By Abigale Paterniti, News Editor
Mr. Fisher, one of the AP World History teachers, started teaching at River Hill 19 years ago. Since then, all of his classes have had the opportunity to participate in an all-day field trip. During this trip, students visit places of worship for five major religions: Hinduism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam. Mr. Fisher explains how “My favorite part is exposing kids to all these different places and having them hear from an expert in those locations about whatever religion they are experts in.”
Mr. Fisher reflected on the planning process how “almost every year it changes because places may change, like a contact at one location may retire or leave.” Some places are more reliable than others. Setting the itinerary every year is crucial since it is based on so many changing parts, including maintaining connections with the places of worship, collecting money from students, paying for the bus or buses depending on the number of students who sign up and keeping track of every student during the trip. Mr. Fisher reflected upon his original idea for the trip: “My original thought was that I would go to DC and there would be a cluster of different religious houses” since it turns out that “a hundred years ago immigrants would come and they would settle in cities.” Now it turns out that the biggest collection of religious diversity is in the suburbs.” Mr. Fisher elaborates by explaining how “Montgomery County has lots of ethnic diversity.” For example, Wat Thai, the Buddhist temple students visited, is located in Montgomery County.
Inspiration for the religion’s field trip ties to Mr. Fisher’s extensive travel experience, from visiting places such as Mexico City, Belize, Japan, China, and everywhere in between. Mr. Fisher realized the importance of exposing students to different cultures and religions outside of the classroom. Beyond the religions field trip, past students of Mr. Fisher have traveled all over the world, to every continent, sending Mr. Fisher postcards that he hangs in his classroom for his current students to see and be inspired by. Throughout the religions field trip, there is an emphasis on learning from first hand experiences, and exposure to different cultures, which inspires students to apply their knowledge in real world contexts. Dr. DiFato, the current principal and previously a River Hill World History teacher, brought students on the field trip with Mr. Fisher in the past. This time, Mrs. Casper, U.S. history teacher accompanied Mr. Fisher and his students.
The trip started at the Buddhist temple, Wat Thai of DC located on Layhill Road in Montgomery County. Thai Buddhist Monks, dressed in orange robes welcomed the students with a lesson and Q&A session. During the lesson, a Buddhist monk spoke to students about how “Thai people practice Buddhism through merit making and various ceremonies such as birthdays, weddings and funerals.” The students learned about the teachings of the Buddha called the Four Noble Truths; one, suffering exists; it has a cause; it has an end; and it has a cause to bring about its end.
As the Buddha lived for 45 years after becoming the awakened one, Wat Thai has 45 books; one of every year of the Buddha’s journey across northern India. The book is called Chulachomklao of Siam Pali Tipitaka. Each student got the chance to examine the book and pass it along. To conclude the lesson, the students participated in a meditation session where they crossed one leg on top of another in a respectful, traditional way. The reason for meditating in this manner is because of the custom of never pointing your feet in front of you while in a place of Buddhist worship. Before leaving, each student was given a beaded bracelet..
Following Wat Thai, the students traveled by bus to Bait-ur-Rahman Mosque on Good Hope Road, in Silver Spring. The students were welcomed to the Mosque and shuffled into a presentation focusing on Islamic faith. During the presentation, the tradition of praying five times was explained through a timeline. At 5:40am the morning prayer occurs; Fajr, followed by Zuhr at 1:30pm; ‘Asr at 3:00pm; Maghrib at 5:20pm and Isha’ at 7:00pm. The Mosque representative spoke about Zakat, which means “charity” in which he explained, “Obligatory charity giving is an act of worship and spiritual investment.” Later in the presentation, the Six Articles of Faith were outlined to provide students with an idea of what it means to be Muslim. In Muslim faith, the two pillars are “submission” and “peace.” Following the lesson, student Sharvi Wankhade asked, “Can a woman be an Imam (mosque leader)?” followed by other students with various questions. After the lesson, students ate snacks of cookies, chips, and mango juice.
After the Mosque, students traveled to Muragan Temple of Hindu faith, located in Lanham. At this temple students learned about the gods and their individual temples. At the end of the lesson the students were given apples and bananas in offerings. Samara Winrose recalls, “feeling like she was halfway across the world” upon entering the temple.
After a short bus ride, and snacks along the way. The students made their way to Temple Isaiah located in Fulton. Here students were given the option to put a Kippah on their heads, which is meant to demonstrate their commitment to faith. Before students left, they got a chance to see a Torah, Jewish holy text, up close. This included a 400 year old Torah that had been passed on from temple to temple for many centuries.
Finally students went to St. Louis Roman Catholic Church in Clarksville. There they got a chance to walk around and see the tall stained glass windows and an organ located above the congregation area. During the lesson, Father Robert Katafiasz, associate priest, spoke to students about the history of the church and Christianity. Further explaining objects such as a rosary, or clergy visits as Christian outreach to those who cannot attend church for health reasons.
The following day Mr. Fisher allowed students time to process. “After the trip we usually speak, and debrief. They told each other and me about what they thought was interesting, and what was different from their church or their mosque, [or other places of worship].” As a way to debrief and recollect upon the previous day, students wrote letters of thanks to each place of worship that they attended the day prior.