Educational Travel Blog | From Sea to Shining Sea

The Statue of Liberty at 125 years

Today tour consultant Luke Chow is highlighting a favorite American landmark that is celebrating a very special anniversary today!

Situated in New York Harbor, Statue of Liberty is one of the main attractions for anyone visiting New York City with approximately 4 million visitors each year. And today it reaches a very special milestone: it was officially dedicated 125 years ago today!

The history of the statue goes back to its inception in 1865 when Édouard René de Laboulaye, a Frenchman and ardent supporter of the Union, stated that “If a monument should rise in the United States, as a memorial to their independence, I should think it only natural if it were built in a united effort—a common work of both our nations.”

The actual construction of the statue did not begin until 1875 and was designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi a young French sculptor. He decided that his sculpture would need to embody liberty and decided on woman in ancient Greek attire because Greece was the birthplace of democracy.

Beyond her Greek inspiration, the statue is steeped in symbolism. The crown she wears stands for the seven continents and seven seas. The date on her tablet is July 4, 1776 which is the date of the Declaration of Independence and the torch represents liberty enlightening the world.  What some people miss are the broken chains at the feet of the statue which stands for the broken shackles of tyranny.

The statue, whose actual name is Liberty Enlightening the World, was built in France, disassembled and shipped to the United States. The statue arrived in June of 1885 and was assembled in four months, but the dedication ceremony didn't occur untill October 28, 1886 in front of four thousand spectators.

Today tourists can do a variety of things when visiting the Statue of Liberty. There is no entrance fee for the Statue of Liberty but you are required to purchase a ferry ticket to visit the island. Advanced reservations are limited and required to access any part of the monument, but please note that beginning tomorrow, the Statue of Liberty will be closed for year-long renovations.

When inside the Statue of Liberty there are a few highlights that cannot be missed. First is the Statue of Liberty Exhibit, which opened in July 1986. The exhibit traces the history and symbolism of the Statue of Liberty through museum objects, photographs, prints, videos and oral histories. In addition to historical artifacts and descriptive text, full scale replicas of the Statue's face and foot are also on display. 

Next, be sure to check out the Torch Exhibit. You’ll see the original 1886 torch and much altered flame in the lobby. On the second floor balcony overlooking this torch is a display on the history of the torch and flame, explaining the various alterations through diagrams, photographs, drawings and cartoons.

Another thing to see if you are going inside is the New Colossus. This is a famous sonnet written by Emma Lazarus and it appears on the pedestal of the statue. Read the poem here. A bronze plaque, dedicated in memory of Emma Lazarus' contribution to the completion of the statue's pedestal, has been affixed to the inner walls of the pedestal since the early 1900's. This plaque currently located in the Statue of Liberty exhibit and has come to symbolize the statue's universal message of hope and freedom for immigrants coming to America and people seeking freedom around the world.

There is a lot of history behind one of America’s most recognizable landmarks. That is why we make sure that nearly all of our New York travelers get a chance to at least walk the grounds of Liberty Island. When I think of New York City the first image that pops into my head is the Statue of Liberty. I will leave you with this link to some fun facts about the statue: Statue of Liberty Fun Facts.

Quick-start Fundraisers

When it comes to class trip fundraisers, some take a lot of planning (a talent show or auction) and others take relatively little time to get off the ground. Today, we’re highlighting fundraising ideas that have a short start-up time, but can still help raise a lot of dollars.

Fundraising letters

Simply asking is a great (and easy!) way to grow funds. Sending a simple sponsorship letter to local business garnered $1,800 for one Smithsonian Student Travel group leader. See a sample fundraising letter.

Raffle

Ask for donations from local businesses, advertise and sell tickets. Try to hold your raffle at an event you know will be well attended, or give it a holiday theme: Maybe your group can raffle off a Thanksgiving turkey or a Thanksgiving centerpiece.

School night out at a local business

Get a favorite local business to donate a portion of their profits to your trip!

• Select a local business frequented by your students and parents (e.g.  a pizza place, clothing store, ice cream parlor).
• Ask the owner or manager to designate a night of the week to your trip. On that particular day, a portion of the profits from each sale will go to fund your tour.
• Students and parents can offer to work that evening scooping ice cream, taking orders, helping to bag items, etc.
• Be sure to advertise well, so patrons know when they can make their purchases count for your group!

Penny drive

Spare change can help fund your trip!

• Put a penny drive container (e.g. a decorated coffee tin or shoe box) in each classroom.
• Establish a point system. For example, make pennies count as one positive point and silver coins or dollars as negative points.
• Classes will bring pennies into their own containers and put silver coins into other classes' containers.
• The classroom that has the greatest number of points at the end of the week wins.  Let them celebrate with an in-class movie or enjoying a pizza party.

Sponsor-an-hour

One group leader said this fundraiser is “as easy as hitting print.” He creates a breakdown of the itineraries for his students and then they find family members, friends or businesses to sponsor an hour (or sometimes a whole day!) of the tour. For an extra donation, students send postcards while on tour.

Boston Freedom Trail

photo credit: Christopher Klein, Boston Globe

The Freedom Trail in Boston, Massachusetts, is a favorite activity of locals and visitors alike (and one that students participate in while traveling on the Historic Boston tour).

The Freedom Trail is a two-and-a-half-mile path through Charlestown and Boston chronicling some of the most important landmarks in American history. There are 16 official historic sites located on the trail, which has been around since 1958. Visitors can follow the red bricks that lead from various historical sites including churches, graveyards, and the world’s oldest commissioned naval vessel!

There is no “right” way to walk the freedom trail, which is one of my favorite parts about it. It spans from the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown to Boston Common (check out the Freedom Trail map). People meander along the trail at their own pace, stopping to spend some time in sites that interest them as well as check out other fun spots along the way. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite landmarks on the trail and divulged some of the best kept secret spots people should visit along the way. 

The Boston Common: Established in 1634, Boston Common is the oldest public park in America. This is where thousands of British “Redcoats” camped out while Great Britain was occupying Boston in 1775. Since then, it has served as a place to exercise freedom of speech and public assembly, as well celebrate important victories in American history. In the summer, be sure to walk through and check out students lounging to take a break from their studies or people playing with dogs. In the winter, ice skate on Frog Pond and enjoy a hot chocolate!photo credit: Sara Brown/Boston.com

And when you're in the Common always keep your eyes peeled for Boston sports star Tom Brady who has been known to spend some of his down time in the Common as well.

Boston Latin School: The oldest public school in America, Boston Latin count among its alumni some very noted figures, including my very own father. Other alumni are Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Robert Paine—although only 3 of them graduated!  Does anyone know which one of those Declaration of Independence signers was a high school dropout? Hint: There’s a statue of him outside the school.

Faneuil Hall Marketplace: Sometimes referred to as the “Cradle of Liberty,” Faneuil Hall is located next to Boston’s North End and the waterfront of Boston harbor. It is famous both for being the site of many protests against the Intolerable Acts during the American Revolution and the birth site of the famous phrase “No taxation without representation.” It is now home to a variety of shops and restaurants, but the best part of Faneuil Hall is catching an occasional street performance. From unicyclists to magicians to break-dancers, there is always someone entertaining the crowds on the cobble-stoned streets of the market.

Granary Burying Ground: Be sure to check out the third oldest graveyard in Boston, established in 1660. Located right next to Boston Common, Granary Burying Ground is the resting place of many Massachusetts mayors, governors and clergymen. There are 2,345 gravestones and tombs but experts estimate there are over 5,000 people buried in Granary! Among the most notable, Samuel Adams, Crispus Attucks, Peter Faneuil, Mother Goose, John Hancock and Paul Revere have all been laid to rest in the famous cemetery.

photo credit: Dina Rudick, Globe Staff

USS Constitution: By far my favorite spot on the Freedom Trail, the USS Constitution is an amazing piece of history. The ship is the oldest commissioned warship naval vessel still afloat. First launched in 1797, the Constitution was one of six original ships authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. After a battle with the HMS Guerriere during the War of 1812, the ship earned the nickname “Old Ironsides” for the way the cannonballs seemed to bounce effortlessly off the wooden panels of the ship’s sides.  The Constitution has traveled to the West Indies, Brazil and West Africa for all of the Barbary wars and currently sits in Charlestown Navy Yard. After checking out the ship, be sure to sneak a peek into the USS Constitution Museum or grab lunch at nearby Tavern on the Water—a great spot to sit on the deck and enjoy a beautiful view of Boston Harbor and a lobster roll!

photo credit: Pat Greenhouse, Globe Staff
The Bunker Hill Monument: On July 17, 1775, an American general yelled the now infamous phrase “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!” This phrase has now become synonymous with the Battle of Bunker Hill. Interestingly enough, the majority of the Battle of Bunker Hill was actually fought on nearby Breed’s Hill in Charlestown and was the first major battle of the American Revolution. The 221-foot granite obelisk commemorates the loss of Dr. Joseph Warren who bravely fought in the battle, a beloved patriot leader and Charlestown resident. Climb all 294 steps of the monument to get a great view of Boston. To cool off, at the bottom be sure to check out the ice cream truck that has been parked at the monument every summer for almost 25 years—just ask for Uncle Mitch! 

For more information on the Freedom Trail and to plan out your visit, go to http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/index.html.

 

 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Dedication

photo credt: Cliff Owen / AP

After being postponed because of the threat of Hurricane Irene, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial dedication will take place Sunday, October 16, 2011.

Ceremonies will begin at 8 a.m. with the “Morning Joy” program, followed by the official dedication at 9 a.m. The dedication will be a tribute to King. Speakers will include civil rights leaders, members of King’s family, literary and political figures and musicians.

The memorial opened to the public on August 28 as America’s 395^th national park. Learn more about the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.

While the original date of the dedication, August 28, marked the anniversary of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, tomorrow’s dedication is near a noteworthy anniversary, too. On October 14, 1964, Martin Luther King, Jr., received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Sunday’s ceremony will be free and open to the public. Read more information about the dedication activities.

NASA Asks Students to Name New Spacecraft

Credit: Thom Baur, United Launch Alliance

“NASA has a class assignment for U.S. students: help the agency give the twin spacecraft headed to orbit around the moon new names.”

That directive comes straight from a NASA press release announcing the NASA GRAIL naming contest. Here's the contest information:

• Open to grades K-12
• Teachers must submit entries via online entry form
• 500 words maximum
• Deadline: November 11
• Judges: Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut, and MIT scientist Maria Zuber, principal investigator for GRAIL

See the full contest description.

About GRAIL

GRAIL A and GRAIL B (you can see why they need new names) launched on September 10, 2011. The two spacecraft will work together to gather data that will create a gravity map of the moon. GRAIL stands for Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory.

The gravity map and collected data will help scientists understand the composition of the moon—what it is like under the surface and down to its core. This in turn can give scientists a better idea about the origins of the moon and the best places for future landing sites.

MoonKAM (Moon Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students)

Another part of the GRAIL mission is MoonKAM, which lets students request and receive photos from the GRAIL spacecraft. Dr. Sally Ride is heading the program.

Through GRAIL MoonKAM students can request photos of specific areas of the moon, which GRAIL will send to classrooms. Students can use the photos to learn about the moon’s features.

View photos from GRAIL’s launch, and if you are a teacher, register to be part of MoonKAM.

Be sure to check out classroom activities and resources about this mission and the moon, too.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Volume 2

Yesterday you heard from Hailee about her class trip to Washington, D.C. Today we hear from Audra, also a 9^th-grader from Texas. Here are her thoughts on traveling to Washington, D.C., with her classmates over the summer:

The words you hear when anyone says 2011 Washington, D.C., trip- good times. And it’s true. More memories were made sitting on the bus in Washington, D.C., than our entire 6th grade year. It’s amazing how much closer you are when you come home than when you left.

My friends and I LOVED spending time together and, surprisingly, learning. I know what you’re thinking-LEARNING? How could this be? Let’s just say this- when you see Amelia Earhart’s airplane, fabric from the original Wright flyer, and the Spirit of St. Louis, all within the allotted time of about 20 minutes, history unfolds before your eyes. I will never forget seeing the little Einstein bobble heads that I cracked up over watching Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian. And walking into the first airplane that resembles the ones we ride in today was pretty cool! All in all, I would have to say the National Air and Space Museum was my favorite place we visited.

(courtesy photo provided by Audra)

To me, Washington, D.C., is a beautiful city with historical landmarks (on our way to lunch, we drove by Ford's Theatre, talk about historical), wonderful people, and fun around every corner! The food we ate was amazing, the way we bonded was incredible and to be honest, the Washington, D.C., trip was unforgettable.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Volume 1

So September is gone and we're settled back into the pace of another school year. Although “What I did over my summer vacation” essays are usually shared in the first few days of school, I wanted to bring back some of the fun of summer as fall settles in by sharing two essays from students about their experiences traveling with Smithsonian Student Travel this summer. Our first essay comes from Hailee, a 9^th grade student from Texas, who was also kind enough to share photos from her tour. Enjoy!

WASHINGTON, D.C. (whooo!)

My friends and I were super psyched to be going to Washington, D.C., (whooo!). To give you an idea of how excited we were, every time someone said Washington, D.C., (whooo!) we’d, well, whooo! and wave our hands in the air!

On our departure day we willingly woke up at 4:30 in the morning and put up with a fast food breakfast in the airport. When we arrived in Washington, D.C., (whooo!), we hopped on our tour bus and met our tour guide for the trip. He was enthusiastic and fun. You could really tell he knew what he was talking about.

We jam-packed each day full of historical landmarks, memorials and Smithsonian museums. I remember on the first day we stopped at the National Archives, which houses the Constitution, Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. 
I remember going across the National Mall and craning my neck to try and catch both the breathtaking Washington Monument and the majestic Capital Building at the same time. I had of course seen pictures but could never have imagined what it was actually like being there.

We also went to the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of Natural History. The museums were unlike any museum I had ever been in before. I actually found the exhibits fun and interesting. I remember all the airplanes hanging from the ceiling in the Air and Space Museum. We also had the opportunity to stop and take a picture with a friendly elephant. 

We also visited a lot of the memorials. One of my favorites was the Iwo Jima memorial. We also visited the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial among several others.

We took a little trip up to the  battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Our tour guide there was fabulous! We even did our own mini reenactment of a battle with everyone falling on the ground “dead.” Yup, it was probably one of my favorite parts of the trip! :)

We also went to Arlington National Cemetery. It was really neat to see the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Kennedy gravesites.

 
We went for a tour inside the Capitol Building. Again our tour guide was great! It was really interesting to learn about Lady Liberty, the statue perched at the top of the capital building.

Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home, was really beautiful. It was amazing to think that I was walking in the same place the first president of the United States had walked. We also went to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home.

We also went to the top of the Kennedy Center to see the view. It was beautiful!

We went to the Newseum right before leaving Washington, D.C., (whooo!) for Williamsburg. It housed a really interesting piece of history: part of the Berlin wall. I think my favorite part of the museum was the Pulitzer Prize photos.

Before heading home to San Antonio, we visited colonial Williamsburg. Everything was done as of the time period. People were driving around in horse-drawn carriages and there were even old stocks! :) There were old trade shops where people actually made things like they did in the colonial time period. It was really neat!

The overall experience was just awesome! Not only did I learn a lot, I also got to have fun with my friends and visit places I probably never would have had the chance to. I’ll never forget Washington, D.C.…

(WHOOO!)

Check back tomorrow to read about one student’s favorite site on her Washington, D.C., tour!