Learning in My Own Backyard

I just spent a few days learning more about the National Mall (including Ford's Theater) and how I could use the various aspects of that particular National Park Service site in my classroom. This was all part of Expeditions in Education and their STEAM in the Park program; I applied to be a participant back in January, and learned I was accepted to the National Mall program in March.

I never noticed this small stone monument in the shadow of the Washington Monument before.

I'll post more later, but I had a lot of fun and learned a lot more about sites I already thought I knew about. I also got to go up the Washington Monument for the first time ever, plus got to visit the Department of the Interior building. I also got to network with a great group of teachers and rangers, as well as program directors with the National Park Foundation and the Department of the Interior. 

There are a lot of Native American inspired motifs in the Interior Department building

I came home with a ton of ideas, and I hope that at least some of them can come to fruition in this coming school year. 

Pollinator gardens and lawns are just one of the ideas I came home thinking about