This was the rallying cry of my chaperone group on our recent field trip to DC. I attempted to explain that while I appreciated the shout out to my linguistic subject matter, I didn't think it was a wise decision for a group of very white Georgia private schoolers to be shouting this out in the middle of the District. Especially as their parents were expecting a 100% retention rate.
Of course, some of my students weren't aware of where we were exactly.
"Miss McBryan, are we going to see Seattle Grace?"
I decided to overlook the fact that Grey's Anatomy was not about real people (let's face it, some of us are a little delusional when it comes to Dr. McDreamy), and focused on the more glaring geographical issues in this statement. If nothing else came out of that trip, at least two of my students are now aware that Washington State and Washington DC are distinct places.
Also that North and South Korea are distinct places (though I was surprised to hear that they are apparently divided by the Great Wall of China. Since I was under the impression that the Great Wall was in...well, China).
One evening we stopped by to see Mr. Lincoln.
Of course, some of my students weren't aware of where we were exactly.
"Miss McBryan, are we going to see Seattle Grace?"
I decided to overlook the fact that Grey's Anatomy was not about real people (let's face it, some of us are a little delusional when it comes to Dr. McDreamy), and focused on the more glaring geographical issues in this statement. If nothing else came out of that trip, at least two of my students are now aware that Washington State and Washington DC are distinct places.
Also that North and South Korea are distinct places (though I was surprised to hear that they are apparently divided by the Great Wall of China. Since I was under the impression that the Great Wall was in...well, China).
One evening we stopped by to see Mr. Lincoln.
"Who can tell me what the Gettysburg Address is?" I asked. Blank stares. I prompted them, "Four score and seven years ago...?"
Recognition lit up a face. "Oh sure, I know what that is. I saw the movie."
I could only hope that the student was referring to the Daniel Day Lewis version, and not the one about the vampire hunter (surprisingly enough, there could be worse things than believing Steven Spielberg was responsible for the Gettysburg Address).
To be fair, Lincoln isn't exactly celebrated in the South (although another student mistaking the statue of Ghandi on Embassy Row for Honest Abe was hard to excuse). I looked forward to our trip to Arlington and a visit to a true Southern gentleman.
To be fair, Lincoln isn't exactly celebrated in the South (although another student mistaking the statue of Ghandi on Embassy Row for Honest Abe was hard to excuse). I looked forward to our trip to Arlington and a visit to a true Southern gentleman.
"Can you imagine? You are Robert E. Lee - you come home from 5 years of war and the Union Army has turned your lawn into a graveyard. And not just the fields, Charlie...they started by digging up Mrs. Lee's rose garden!"
He seemed interested so I waxed eloquent. I talked about the relationship of the Lees to George Washington, the ethics of Robert's decision to fight for the Confederacy. I talked to him about the shifting views of academics concerning General Lee - one minute the Homeric tragic hero, the next a villain responsible for the blackest iniquities. He listened and I lectured, totally fired up by his attention. All was not lost! I was going to save America one 8th grade citizen at a time.
I paused for breath.
"So..." Charlie started contemplatively. I waited for the question, "Was secession constitutional? Should loyalty rest with the state or the country? Did Lee deserve to be punished?"
"So...what happened to the roses, then?"
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