Atlanta is the home of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. In addition to his birth home and burial site, students of modern history can tour the restored birth home block, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Freedom Hall, and the fire station for free. Take a self-guided tour or rent a global positioning system (GPS) Ranger multimedia device for a narrated tour. Have your students read King’s “I Have A Dream” speech prior to the field trip.
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site
450 Auburn Avenue, NE
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-331-6922
nps.gov
To bolster interest in science studies, visit the world's largest aquarium, located in downtown Atlanta. Plan four hours for your visit. You can take a virtual tour online to determine which exhibits to view in person. Choose from tanks featuring ocean, river, Georgia coastal, deep cold water, and tropical animals, as well as a special exhibit devoted to sharks. The aquarium has eight million gallons of freshwater and saltwater exhibits set in imaginative displays. Book a behind-the-scenes tour for an additional fee. Parking can be found at 357 Luckie Street. Purchase a parking pass online and save $1.
Georgia Aquarium
225 Baker St. NW
Atlanta, GA 30313
404-581-4000
georgiaaquarium.org
No study of the Civil War is complete without a visit to a battlefield. Located in far north Georgia on the Tennessee border, these two sites are prime destinations for studying military strategy because the grounds are maintained as they were during the 1860s, giving visitors the feel of the obstacles the armies faced in forests, open fields, streams, and rugged mountains. Living history demonstrations are held during the summer months. Bring your bikes for a ranger-led tour (check the website for scheduled rides).
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
?P.O. Box 2128
?Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742
706-866-9241
nps.gov
One of Georgia's homegrown writers is Flannery O'Connor, author of imaginative short stories and novels using her home state as the setting. Her childhood home in Savannah is open for tours, as is Andalusia, the farm near Milledgeville where O'Connor spent her last years, before dying of lupus at age 39.
Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home
207 East Charlton St.
Savannah, GA 31401
912-233-6014
flanneryoconnorhome.org
Flannery O'Connor – Andalusia Foundation, Inc.?
2628 N. Columbia St. (Highway 441 North)
?Milledgeville, Georgia 31059
478-454-4029
andalusiafarm.org
Native sons and daughters from Otis Redding to the Indigo Girls are featured by way of interactive displays honoring Georgia’s composers, songwriters, and performers in all music genres. Explore music and popular culture while learning about talented Georgians.
Georgia Music Hall of Fame
200 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Macon, GA 31201
478-751-3334
georgiamusic.org