On October 3^rd, 5^th and 7^th grade students along with Mrs. Braswell were given the opportunity to take a virtual field trip provided by the Maryland Historical Society. Founded in 1844, the Maryland Historical Society is the oldest cultural institution in the U.S. The society’s purpose is to collect, preserve, and interpret objects and materials that reflect Maryland’s diverse heritage. When asked how she first got involved with the Maryland Historical Society, Mrs. Braswell responded, “This summer I was searching for some ideas to celebrate the 200 year anniversary of the Star Spangled Banner, and I ran across their website. I reached out to them and asked about their out of town field trips. They just so happened to be starting a virtual field trip program and asked if we would be willing to be the guinea pigs, free of charge.”

The program’s “O say, Do We Need a New Anthem” main purpose is to educate the students about the National Anthem,  appropriate as it is the 200 year anniversary. The students all gathered in front of the screen as a representative from the Maryland Historical Society acted as the tour guide by using a web cam. The representative not only discussed the importance of the National Anthem of the United States and analyzed the lyrics, but also discussed and examined the National Anthems of Great Britain, China, and Chile. Along with learning about the National Anthems, students looked at other songs that could possibly be the National Anthem of the U.S., including “God Bless America”, “America the Beautiful”, and “My Country Tis of Thee”.

Overall, the virtual field trip was a success and fun was had by all. 5^th grader Davis Epps says, “It was really fun and an interesting experience” when asked what he thought about the virtual trip. The Maryland Historical Society provided a unique experience to students at RMA and as Mrs. Braswell said, “Our country has a rich, beautiful history that should be understood and appreciated.” We would like to thank the Maryland Historical Society for giving these students a better understanding of the National Anthem and allowing RMA to be one of the first schools in the U.S. to partake on the virtual field trip.