Last August 27, 2011, as part of their Geography lesson, our students went to a fieldtrip to the beautiful and historic Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial (cheers to our SS teachers, Ms. Westbrook & Ms. Tatum!!). They learned to follow a map walking from our school to the new MLK memorial at 1964 Independence Ave, SW, Washington, DC 20024. The street number is a reference to the Civil Right’s Act of 1964, a milestone which Dr. King played an integral role in achieving.
The site creates a visual "line of leadership" from the Lincoln Memorial, which honors the President who protected the United States from internal strife, and where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech; to the Jefferson Memorial, which honors the President who helped create the United States as the author of the Declaration of Independence.
Dr. King's Memorial is situated on a four-acre plot on the northwest corner of the Tidal Basin adjacent to the Roosevelt Memorial. The Tidal Basin is a man made body of water to the south of the National Mall which acts as an overflow catch basin when the Potomac River swells, helping to prevent extensive flooding of the Mall.
The site is situated within the precinct of Washington, DC’s famous cherry blossom trees, a gift from Japan as a sign of peace. Before the King Memorial was built, millions of visitors would come to Washington, DC each spring to witness the beauty of the two week blooming period. During this short timeframe, the Tidal Basin is surrounded by delicate pink and white blossoms on hundreds of trees, a vision that enhances the experience of the Nation’s Capital, and announces the arrival of spring each year to its residents.
Today, October 16, tens of thousands of visitors from around the world will once again come to the District to participate in the dedication ceremony of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
Information from: MLKmemorial.org
Reposted from our team blog: digitalanthology.blogspot.com
