Author and retired educator Terry Lee Marzell shares information about how classroom teachers can guide their students in an online exploration of DC’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). Photo credit: Terry Lee Marzell.

On a recent trip to Washington, DC, I truly tried my best to secure admission tickets to the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) located there. The museum finally re-opened on May 14 following a prolonged closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Alas, because of high demand and limited supply, an in-person visit for me was not to be. Therefore, like many classroom teachers, I’ll be exploring this fascinating museum online at NMAAHC.  Let me share with you some of what I have learned from examining the online resources.

In the exhibit entitled A Changing America, students can learn more about Slavery and Freedom. In addition, topics related to the years following the end of Reconstruction show how the nation struggled to define the status of African Americans. A wealth of information about the Civil Rights Movement can be explored at the link created for the Civil Rights History Project.

Students can explore the exhibition that details African Americans and military experience at this link: Double Victory. The exhibition covers topics related to the struggles of African Americans in the military going as far back as the American Revolution. Also included is information about coping in a segregated military and efforts to integrate the military.

Another exhibit shares aspects of African American culture, including oral tradition, literature, poetry, crafts, cuisine, fashion, dance, and nonverbal communication. See this exhibit at Cultural Expressions. Students can also explore African American art at this link for Visual Art, and musical expression at this link for Musical Crossroads.

Students can explore the specific artifacts contained in the museum’s collection by clicking on this link: Collection. Artifacts include such items as articles of clothing, letters, photographs, furniture pieces, household items, quilts, musical instruments, sheet music, as well as documents and instruments related to enslavement.

Teachers can examine additional resources, including resources for STEM, provided by the museum at this link at this link for Educators. So much information is available to those who want to learn more about African American history and culture. Enjoy!

Author and retired teacher Terry Lee Marzell visits George Washington’s Mt. Vernon estate on a recent trip to the Washington, DC, area. Here she examines the key to the Bastille and a rendering of the historic French building on display in Washington’s mansion. The key was a gift to our nation’s first president from his good friend and fellow Revolutionary War soldier, the Marquis de Lafayette.

As a teacher who loves all things academic, I was happy to be able to travel to George Washington’s Mt. Vernon estate on a recent trip to the Washington, DC, area. A visit to this iconic historical site has long been on my must-do list, and the excursion did not disappoint. I was fortunate to be able to visit the estate in person; however, a virtual excursion plus a wealth of information about our nation’s first president, George Washington, and his home can be found on the website at www.mtvernon.org.

While at the estate, I was able to wander through the downstairs rooms of Washington’s mansion, including the grand and beautifully decorated New Room, the stylish front parlor, the dining room, George Washington’s spacious study, and the downstairs bedchamber, which served as a guest bedroom. Many artifacts belonging to the former president are on display, including the key to the historic French Bastille, a gift from Washington’s good friend and fellow Revolutionary War soldier, the Marquis de Lafayette.

A stroll through the grounds yields an opportunity to view the working parts of the estate, including the detached kitchen, the smokehouse, the gardens, the stables and paddocks, and a slave cabin. Further wanderings take the visitor to the current tomb of George and Martha Washington, the location of their original burial site, and a slave memorial.

An exploration of the museums and education center allows the visitor to learn more about all aspects of Washington’s life, including his childhood and family, his military service to our country, his presidency and political activities, his employment as a surveyor, and his life as a gentleman farmer after he left office.

Your students can explore all of these aspects of George Washington’s estate, and more. To view the mansion, from a bird’s eye floor plan to a room-by-room virtual tour, instruct them to click on this link to the mansion. Students can learn more about the burial sites and memorials on the estate if they click on the link tombs and memorials. They can click on this link to examine the exhibits in the museums and the education center. Enjoy!

Terry Marzell relates a story that demonstrates that, in the classroom, words matter. Photo credit: Terry Marzell.

Is there any teacher today who isn’t aware that, in the classroom, words matter? Critical or negative words can totally crush a student, and that sting may last a long time. On the other hand, the uplifting or positive words we use can create the most wonderful results. These results may last a lifetime in the ear, the head, and the heart of the recipient. So it’s worth giving some extra thought to the words we choose.

When choosing words, I try to remember to ask myself whether voicing those particular words will bring comfort or joy to the listener. I remember once a parent conference I had with the mother of one of my seniors who was not doing well in my class. The course was required for graduation, and the mother was fraught with worry that her son, the eldest of her children, wouldn’t pass. Clearly, she had been self-criticizing herself mercilessly for some time. She had convinced herself that she was a failure because her son was struggling.

“My mother was such a good mother,” the lady told me. “My father had left the family, and my mother raised six children by herself, all while working full time. And she did such a great job of it,” she continued disconsolately. “I only wish I could be as good a mother as she was. I wish I could be like her.”

After a moment, I responded, “You are a good mother in your own way.”  Instantly the parent leaped to her feet, threw her arms around me, and thanked me profusely. Her response surprised me at the time, but when I thought about the exchange later, I realized I had expressed exactly the words she needed to hear at that moment. I had chosen my words well.

This caring and dedicated mother became my ally until the day I retired. And her son did pass my class and graduate with his class. I never saw the young man again, but the mother came to visit me periodically, giving me updates on how her son was faring out there in the world. I truly appreciated these updates.

Words matter. They matter so much more than we realize. So, no matter who you are or who you are talking to, try to make your words inspirational and hopeful.