Some students at The George Washington University are using the National Mall as a classroom to teach local high school students about the past.

Jessica Forres reports…

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

About twenty students from Duke Ellington High School climb the steps of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

[NAT: STEPS]

BASICALLY IF YOU GUYS WANTED TO LEARN ANYTHING ABOUT THOMAS JEFFERSON TODAY, YOU WOULDN'T COME HERE.

That's the voice of Ryan Hayes, a sophomore at GW. He and his classmates are using the monuments to teach the next generation of students about the basic principals America was founded on.

BASICALLY THE JEFFERSON MEMORIAL REPRESENTS THE FOUNDATION OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY.

Learning and knowing about such principals is important for Ceara Crump, a student on the tour.

YOU HAVE TO STAND FOR SOMETHING IF NOT YOU'LL FALL FOR ANYTHING

Crump and her classmates will then teach younger students about what they learned.... Marta Stewart is a teacher at the High School.

OUR STUDENTS WILL ACTUALLY CONDUCT A TOUR SIMILAR TO THIS USING THE SAME STOPS AND MAYBE AUGMENTING IT AND DEVELOPING IT FOR THEIR AUDIENCE WHICH WILL BE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.

The students at GW plan to host more tours in the future to hopefully include elementary and middle school students.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

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The National Mall is being used as a classroom to teach some local students about the past.

Jessica Forres reports…

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

A geography class at the George Washington University is using the monuments to teach nearly forty students at Duke Ellington High School the basic principals America was founded on.

Lisa Benton-Shorts is the professor.

THEY AREN'T TALKING SO MUCH ABOUT THE MEMORIAL IN AND OF ITSELF BUT WHAT IT REPRESENTS TO THESE THEMES OF DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM.

Marta Stewart is a teacher at Duke Ellington. She says her students will then create their own tours which they will give to middle school students.

I THINK THE STUDENT TEACHERS AS WELL AS THE STUDENT LEARNERS ARE CREATING SOME KIND OF SYNERGY HERE THAT IS REALLY A GREAT FERTILE GROUND FOR LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT.

Benton-Shorts, the GW professor, says she hopes her class will expand the tours to include elementary and middle school students.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News