7 Lo Know Your by MARY WILLCOCKSON21 Associate Professor of Brought up to date by Supervisor, Washington, D. C. Capital City Bulletin 1958, No. 15 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE ABRAHAM A. RIBICOFF Secretary Office of Education, STERLING M. MCMURRIN, Commissioner Foreword O YOU WANT to see your Capital City! Of course you do because any good citizen wants to know how his Government works. As an initial experience it is necessary to become acquainted with the setting-Washington, D. C. This bulletin will guide your introduction to the Capital. It will give you an historical and a present-day background for appreciating the city that is your own. What kind of community is your Washington? Why does it exist? Was it planned or did it just happen? How large is it? Is there a relationship between its size and its purpose? Does it have the kind of government that you have in your home town? Who are the people? What do they do to earn a living? How well does the community meet their needs? Why is Washington your city? What historical evidences are there that show the past as a prologue to the present? A tour of the city will help you answer these questions and many others. Such a tour may be taken in person or through reading the story of a group of young people. This story is not an actual record of a particular group or tour, but is a composite of many experiences. It is based upon diary records of tours taken by one person as a child, as a youth, and as an adult. To these impressions were added those of many elementary school children and high-school youth who have visited Washington recently. In writing about a subject on which authorities sometimes disagree, every effort has been made to secure accuracy. The Columbia Historical Society contributed the time of several members, especially L. F. Schmeckebier, who reviewed the manuscript. Dr. George W. Hodgkins, of the public schools of the District of Columbia, also reviewed the manuscript. Children, young people, and adults were asked to read the story. They talked about the material that interested them most and how it helped them to understand Washington as the seat of Federal Government. Their reactions contributed to the revision. As a result, this bulletin can be used by upper-grade children and possibly by other citizens who wish information of a simple, factual Final decisions of justice are made in this Supreme Court Building. A Tour to Washington, D. C. BETTY, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE GROUP, was as excited as the other students over John's startling suggestion. She almost forgot to list it on the blackboard with other ideas for the year's work in social studies. John had said, "I suggest that we go to Washington, D. C., to see our Government in action. We need to know our Capital City in order to understand our Government." "That is the best suggestion in the list," Bill exclaimed. "How did you ever think of it, John?" John explained, "We have been looking through our Yearbooks to see what kinds of experiences we have had since our kindergarten days of picture recording. I noticed that we have done many things to help us become better members in our homes, neighborhood, school, and community. "Yesterday Jane came to tell us what her group did in this room last year. She suggested one change. She thought all of us should go together to take our exhibit to the State Fair, instead of sending a committee. While we are there we should visit the State Capital and find out how State laws are made." John continued, "When Jane left it was time for me to go to our School Council and there I heard the chairman urge us to become world-minded. I told about our Current Events Club and about some of the guests who have helped us understand how boys and girls live in other parts of our world. "Then I remembered what happened in our Current Events Club today. When Frank was confused about the powers of our Congress to pass laws, no one in the class could help him. How can anyone be a good world citizen if he does not know how his own Government works? Then 1 said to myself, 'When Betty asks for final suggestions for our year's work in social studies, I shall suggest a tour to our Capital City, as a background for studying our Government."" Practical Pat said, "I disagree with Bill that John's idea is the best one on the list. How can any idea be the best one until we know how it will work out? A tour to Washington is a wonderful thing for a dream, but how can we ever take it? Where shall we get the money for the tour? Where shall we stay when we get to our crowded Capital City?" "I've thought about ways we could earn money," John replied. "Father 52-505 0-6531 |