Washington D.C.

Gr 7 Up—Accompanied by soft background music, this program presents a quick visual trip that carries viewers across the historic sites, memorials, gardens, and museums located in the nation's capital. However, the footage sometimes is reminiscent of a home movie, with people's heads blocking the views, and at certain points, there are long segments with no voice-over. At times, the screen is filled with quotes inscribed on monuments, and the camera scans exhibits in museums. The visuals become tedious, and viewers' attentions are sure to drift elsewhere. Overall, the negatives of the film override the positives. For example, there is a reference to the National Park Service (NPS) sites located in the city as well as non-NPS sites, but there is no explanation of the difference. Viewers could easily believe that the Smithsonian Institution is operated by the NPS. Additionally, the film is filled with factual errors. John Adams was not Lincoln's second vice president, Thomas Jefferson was not the first vice president, and there are more than 400 units within the National Park system.