June 23, 2012 - Independence Hall/American School for the Deaf

Independence Hall, Philadelphia and American School for the Deaf, West Hartford, CT


On Saturday, July 23, 2012, Members of the 11th grade class left WPSD and departed for on an adventure to explore the roots of America's pass.  We arrived in Philadelphia and took a tour of Independence Hall.  We learned that Independence Hall was the place where a group of American Patriots drafted and signed the Declaration of Independence against the King of England in 1776.  We also learned that Independence Hall again played a role in U.S. History when it was selected as a meeting place to discuss and draft the new U.S. Constitution in 1787.  After taking a tour of Independence Hall and learning about the importance of this place in the founding of our country, we all saw the famous Liberty Bell which rang when the Declaration of Independence was signed and saw the famous crack in the bell.

Anthony, Kevin, Louis III, and Ricky
in front of the Liberty Bell  

A sunny day in Philadelphia...

Standing beneath the Independence
Hall bell tower

We then left Philadelphia and later that night, we arrived at the American School for the Deaf (ASD) in West Hartford, Connecticut at around 10 pm. When we arrived we discovered that there was no power due to a bad storm!! What a coincidence, we got to experience what it was like to live in the 1700s with no technology, no electricity, and no air conditioning! We used lanternsand flashlights to guide us to our bedrooms and bathrooms. To keep ourselves cool, we kept our windows and door open to let the cool airin. It was quite an experience for us!