The Personal and the Political: A Visit to the National Museum of American History

Professor Jona Colson,

English Language for Academic Purposes

On Saturday, 10/22/22, my ELAS 980 course took a trip to the National Museum of American History. Since this was a Zoom course, it was the first time that many of my students met each other in person. There were many smiles and hugs—students who had only seen each other in the online world finally got a chance to meet in person. I was so thrilled to meet them.

The museum is overwhelming, and many of them had never been to a museum before, or at least, to a museum in Washington, DC. After meeting on the first floor, I offered a brief tour of “my favorite things.” We started at the Food exhibit and took a look at Julia Child’s kitchen. We had watched her make an omelet on the “French Chef” in class, and it was great to see her kitchen with the students. Then, we went to the “Star-Spangled Banner” exhibit, and we briefly read through the details. A week before the class, we had listened to the song, which was new to many students. After exiting the flag exhibit, we ventured up to the next floor and saw the First Ladies’ exhibit that features their inauguration gowns. This was a highlight for my students, and for me. They enjoyed seeing these dresses that hold so much living history.

When we exited the First Ladies’ exhibit, they were on their own to explore the museum and find an object that held a personal and social significance to them. I explored the museum a bit, but mostly waited at the entrance/meeting point in case anyone else arrived (we communicated mostly through WhatsApp).

Before each student left, I wanted them to check in with me, and let me know what object they chose, or, at least, a few objects there were considering. As the hours passed and the students showed me what they found, they each had smiles and energy, knowing they had explored a wonderful museum. And, for me, knowing they had a significant learning and social experience. This trip takes time to organize and plan, but it is worth it. We all left with smiles.