to ask and answer questions during the experience. Students enjoying listening to Hamilton and were thoroughly prepared for the experience.


After students interacted with Mr. Hamilton, they then went to have lunch in the Capitol Cafe. Students enjoyed eating together with both fourth grade classes, and afterwards, we moved to the Capitol Building for a tour. Students enjoyed watching the film before the tour and engaged throughout the entire experience.


For the second experience, students spent the entire trip at George Washington University, in one of the lecture halls. There, students listened to George and Martha Washington discuss life during the Revolution, listened to narratives of those enslaved by the Washingtons, and listened to the Old Guard Marching Band. Students did not enjoy the second experience as much as the first because it was less interactive, but students were intrigued by the different narratives they heard throughout the experience.



Above, students are walking towards the Capitol Building from the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Some students had never visited the National Mall before.



Above, Mr. Hamilton interacts with one of my students. Bridges students were the ones that were answering most of the questions. Mr. Hamilton called Bridges PCS students up to the front most often for being the most prepared.



Above, students stand on the steps of the Capitol Building after the program and the tour. This was during the impeachment trial of Donald Trump, and there were thousands of protestors in the National Mall.



Students interacting with Mr. Hamilton after the program concluded. Students were able to ask Mr. Hamilton questions that they did not get a chance to during the experience.



Above is a picture from the Father of our Country Event, with George Washington speaking about his life and his impact in the Revolutionary War and on the United States.



Above, the U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps teaches some of the students how to march in the drum line.




Student Reflections from Experiences





What were some takeaways from the experience?



Students were intrigued by the new information they encountered during this experience. Most students did not know Alexander Hamilton apart from his pictures on the ten dollar bill, and students had a piqued interest in Congress as the impeachment trial of Donald Trump was happening at the same time we were on the Capitol grounds. Upon returning to the school, all fourth grade students and staff had an open discussion on why there were protesters, what they were protesting, and why it it was a historical moment.


One of the biggest student takeaways were the powers granted to Congress by the Constitution. Students have retained this information and are interested in how the two major political parties are creating issues for the American People. Specifically during the impeachment trial, students were questioning the fairness of the process and how political parties played a role in conviction or acquittal. Students were also interested when they learned about Washington, D.C.'s representation in Congress, and asked questions about why D.C. only had a non-voting delegate.


Students were asked to complete follow-up assignments and write reflections on their experience from the Why America? Event. Below are some of the responses and follow-up work.



A student reflects on the things she learned when attending the George Washington event. Students enjoyed learning about the first president and his role in our history by listening to him discuss his life.



Above is a student reflection on their thoughts about the Capitol Building and listening to the speakers. Students were able to ask questions to a Senate staffer and an Alexander Hamilton interpreter.



Above, a student presents information about both houses in Congress. Students used these reinforcement activities to help retain the information they learned from the experience.



Above is another student example of the information they retrained from learning about the two houses of Congress.



Above, another student expresses their knowledge and retention of information from the trip.



Above, another student gives examples of the requirements of each house of Congress and the powers that each house has.




Continuous Learning





What other experiences will students participate in?



Students are ready for Parts Three, Four, and Five of the experience now that they have been able to see how the experiences connect to real-world issues, like the protests happening during the Impeachment Trial. The next events that students will participate in are:


Event 3: March 4th, 2020 ​(attended)

The Father of Our Country and the Presidency at George Washington University


*Event 4: April 8th, 2020

Citizenship, Rights, and Responsibilities at The President's Neighborhood (Lafayette Park) and the White House Historical Association


*Event 5: June 2nd, 2020

The Military and Memorial and Flag Days at the Pentagon​


*Due to COVID-19, we will not be attending the final two experiences.



Above students walk through the protesters of the Impeachment Trial. Students walked past both sets of protesters that day, and asked questions about both groups and who they were protesting.



Above students walk to the Capitol Building from the Dirksen Senate Office Building.




Conclusion





Where will students go next?



There are so many opportunities for students over the next few months with this incredible program put on by the Center for Education Reform. As their teacher, I will ensure that I am pushing for my students to engage with all of the learning experiences next and facilitating these opportunities for them. These resources are not readily available to all students, and teachers much ensure that they are prepared and ready to request the experiences from the Why America? Initiative. These outings are such a great way to ensure that students are engaged in learning about our government and topics that are not only historical, but relevant to the political climate that we find ourselves in today.