Recently, my class visited Philadelphia. It just so happens that we are also studying journalism, so I wrote an article based on my experience in Philly. Enjoy! 

Philadelphia, November 9. It was a rainy day in Philadelphia when the J and R buses pulled up to the National Constitution Center. Screaming kids poured out of the buses. The rain didn’t stop them, they were determined to have a great day. Heathcote 5th grade teacher, Ms. Boyer said “ I have been taking kids to Philadelphia for 13 years and I know what’s waiting inside. I am always so excited for my students to discover the exhibits.”

Alexander Hamilton Exhibit

The first stop in the Constitution Center was the Alexander Hamilton Exhibit. Fifth Grade student Vanessa says that her first thoughts when stepping into the Exhibit were “Facts… pure facts.” “The facts were from throughout his life and facts about him personally.” The exhibit was full of old artifacts, such as James Madison’s personalized wine bottle seal,  a piece of Alexander Hamilton’s hair, and John Adam’s pocket watch. Not only was there interesting artifacts, but there were stories that went with each of the artifacts. Heathcote fifth grade student Sabrina says “ Not only was it informative, but it was also very interesting.”

Main Exhibit

The Heathcote 5th grade’s next stop was the main exhibit. This was a very interactive experience for all of the kids. They were able to learn something that could take days to read in just a click. “ My favorite part of the main exhibit was the old style telephones that read the information on the screen into the telephones.” says Nicole, one of the Heathcote 5th graders. The exhibit was full of information. “ It was blinding” says Sabrina one of the 5th graders.

Living News

Next up on the fifth graders  journey was a show called living News. This was an interactive show that highlighted  real life problems with two sides of the story. One of the skits illustrated the problem of gun laws. Another focused on capital punishment. The next skit  focused on a problem that had to do with religious beliefs, and the last skit dealt with the question should bags be checked in school. At the end of the show the audience was able  to take part in different votes about their opinion on the skit. “ This was my overall favorite activity. Mainly because we got to do so much.” says Nicole one of the fifth graders.

Freedom Rising

The final stop in the Constitution Center was a show called Freedom Rising. This show had many different features to it. After asking many of the fifth graders, one of the favorite features was the seating and the screens. The seats were just like stadium seating, but in the round which made it more fun for the kids. The screens were everywhere! They were up high on the walls and down low on the floor. “There was one man doing all of the talking, which made it easier to understand all of the information.” says Sabrina, a fifth grader.

According to Heathcote 5th graders, if you are ever in Philadelphia The National Constitution Center should be a must visit place. “ Overall the trip was amazing” says Rocio one of the fifth graders.

Sincerely, Sabrina