Resources for Our Community
At Urban Adventure Squad, we believe that:
We offer resources below for:
Please help us add to and update this list by posting to our social media (we are @UrbanAdvSquad on facebook, instagram, and twitter), or by emailing info@urbanadventuresquad.org.
Outdoor Learning Ideas to Use in the Classroom and at Home
FEATURED OUTDOOR LEARNING: Birding!
It's a great time to try birding, whether it's from a window in your home or out on a walk. The reduced noise and air pollution make it easier to hear and see birds. Learn about birding with the advice of Chicago birder and Squad friend Steve Constantelos, and listen to bird calls so that you can identify local D.C. birds.
Article: UAS WANTS YOU...TO BIRD!
GEOCACHING
What is Geocaching?
Geocaching is an international outdoor scavenger hunt, where participants use GPS technology to find small, hidden containers. All Urban Adventure Squad geocaches can be found using the free version of the GroundSpeak Geocaching app. When someone finds the small container (called a Geocache), they add their name to a tiny logbook inside and leave it for the next person to find. There are hundreds of geocaches in D.C. and searching for them is a great way to learn about a neighborhood, whether it’s the neighborhood you live in or one that you’ve never visited before. Some geocaches highlight neighborhood history, mural art, architecture, or environmental science.
The 50 States Project
Squad members created The 50 States Project in June 2017. D.C. has a street named for each of the 50 states, plus Puerto Rico. As dedicated D.C. geocachers, we have made it our mission to hide a geocache on each of these streets.
To find these Geocaches hidden by Urban Adventure Squad students, download the free version of the GroundSpeak Geocaching app on a smartphone. Click The 50 States Project List
to see all of geocaches relating to this project.
Geocaching DC’s Waterways
This educational project is funded by a 2019 Community Stormwater Solutions grant awarded to Urban Adventure Squad by the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment. For the Geocaching D.C.’s Waterways project, Urban Adventure Squad is working with elementary school students in four different partner schools. Students learn how stormwater runoff contributes to pollution in the Anacostia River and about the steps D.C. is taking to reduce the negative effects of stormwater runoff. Then, students share this information with the public using the game of Geocaching!
*Please note, this project is still in progress, and has been paused because of the current school closures. Stay tuned: there are more Geocaches to come! To find these Geocaches hidden by Urban Adventure Squad students, download the free version of the GroundSpeak Geocaching app on a smartphone. Click the magnifying glass, choose Geocache, and search for one of our Geocaches by typing the GC, or Geocache Code, in the search bar.
E.g.: Wisconsin Ave GC7AWF9
Geocaching D.C.'s Waterways: Street Trees, GC8KBPX
Geocaching D.C.'s Waterways: Trash Trap, GC8HEWW
Tregaron Conservancy Geocache
Urban Adventure Squad partners with different parks, places, and greenspaces throughout Washington, DC. At Tregaron Conservancy in NW DC, Urban Adventure Squad students have participated in spring planting projects, led invasive species removals, tested pond water while learning about pond ecology, studied the bullfrogs and snakes that live there, and picnicked and played around the pong and trails. This is a true urban oasis, hidden away between Macomb St. and Woodley Rd.
To learn more, visit the Tregaron Conservancy website and go find our special Geocache, hidden in partnership with the conservancy! (Tregaron Conservancy, GC82GDJ)
SILENT EARTH PROJECT
Become a citizen scientist by downloading the Anecdata app. Once you’ve downloaded the app and created a free account, you can report findings in different citizen science projects. Using the Anecdata app, you can select the Silent Earth Project and record sound measurements throughout DC, just like Squad members have done on the Glover-Archbold Trail and in Rock Creek Park. The goal of the app is to map out the quietest places on Earth.
UAS-APPROVED NEIGHBORHOOD WALKS AND HIKES
NE DC
Kingman and Heritage Islands
Check out Anacostia Watershed Society’s Beginner’s Field Guide to the Anacostia River Watershed
Watts Branch Trail
Follow this trail from Marvin Gaye Park to the Watts Branch Playground
Map of .8-mile hike
This is a great opportunity to talk about how our waterways are connected and make your own watershed simulation!
Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens
Here is the NPS link to planning your own field trip
--Learn about the Natcotchtank American Indians
--Explore pond ecology
--Dive into how a wetlands habitat functions
U.S. National Arboretum
Here is the link for teachers (or families!), which offers pre-visit lessons exploring composting, pollination, and food systems.
Discover the land’s history of bottling and brick manufacturing.
Find out how the Capitol columns got there.
Facts About the Capitol Columns
NW DC
Access to Valley Trail from 16th St and Whittier St NW
Map of .9-mile hike to Joaquin Miller Cabin
Read more about Joaquin Miller here
Find Pulpit Rock via Valley Trail
There are many access points to Valley Trail, depending on how long you’d like your hike to be. You can continue on from the entrance mentioned above (Whittier St), or access it from Carter Barron, Colorado Ave, or even from Peirce Mill or Rock Creek Nature Center. You can read a bit about the Teddy Roosevelt Side Trail, the Blagden family, and Pulpit Rock here.
Dumbarton Oaks Park
Dumbarton Oaks Park can be accessed via Whitehaven St. off of Wisconsin Ave., Whitehaven St. off of Massachusetts Ave., or via R St. if you walk past the brick wall and turn left down the driveway before Montrose Park. Dumbarton Oaks Park is a wonderful place to find some stillness and zen in nature. Follow the trails along the stream as you cross footbridges and listen to the relaxing sound of the many small waterfalls. Read more about the park and its renowned landscape architect Beatrix Ferrand and her 1921 design at https://dopark.org/.
Cleveland Park Spy History
Cleveland Park Spy History Walk Thanks to our friends at the Cleveland Park Historical Society, we’ve been able to create a walking tour of the homes of various spies. Squad members like to don fake mustaches, come up with code names, and identify each residence using the images in our walking tour handout.
C&O Canal Towpath
Map of 1.3-mile hike from Aqueduct Bridge remains to Inclined Plane/Boat Elevator ruins
SE DC
Anacostia Park
Hike, bike, or play along the Anacostia River.
Want to see native turtles, frogs, and fish up close? Visit the Aquatic Resources Education Center
Open Mon.-Fri. 10am-2pm
Call first to be sure they’re open: (202) 535-2276
Check out Anacostia Watershed Society’s Beginner’s Field Guide to the Anacostia River Watershed
Fort Dupont Park
Fort Circle Park Hiker-Biker Trail
Civil War Defenses of Washington Brief History
Congressional Cemetery
Lots of interesting history here but also some excellent geocaches! Create a free account using the GroundSpeak Geocaching app or on Geocaching.com
History of Cemetery
Tons of self-guided tours, including: American Indians, Suffrage, Men of the FBI, Women of Arts and Letters, African American Tour, Chinese American tour, and more.
Goats as groundskeepers??
SW DC
Southwest Waterfront Park and the Titanic Memorial
*great for bike riding
East Potomac Park and East Potomac Playground
Excellent views of Reagan National on one side and the Wharf on the other
*great for bike riding
NEIGHBORHOODS AT A GLANCE
Geology of Theodore Roosevelt Island If you’ve ever hiked the full loop at Roosevelt Island, you’ll know that half the hike is on a packed dirt trail and the other half is on an elevated boardwalk over wetlands. This is because the island is located on a geological fall line--where the Atlantic Coastal Plain meets the Piedmont.
McLean Gardens Did you know this was originally an estate named Friendship, owned by Colonel Thomas Addison and James Stoddert in 1695? The wealthy McLean family owned it next, including Evalyn McLean who owned the supposedly cursed Hope Diamond which is now on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
U Street Corridor The U Street Corridor features many buildings designed by African American architects and was home to jazz clubs frequented by legendary performers like Duke Ellington, Miles David, and Nat King Cole.
Edgewood Thanks to Edgewood.org, we know Mr. Salmon P. Chase purchased this farmland estate when he became U.S. Treasury Secretary under Abraham Lincoln.
PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES
PUZZLES AND BRAIN TEASERS
Crack the Code! Create a code of your own for your child to crack, or use the ones in this link.
Sliding Spy Decoder: Another code system you can use to create a code for your child to crack! This one is a little more hands-on.
Tower of Hanoi: This puzzle is awesome and it really lets kids explore math in a creative, fun way. You can use cardboard for the discs, or any household items with slightly different sizes. See if you can solve it with more than just 3 discs and recognize the pattern.
More Brain Teasers: A veritable cornucopia of situational and visual puzzles. Some of the situational puzzles have engaging stories that go with them.
HANDS-ON ART PROJECTS
DIY Reusable Snack Bag If you have extra fabric hanging around but not the laminated kind, use this bag for small toys, cards, or other treasures instead of snacks. Sewing old t-shirts into pillows like Squad members do at our Great UAS Pillow Fight is another simple and fun project.
Marbled Paper with Shaving Cream Squad members used this method for the end pages in their books during last summer’s Bookmaking Workshop, but adults and children alike can use this paper to create greeting cards or to frame and mat artwork or photos.
How to Make a Pop-up Book Endless possibilities for all ages!
Drawings in Motion: Make Your Own Zoetrope We’re so used to digital videos nowadays, but let’s go back in time and learn how film created the illusion of moving pictures out of still frames.
Chinese Lantern: you will need a paper cup, chopstick, scissors, tape/glue, paper, and thread/yarn.
Symmetry Art: Create some beautiful paintings with this technique. Could get messy, so make sure to lay down some newspaper/table cover first.
Imagination station: Here’s a fun, all-ages challenge. Choose 3-4 items. Each participant gets one of each material and must invent a game or piece of art using only those materials plus tape, glue, and scissors. Set a time limit (eg: 20 mins) and see what everyone comes up with!
Examples:
Plastic bottle
Cork
Old toothbrush
Rubber band
Tabs from milk containers and bread bags
A piece of aluminum foil
A paper cup
Any reusable items headed for the trash or recycle bin
SCIENTIFIC LEARNING
Alien Challenge: This is a fun, creative exercise to get students thinking about environmental ecology! Plus the opportunity to draw some really wacky aliens and use plastic/waste in a productive way.
Density Experiments: Learn why oil and water don’t mix, plus create a displayable bottle.
Volcano: A classic acid-base reaction, requiring just basic household chemicals like baking soda and vinegar. Warning, may be explosive!
HOME ENGINEERING
Make an Anemometer: Dive into weather science by measuring wind speed with your own homemade anemometer.
Pasta Ferris Wheel: An excellent use of extra spaghetti (unless of course you need it for meals!). Alternate materials could include toothpicks, straws, rolled up paper, cardboard or pipe cleaners.
Newspaper Towers: Headlines today are all doom and gloom. Here is a more constructive way for your student to use COVID-19 news and learn about the strengths of different shapes!
Parabolic Solar Cooker: An awesome way to learn about light reflection angles. We have some sunny days coming up, so this could be a perfect backyard/doorstep/playground experiment. Plus, you might get a toasted marshmallow or two.
Solar Updraft Tower: Create an in-home windmill from your canned food! Just needs to be placed in a sunny spot in your home. This project covers air convection and solar heating.
Make Your Own Water Wheel In the 1800s, there were more than 20 mills along Rock Creek. They used the movement of the water in the creek to turn machinery inside the mills. Maybe you’ve seen the water wheel in action at the only mill still standing on Rock Creek: Peirce Mill. Now you can try to make your own using items you have hanging out at home.
ARCHITECTURE
Architecture Walking Tours The American Institute of Architects’ webpage offers self-guided, kid-friendly neighborhood walking tours in downloadable PDFs. Print one out, put it in a clipboard (clipboards make everything more fun), and head out into the sunshine! There’s a tour for Dupont Circle, Shaw/Blagden Alley, Capitol Hill, Penn Quarter, and the White House neighborhood.
Neoclassical Architecture If you’re able to walk or bike downtown, you can go on a Neoclassical architecture scavenger hunt. Neoclassical architecture can be found throughout DC; it reflects design elements from Ancient Greek and Roman buildings. If you’re not able to go to these places in person, you can learn about this style of architecture just from reading this handout. Are there other places in DC that you think are Neoclassical architecture? Can you design your own building using features from Neoclassical architecture?
Columns Challenge Columns are an architectural feature seen on many famous buildings here in Washington, DC. Columns come from Neoclassical architecture, Can you stand on top of a hardcover book supported by columns made only of paper? Try your hand at the Columns Challenge!
Brutalist Architecture Known for its use of concrete, Brutalist architecture can be found throughout DC--most notably in our Metro stations. You can go on a Brutalist architecture scavenger hunt by biking or walking around your neighborhood, but the images from the handout are found in downtown DC.
Geodesic Domes Did you know triangles are the strongest shape? You can use triangles to make round shapes like domes or spheres. This project requires pipe cleaners, straws, and the patience to carefully measure and cut your straws. This is great for a rainy afternoon or to complete over the course of a few days.
Egg Experiments: Strength of Domes Here are two experiments using eggs. We think of eggs as being quite fragile, but in fact their shape makes them very strong.
At Urban Adventure Squad, we believe that:
- we do better when we stand together and support each other without judgment
- learning is possible everywhere, and is driven by curiosity and hands-on engagement
- the outdoors is a classroom where we can learn about history, botany, geography, environmental science, art, the science of sound, math, our waterways, and so much more!
We offer resources below for:
- hikes and adventures on trails and in greenspaces
- hands-on projects, experiments, and recipes
Please help us add to and update this list by posting to our social media (we are @UrbanAdvSquad on facebook, instagram, and twitter), or by emailing info@urbanadventuresquad.org.
Outdoor Learning Ideas to Use in the Classroom and at Home
FEATURED OUTDOOR LEARNING: Birding!
It's a great time to try birding, whether it's from a window in your home or out on a walk. The reduced noise and air pollution make it easier to hear and see birds. Learn about birding with the advice of Chicago birder and Squad friend Steve Constantelos, and listen to bird calls so that you can identify local D.C. birds.
Article: UAS WANTS YOU...TO BIRD!
GEOCACHING
What is Geocaching?
Geocaching is an international outdoor scavenger hunt, where participants use GPS technology to find small, hidden containers. All Urban Adventure Squad geocaches can be found using the free version of the GroundSpeak Geocaching app. When someone finds the small container (called a Geocache), they add their name to a tiny logbook inside and leave it for the next person to find. There are hundreds of geocaches in D.C. and searching for them is a great way to learn about a neighborhood, whether it’s the neighborhood you live in or one that you’ve never visited before. Some geocaches highlight neighborhood history, mural art, architecture, or environmental science.
The 50 States Project
Squad members created The 50 States Project in June 2017. D.C. has a street named for each of the 50 states, plus Puerto Rico. As dedicated D.C. geocachers, we have made it our mission to hide a geocache on each of these streets.
To find these Geocaches hidden by Urban Adventure Squad students, download the free version of the GroundSpeak Geocaching app on a smartphone. Click The 50 States Project List
to see all of geocaches relating to this project.
Geocaching DC’s Waterways
This educational project is funded by a 2019 Community Stormwater Solutions grant awarded to Urban Adventure Squad by the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment. For the Geocaching D.C.’s Waterways project, Urban Adventure Squad is working with elementary school students in four different partner schools. Students learn how stormwater runoff contributes to pollution in the Anacostia River and about the steps D.C. is taking to reduce the negative effects of stormwater runoff. Then, students share this information with the public using the game of Geocaching!
*Please note, this project is still in progress, and has been paused because of the current school closures. Stay tuned: there are more Geocaches to come! To find these Geocaches hidden by Urban Adventure Squad students, download the free version of the GroundSpeak Geocaching app on a smartphone. Click the magnifying glass, choose Geocache, and search for one of our Geocaches by typing the GC, or Geocache Code, in the search bar.
E.g.: Wisconsin Ave GC7AWF9
Geocaching D.C.'s Waterways: Street Trees, GC8KBPX
Geocaching D.C.'s Waterways: Trash Trap, GC8HEWW
Tregaron Conservancy Geocache
Urban Adventure Squad partners with different parks, places, and greenspaces throughout Washington, DC. At Tregaron Conservancy in NW DC, Urban Adventure Squad students have participated in spring planting projects, led invasive species removals, tested pond water while learning about pond ecology, studied the bullfrogs and snakes that live there, and picnicked and played around the pong and trails. This is a true urban oasis, hidden away between Macomb St. and Woodley Rd.
To learn more, visit the Tregaron Conservancy website and go find our special Geocache, hidden in partnership with the conservancy! (Tregaron Conservancy, GC82GDJ)
SILENT EARTH PROJECT
Become a citizen scientist by downloading the Anecdata app. Once you’ve downloaded the app and created a free account, you can report findings in different citizen science projects. Using the Anecdata app, you can select the Silent Earth Project and record sound measurements throughout DC, just like Squad members have done on the Glover-Archbold Trail and in Rock Creek Park. The goal of the app is to map out the quietest places on Earth.
UAS-APPROVED NEIGHBORHOOD WALKS AND HIKES
NE DC
Kingman and Heritage Islands
Check out Anacostia Watershed Society’s Beginner’s Field Guide to the Anacostia River Watershed
Watts Branch Trail
Follow this trail from Marvin Gaye Park to the Watts Branch Playground
Map of .8-mile hike
This is a great opportunity to talk about how our waterways are connected and make your own watershed simulation!
Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens
Here is the NPS link to planning your own field trip
--Learn about the Natcotchtank American Indians
--Explore pond ecology
--Dive into how a wetlands habitat functions
U.S. National Arboretum
Here is the link for teachers (or families!), which offers pre-visit lessons exploring composting, pollination, and food systems.
Discover the land’s history of bottling and brick manufacturing.
Find out how the Capitol columns got there.
Facts About the Capitol Columns
NW DC
Access to Valley Trail from 16th St and Whittier St NW
Map of .9-mile hike to Joaquin Miller Cabin
Read more about Joaquin Miller here
Find Pulpit Rock via Valley Trail
There are many access points to Valley Trail, depending on how long you’d like your hike to be. You can continue on from the entrance mentioned above (Whittier St), or access it from Carter Barron, Colorado Ave, or even from Peirce Mill or Rock Creek Nature Center. You can read a bit about the Teddy Roosevelt Side Trail, the Blagden family, and Pulpit Rock here.
Dumbarton Oaks Park
Dumbarton Oaks Park can be accessed via Whitehaven St. off of Wisconsin Ave., Whitehaven St. off of Massachusetts Ave., or via R St. if you walk past the brick wall and turn left down the driveway before Montrose Park. Dumbarton Oaks Park is a wonderful place to find some stillness and zen in nature. Follow the trails along the stream as you cross footbridges and listen to the relaxing sound of the many small waterfalls. Read more about the park and its renowned landscape architect Beatrix Ferrand and her 1921 design at https://dopark.org/.
Cleveland Park Spy History
Cleveland Park Spy History Walk Thanks to our friends at the Cleveland Park Historical Society, we’ve been able to create a walking tour of the homes of various spies. Squad members like to don fake mustaches, come up with code names, and identify each residence using the images in our walking tour handout.
C&O Canal Towpath
Map of 1.3-mile hike from Aqueduct Bridge remains to Inclined Plane/Boat Elevator ruins
SE DC
Anacostia Park
Hike, bike, or play along the Anacostia River.
Want to see native turtles, frogs, and fish up close? Visit the Aquatic Resources Education Center
Open Mon.-Fri. 10am-2pm
Call first to be sure they’re open: (202) 535-2276
Check out Anacostia Watershed Society’s Beginner’s Field Guide to the Anacostia River Watershed
Fort Dupont Park
Fort Circle Park Hiker-Biker Trail
Civil War Defenses of Washington Brief History
Congressional Cemetery
Lots of interesting history here but also some excellent geocaches! Create a free account using the GroundSpeak Geocaching app or on Geocaching.com
History of Cemetery
Tons of self-guided tours, including: American Indians, Suffrage, Men of the FBI, Women of Arts and Letters, African American Tour, Chinese American tour, and more.
Goats as groundskeepers??
SW DC
Southwest Waterfront Park and the Titanic Memorial
*great for bike riding
East Potomac Park and East Potomac Playground
Excellent views of Reagan National on one side and the Wharf on the other
*great for bike riding
NEIGHBORHOODS AT A GLANCE
Geology of Theodore Roosevelt Island If you’ve ever hiked the full loop at Roosevelt Island, you’ll know that half the hike is on a packed dirt trail and the other half is on an elevated boardwalk over wetlands. This is because the island is located on a geological fall line--where the Atlantic Coastal Plain meets the Piedmont.
McLean Gardens Did you know this was originally an estate named Friendship, owned by Colonel Thomas Addison and James Stoddert in 1695? The wealthy McLean family owned it next, including Evalyn McLean who owned the supposedly cursed Hope Diamond which is now on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
U Street Corridor The U Street Corridor features many buildings designed by African American architects and was home to jazz clubs frequented by legendary performers like Duke Ellington, Miles David, and Nat King Cole.
Edgewood Thanks to Edgewood.org, we know Mr. Salmon P. Chase purchased this farmland estate when he became U.S. Treasury Secretary under Abraham Lincoln.
PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES
PUZZLES AND BRAIN TEASERS
Crack the Code! Create a code of your own for your child to crack, or use the ones in this link.
Sliding Spy Decoder: Another code system you can use to create a code for your child to crack! This one is a little more hands-on.
Tower of Hanoi: This puzzle is awesome and it really lets kids explore math in a creative, fun way. You can use cardboard for the discs, or any household items with slightly different sizes. See if you can solve it with more than just 3 discs and recognize the pattern.
More Brain Teasers: A veritable cornucopia of situational and visual puzzles. Some of the situational puzzles have engaging stories that go with them.
HANDS-ON ART PROJECTS
DIY Reusable Snack Bag If you have extra fabric hanging around but not the laminated kind, use this bag for small toys, cards, or other treasures instead of snacks. Sewing old t-shirts into pillows like Squad members do at our Great UAS Pillow Fight is another simple and fun project.
Marbled Paper with Shaving Cream Squad members used this method for the end pages in their books during last summer’s Bookmaking Workshop, but adults and children alike can use this paper to create greeting cards or to frame and mat artwork or photos.
How to Make a Pop-up Book Endless possibilities for all ages!
Drawings in Motion: Make Your Own Zoetrope We’re so used to digital videos nowadays, but let’s go back in time and learn how film created the illusion of moving pictures out of still frames.
Chinese Lantern: you will need a paper cup, chopstick, scissors, tape/glue, paper, and thread/yarn.
Symmetry Art: Create some beautiful paintings with this technique. Could get messy, so make sure to lay down some newspaper/table cover first.
Imagination station: Here’s a fun, all-ages challenge. Choose 3-4 items. Each participant gets one of each material and must invent a game or piece of art using only those materials plus tape, glue, and scissors. Set a time limit (eg: 20 mins) and see what everyone comes up with!
Examples:
Plastic bottle
Cork
Old toothbrush
Rubber band
Tabs from milk containers and bread bags
A piece of aluminum foil
A paper cup
Any reusable items headed for the trash or recycle bin
SCIENTIFIC LEARNING
Alien Challenge: This is a fun, creative exercise to get students thinking about environmental ecology! Plus the opportunity to draw some really wacky aliens and use plastic/waste in a productive way.
Density Experiments: Learn why oil and water don’t mix, plus create a displayable bottle.
Volcano: A classic acid-base reaction, requiring just basic household chemicals like baking soda and vinegar. Warning, may be explosive!
HOME ENGINEERING
Make an Anemometer: Dive into weather science by measuring wind speed with your own homemade anemometer.
Pasta Ferris Wheel: An excellent use of extra spaghetti (unless of course you need it for meals!). Alternate materials could include toothpicks, straws, rolled up paper, cardboard or pipe cleaners.
Newspaper Towers: Headlines today are all doom and gloom. Here is a more constructive way for your student to use COVID-19 news and learn about the strengths of different shapes!
Parabolic Solar Cooker: An awesome way to learn about light reflection angles. We have some sunny days coming up, so this could be a perfect backyard/doorstep/playground experiment. Plus, you might get a toasted marshmallow or two.
Solar Updraft Tower: Create an in-home windmill from your canned food! Just needs to be placed in a sunny spot in your home. This project covers air convection and solar heating.
Make Your Own Water Wheel In the 1800s, there were more than 20 mills along Rock Creek. They used the movement of the water in the creek to turn machinery inside the mills. Maybe you’ve seen the water wheel in action at the only mill still standing on Rock Creek: Peirce Mill. Now you can try to make your own using items you have hanging out at home.
ARCHITECTURE
Architecture Walking Tours The American Institute of Architects’ webpage offers self-guided, kid-friendly neighborhood walking tours in downloadable PDFs. Print one out, put it in a clipboard (clipboards make everything more fun), and head out into the sunshine! There’s a tour for Dupont Circle, Shaw/Blagden Alley, Capitol Hill, Penn Quarter, and the White House neighborhood.
Neoclassical Architecture If you’re able to walk or bike downtown, you can go on a Neoclassical architecture scavenger hunt. Neoclassical architecture can be found throughout DC; it reflects design elements from Ancient Greek and Roman buildings. If you’re not able to go to these places in person, you can learn about this style of architecture just from reading this handout. Are there other places in DC that you think are Neoclassical architecture? Can you design your own building using features from Neoclassical architecture?
Columns Challenge Columns are an architectural feature seen on many famous buildings here in Washington, DC. Columns come from Neoclassical architecture, Can you stand on top of a hardcover book supported by columns made only of paper? Try your hand at the Columns Challenge!
Brutalist Architecture Known for its use of concrete, Brutalist architecture can be found throughout DC--most notably in our Metro stations. You can go on a Brutalist architecture scavenger hunt by biking or walking around your neighborhood, but the images from the handout are found in downtown DC.
Geodesic Domes Did you know triangles are the strongest shape? You can use triangles to make round shapes like domes or spheres. This project requires pipe cleaners, straws, and the patience to carefully measure and cut your straws. This is great for a rainy afternoon or to complete over the course of a few days.
Egg Experiments: Strength of Domes Here are two experiments using eggs. We think of eggs as being quite fragile, but in fact their shape makes them very strong.