Washington, D.C. (Grades 6-8)
Washington DC Video for Middle School – Where History and Democracy Come Alive
🇺🇸 This Washington DC Video for Middle School dives deep into America’s capital city, exploring its monuments, memorials, museums, and government institutions through the lens of history, architecture, and national identity. Designed for Grades 6–8, this video balances civic knowledge with cultural insight.
📜 From the Founders to the Future – The City’s Symbolic Legacy
Students will explore the Lincoln, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and MLK memorials, visit Arlington National Cemetery, and learn about war memorials from Vietnam to Korea to Iwo Jima. They’ll walk through the National Mall, view the Reflecting Pool, and discover how symbolism is built into every monument.
🏛️ How Government Works – Visually Explained
This video covers the three branches of government in detail with visuals of the White House, Capitol Building, Supreme Court, and Library of Congress. Students also see the National Archives, where the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights are stored.
🎓 Perfect for Civics, History, Architecture & Social Studies
Also featuring the Smithsonian Museums, National Portrait Gallery, National Cathedral, and Albert Einstein Memorial, this video is an ideal resource for teaching U.S. government, civic responsibility, and cultural heritage. Paired with maps and narration, it’s perfect for upper-grade learners.
Video length: 26:25 minutes.
Worksheets
Quiz
If I Went to Washington, DC
Draw A Scene – Washington: 6 – 9
Guiding Tourists Through Washington D.C.
Video Breakdown for Discussion
Universal Resources
National Standards
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Topics Covered
Washington – location & formation
Washington Monument
Lincoln Memorial
Jefferson Memorial
Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial
Arlington National Cemetery
Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers
U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial
Korean War Memorial
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
World War I Memorial
World War II Memorial
White House
Supreme Court building
Capitol Building
Library of Congress
Pentagon
National Archives & Historical Documents
James Smithson & The Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of Natural History
National Gallery of Art
National Air and Space Museum
National Museum of American History
National Mall
National Cathedral
FBI Building
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
Classroom Ideas
Washington, D.C.
National Treasures
Choose a national treasure to research and have students share what they found out about it.
If I Went to Washington, DC……
Students create a list/powerpoint of their top five notable sites that they would like to visit and explain why.
Mapping
Have students print out a map of Washington, DC and identify where the sites in the video are located.
The Smithsonian
Students will research one significant object on display at the Smithsonian, writing a report on its history and significance.
Honor Those Who Serve
Discuss ways on how we as citizens can honor those that served or currently serving
Cloze Practice
A cloze piece has full sentences used in the virtual field trip with blanks where students can write in the information that is missing. This task requires close listening to the trip in order to complete it.
Landmark Sites
Have each student choose an interesting site and make a replica of it as well as a paragraph written to explain why that site was chosen.
Diorama
Create a diorama of Washington, DC’s landmarks. Students could also just focus on the famous buildings in the video.
Veterans
Have students interview a veteran and ask them about his/her experiences while
American Wars
Students will learn about the different war memorials in Washington, D.C. Ask them to choose one war to research and write a report on.
Art and Social Studies
Draw a scene from the video you just watched.
Play Travel Agent!
Ask students to write a travel itinerary for visitors to Washington, D.C. Depending on the amount of time you want to devote to this project and the age and interests of the students, you could make this quite an involved project, involving lots of research and finding images. Work could be presented in a variety of different ways, including possibly a Powerpoint presentation.
Washington D.C. Crossword Puzzle Race
Assign students a crossword puzzle on Washington, D.C. that tests the knowledge they have gained from the video. Make this a race, giving a prize related to Washington to the student who correctly completes the crossword puzzle first.
Create Quizzes
Students create a quiz based on the information presented for their peers. This can be used as a review for a test, or jigsaw class activity where students are responsible for teaching other students assigned topics.
Choose A President
Students can choose a president to do a research presentation to discuss president’s background history, what he was known for, interesting facts, etc.
Running the Government
Visit your local city hall and/or state capital to find out more information about how
Build A Landmark
Use various craft materials to build a model of one of Washington, DC’s landmarks. Discuss how a model is a smaller version of a large structure.
Discussion Topics
Have students talk about the five areas: honoring past presidents, honoring those that have served in the military, Washington as the nation’s government, Washington’s national treasures, and interesting sites. Ask them which was most interesting to them and have them tell you why.
Natural vs. Manmade
Explore the concepts of natural wonders vs. manmade structures. Research how various Washington, DC landmarks were created.
Classroom Ideas for ALL Videos
Dozens and dozens of ideas that you can use in your classroom along with our videos!
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Video Subscriptions
When you only need one video- Unlimited viewing of 1 video
- Post-trip quiz + resources for 1 video
- Access to Closed Captioned version of 1 video
- Lowest-cost option
Teacher + Class Subscription
Teacher + Students- Unlimited access to the entire video lesson library
- All quizzes + learning resources
- Access for 1 teacher + all students
- Access to all Spanish videos + resources
- Access to all Closed Captioned videos
- Best value option for one teacher
School-wide Site License
All teachers + All students- Unlimited access to the entire video lesson library
- All quizzes + learning resources
- Access for all teachers and all students
- Access to all Spanish videos + resources
- Access to all Closed Captioned videos
- Best for school administrators supporting their teachers & students
- Up to 500 students – $450/year
- 500-1,000 students – $600/year
- 1,000+ students – $1,000/year
