NIE ACTIVITY

CITY & COUNTRY Connections

This yearlong series is presented in collaboration with the Connecticut Geographic Alliance. For more information about NIE visit www.courantnie.com or call 241-3144.

WASHINGTON, D.C.
Kathleen Ryan, DID YOU KNOW?
Connecticut Geographic Alliance Do you know what “D.C.” in Washington
D.C. stands for? It stands for the District of
CITY VIEW
Columbia. It is not a state, but a district.
Washington, DC, our Because the city of Washington, DC is not
nation’s capital, is a city in a state, its citizens could not vote for
of broad boulevards and a President until the 23rd Amendment to
extensive parks. Many of
the streets are named for the U.S. Constitution was passed in 1961.
the states. For example, Washington, DC has 3 electoral votes for
Connecticut Avenue President in the Electoral College. The city’s residents elect a non-voting
connects busy Dupont Representative to the U.S. House of Representatives. Washington, DC’s
Circle with Lafayette current representative is Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. She was
Square just north of the first elected to this office in 1990.
White House. Pennsylvania http://www.norton.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=841&Itemid=100081
Avenue is the address of
both the White House and
the U.S. Capitol where
Congress meets. MAP IT OUT
The Mall is home to
many monuments and
museums. Here you
TAKE 5 Use the Internet to discover the locations of 15 foreign
Location: Washington is in the countries’ embassies in Washington, DC, and locate these
will find the Washington on a city map of Washington. Then write a guide to the
Monument, the Lincoln District of Columbia, an area of 10
square miles. It is carved out of map that states one relationship that the U.S. has with
Memorial, and the new each foreign country, i.e. “Saudi Arabia—The United
National World War II Memorial. Many Maryland and Virginia and is located
along the Potomac River. States imports more petroleum from Saudi Arabia than
of the museums of the Smithsonian from any other country.”
Institution are located on the Mall as well. Place: Pierre Charles L’Enfant along http://www.dcpages.com/Tourism/Maps/Washington-DC-Map.gif
with Major Andrew Ellicott and noted http://www.carolmendelmaps.com/mapdc/dcenlargedmap.jpg
It is important to know where in the African-American surveyor and inventor
city an address is. Beside its street http://www.clubquarters.com/images/washington_interest.gif
Benjamin Banneker designed the http://wiki.white-wolf.com/camwiki/images/2/24/Washington-dc_Map.gif
name and number, a Washington, DC
city with boulevards and ceremonial http://wc1.smartdraw.com/examples/content/examples/06_maps/2_usa_state_maps/washington_dc_live_map_l.jpg
address will also include its area of the
city: Northwest, Northeast, Southeast, spaces. The city’s first neighborhoods http://www.ducksters.com/familyvacations/washingtondc/washington_dc_national_mall_map_east.gif
Southwest. For example, the White grew up around the Capitol and the
White House.
House’s address is 1600 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW. Catch a train at Union Human/Environmental Interaction: Community Connections:
Station on Massachusetts Avenue, NE. There are many styles of architecture
1. As the capital of the United States, Washington, DC partners with National Capitals throughout the world.
Watch the Nationals play baseball at in Washington, DC. The White House is Two of DC’s “sister cities” are Bangkok, Thailand and Athens Greece. Do some research and answer the
Nationals Park on South Capitol Street, Neoclassical. The Smithsonian Castle following questions:
SE. Visit the Jefferson Memorial on is Gothic. The Kennedy Center for the • What are the other sister cities for District of Columbia?
East Basin Drive, SW. Performing Arts is Modern. • Name the year that these city partnerships occurred?
• What is the significance of each of these “sister cities” partnerships?
Movement: Union Station serves
Bonus: Many cities/towns in Connecticut have sister cities. Do some investigating and see if your
Amtrak, commuter rail, and the town has a sister city?
Washington Metro. Washington, DC 2. There are several names that are used to refer to Washington, DC. including Mighty Capital, Heart of
has two major airports: Reagan America, News Capital of the World, Seat of the Nation’s Government and Commercial Empire of the U.S.
National and Dulles International. Select one of these names and create a graphic on a flag for the name. Display the flags, and as a class
The Eisenhower Interstate Highway guess the monikers.
System around the city is known as the
Washington Beltway.
Region: The Washington Metro Area,
NEXT PAGE - October 25th
the seventh-largest metropolitan area
in the United States, had a population For students who are blind, learning disabled or print challenged, visit CRIS Radio at
http://www.chrisradio.org and click Kids On-Demand for a free audio version of Geography Connections.