U.S. CAPITOL • WASHINGTON, D.C.

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U.S. CAPITOL DISCOVER THE 

AN ACTIVITY GUIDE
Welcome to the United States Capitol!

Enjoy your visit to the U.S. Capitol! This activity book has things 

for you to do before or after your visit to the Capitol. 

The United States is a democracy. Democracy is a word that 

means “the people rule.” In America the people vote and choose 

their leaders.

Like a strong tree with branches, there are three parts or branches 

of our government. The three branches make the law, carry out the 

law, and decide if the law has been broken. 

The branch that makes the rules and laws is called Congress. 

Congress meets in the Capitol. 

You will visit three important rooms in the Capitol: 

• Crypt (the area below the main floor of the Capitol)

• Rotunda (the round room with a dome)

• National Statuary Hall (the room used to display statues)

The Capitol, located 

in Washington, D.C., 

is a beautiful building. 

When people see the 

Capitol, they think 

about the United States. 

The Capitol is a symbol 

of our country. 

Photographs by Architect of the Capitol
1

America’s Roots

Does the United States Capitol look like buildings found 

in ancient Greece and Rome? Yes, absolutely! We borrowed 

important ideas, such as democracy, from those cultures. The Capitol 

reminds us of our ties to the past.

There are many columns in the U.S. Capitol. Columns hold up heavy 

floors and ceilings. Columns also are used to decorate the building. 

The top part of a column is called a “capital.” Look at the capital to the 

right. What important American crop do you see? Some of the 

columns in the U.S. Capitol building are topped with American crops and 

flowers. Which capital below is the simplest? Which capital is 

the fanciest? Find the columns as you walk through the Capitol.

Now it is 

your turn 

to draw 

a capital. 

The corn cob capital 

represents America. 

What design 

represents you?

Doric column Ionic column Corinthian column 
2

America’s Story

In the Capitol Rotunda, if you look up, you will see 19 paintings arranged in a 

circle. This group of 19 paintings is called the “Frieze of American History.” 

They tell the story of our nation. 

Discovery of Gold 

in California

Declaration of Independence
3

Can you put these five 

paintings from the Frieze of 

American History in order 

of when they happened? 

Number the paintings from one to five, from the beginning 

to the end of the story. 

Here is a bonus question: can you add the date to each 

of the paintings?

Did you notice that there are 

many people in each scene? 

People work together to get 

things done. Each person 

has a skill or talent that helps 

the group.

Circle the people 

working together in 

each of the paintings.

What are they doing to help? 

How do you help at home 

and in school?

Landing of Columbus

Landing of 

the Pilgrims

The Birth 

of Aviation

U.S. CAPITOL • WASHINGTON, D.C.

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Can you match 

the people to 

the correct 

description of 

their lives? 

In the empty box, write the 

name or draw a picture of 

someone you have studied 

who helped our country.

A. I helped the Lewis and Clark Expedition. We traveled from 

the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean.

B. I was known for an event that happened in 1773 called 

the Boston Tea Party. I was a member of a famous 

family from Massachusetts.

C. I was a priest who was born in Spain. I traveled to the New 

World to build settlements where people could live and learn 

about my church.

D. In 1955 I was asked to move to the back of the bus 

solely because of the color of my skin. I refused to do 

so and led protests against unfair laws.

E. I became the 16th President of the United States and 

served during the Civil War. I am known for writing the 

Emancipation Proclamation.

F. I led the Continental Army during the Revolutionary 

War. I became the first President of the United States.

G. I was President of the Republic of Texas and a U.S. Senator. 

A city in Texas is named after me.

H. I was the Army general who led all U.S. troops in 

Europe during World War II. I was elected President of 

the United States twice, in 1952 and 1956.

I. I was deaf and blind but learned to communicate by touch. 

I went to college and wrote a book about my life story.

J. I was the main author of the Declaration of 

Independence and third President of the United States.

K. I led marches and made speeches about civil rights. 

I believed that all people should be treated equally. 

In the U.S. Capitol we honor people who have helped the country. People help in many 

different ways. Sometimes artists are asked to create a statue of an important person for the 

Capitol. Look for statues and sculptures in the Capitol and in the Capitol Visitor Center. 

Leaders and Helpers
5

Samuel Adams Dwight Eisenhower Sam Houston Thomas Jefferson

Helen Keller Martin Luther King, Jr. Abraham Lincoln Rosa Parks 

Sakakawea Father Junipero Serra George Washington

Who would you include?
6

ARIZONA

1912 

CALIFORNIA

1850

COLORADO

1876

IDAHO

1890

KANSAS

1861 

MONTANA

1889

NEBRASKA

1867 NEVADA

1864

NEW MEXICO

1912

NORTH

DAKOTA

1889

OKLAHOMA

1907

OREGON

1859

SOUTH

DAKOTA

1889

TEXAS

1845

UTAH

1896

WASHINGTON

1889

WYOMING

1890

We are a nation of many states united to form one country. Some states joined 

the union in 1787. Others did not become states until 1959, 172 years later! 

Within each state is the date when it became a part of the United States.

The Nation Grows

Color the first 

13 states red. 

They became 

states between 

1787 and 1790.

Color the states 

that became 

states between 

1791 and 1800 

purple.

1. Where are the first 13 states located?

2. Twelve states joined the nation between which dates? 

3. Which states were last to join the nation? 

4. Which four states became part of the nation in 1889?
7

ALABAMA

1819

ARKANSAS

1836

CONNECTICUT 1788

DELAWARE 1787

FLORIDA

1845

GEORGIA

1788

ILLINOIS

1818 INDIANA

1816

IOWA

1846

KENTUCKY

1792

LOUISIANA

1812

MAINE

1820

MARYLAND 1788

MASSACHUSETTS 1788

MICHIGAN

1837

MINNESOTA

1858

MISSISSIPPI

1817

MISSOURI

1821

NEW

HAMPSHIRE

1788

NEW JERSEY 1787

NEW

YORK

1788

NORTH

CAROLINA

1789

OHIO

1803

PENNSYLVANIA

1787

RHODE ISLAND 1790

SOUTH

CAROLINA

1788

TENNESSEE

1796

VERMONT

1791

VIRGINIA

1788

WEST

VIRGINIA

1863

WISCONSIN

1848

HAWAII

1959

ALASKA

1959

Color the states 

that became 

states between 

1901 and 

1960 orange.

Color the states 

that became 

states between 

1827 and 1866 

blue.

Color the states 

that became 

states between 

1867 and 1900 

green.

Color the 

states that 

became states 

between 1801 

and 1826 

yellow.

Find your state on the map. When did your state join the union?
8

The Capitol Changes

Study the drawings 

and photos of the U.S. 

Capitol. What changes 

do you see?

The U.S. grew from 13 to 50 states. 

The new states elected people 

to Congress. More space was 

needed in the Capitol. Meeting 

rooms, offices and even a larger 

dome were added. As the nation 

grew, the Capitol grew as well!

The U.S. Congress has two 

parts, the Senate and House 

of Representatives. The parts 

are called houses. Each state 

sends two Senators and at least 

one member of the House of 

Representatives to the Capitol. 

Congress meets in rooms at either 

end of the building. Congress 

makes the nation’s laws. 

Next to each 

picture write 

the total 

number of 

states in the 

union at the 

date shown. 

Use the map you colored to 

count the states.

1800

 U.S. Capitol

1866

 U.S. Capitol

Today

 U.S. Capitol

1826

 U.S. Capitol

1900

 U.S. Capitol
9

A Nation of Laws

This is a famous painting by 

John Trumbull. It hangs in the 

Rotunda. The painting 

tells the story of an 

important day in 

American history, 

December 23, 1783.

George Washington is in the 

middle of the painting. He is 

handing a paper to Congress 

that says that he is no 

longer leading the army. The 

Revolutionary War has ended 

and he is going home. 

1. Some people wanted George Washington to become king 

of our new nation. Why did George Washington refuse to 

become king? 

2. We needed a new plan for our nation. The founders wrote the 

U.S. Constitution in 1787. What is a constitution?

3. The founders did not want any person or group to have too 

much power. Why?

4. List your classroom rules. Why are rules important in the 

classroom? Why are rules important for a nation?

What happens 

after the event 

shown in the 

painting? 

Answer these questions.

Notice the two children on 

the right. They are watching 

George Washington. If you 

were present that day and 

decided to write in your 

journal about the event, 

what would you say?
10

American Inventors

At the very top of 

the Rotunda, on the 

curved ceiling of the 

Dome, is a painting. 

The painting has 

several parts, and this 

is one section of that 

painting. The story is 

called, “Science.” 

This type of painting is called a fresco. In a fresco, the artist paints 

on damp plaster. When the plaster dries the painting becomes part 

of the wall or ceiling. Constantino Brumidi is the artist who painted 

this fresco.

Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, is shown with famous 

Americans. They were inventors. Can you find Benjamin 

Franklin standing next to Minerva?

Minerva is pointing to a battery. She is also standing near a 

printing press. On the other side of the painting, children listen to a 

teacher. The teacher is showing them how to use a drawing tool. 

We live in a country with many freedoms. 

The nation’s founders believed that free people would create many inventions. 

Do you agree? Have you ever thought of an invention? What was it?
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Q C Z M L T D V J W

F Y R O B E R T F R

D R U B L I W M U I

H S A M U E L O L G

F A R N S W O R T H

C P D X K Q B S O T

Y O R V I L L E N Y

R Z Y D P H I L O Z

U X N I M A J N E B

S M C C O R M I C K

Artists paint and sculpt inventors and their inventions. Look in Emancipation 

Hall for a statue of Philo Farnsworth. Ask your guide to point out the other inventors or 

their inventions as you walk through the Capitol.

• Benjamin Franklin • Orville and Wilbur Wright 

• Philo Farnsworth • Cyrus McCormick

• Samuel Morse • Robert Fulton

Find the first and last name of each 

inventor in the puzzle below. 

The words may be written up or down, across, diagonally, forwards and backwards. 

Complete the word find. Then, try to name an invention for each person listed.

U.S. CAPITOL • WASHINGTON, D.C.

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Answer Key

PAGE 1: AMERICA’S ROOTS

The American crop is corn.

The simplest capital is the Doric and the fanciest 

is the Corinthian.

PAGES 2 – 3: AMERICA’S STORY

#1 Landing of Columbus (1492)

#2 Landing of the Pilgrims (1620)

#3 Declaration of Independence (1776)

#4 Discovery of Gold in California (1848)

#5 The Birth of Aviation (1903)

PAGES 6 – 7: THE NATION GROWS

Colored map

#1 The first 13 states are located on the east coast of the United States.

#2 Twelve states joined the union between 1827 and 1866.

#3 The last two states to join the union were Hawaii and Alaska.

#4 Washington, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota all became states in 1889.

ALABAMA

1819

ARIZONA

1912 ARKANSAS

1836

CALIFORNIA

1850

COLORADO

1876

CONNECTICUT 1788

DELAWARE 1787

FLORIDA

1845

GEORGIA

1788

IDAHO

1890

ILLINOIS

1818

INDIANA

1816

IOWA

1846

KANSAS

1861 KENTUCKY

1792

LOUISIANA

1812

MAINE

1820

MARYLAND 1788

MASSACHUSETTS 1788

MICHIGAN

1837

MINNESOTA

1858

MISSISSIPPI

1817

MISSOURI

1821

MONTANA

1889

NEBRASKA

1867

NEVADA

1864

NEW

HAMPSHIRE

1788

NEW JERSEY 1787

NEW MEXICO

1912

NEW

YORK

1788

NORTH

CAROLINA

1789

NORTH

DAKOTA

1889

OHIO

1803

OKLAHOMA

1907

OREGON

1859

PENNSYLVANIA

1787

RHODE ISLAND 1790

SOUTH

CAROLINA

1788

SOUTH

DAKOTA

1889

TENNESSEE

1796

TEXAS

1845

UTAH

1896

VERMONT

1791

VIRGINIA

1788

WASHINGTON

1889

WEST

VIRGINIA

1863

WISCONSIN

1848

WYOMING

1890

HAWAII

1959 ALASKA

1959

PAGES 4 – 5: LEADERS AND HELPERS

• Samuel Adams – B

• Dwight Eisenhower – H

• Sam Houston – G

• Thomas Jefferson – J

• Helen Keller – I

• Martin Luther King, Jr. – K

• Abraham Lincoln – E

• Rosa Parks – D

• Sakakawea – A

• Father Junipero Serra – C

• George Washington – F
BACK PAGE: BONUS QUESTIONS

#1 B – Coconut palm #3 C – 30,000 #5 D – Christopher Columbus

#2 A – Beaches #4 C – Rich Port #6 B – 1800 

PAGE 8: THE CAPITOL CHANGES

• 1800 – 16 states

• 1826 – 24 states

• 1866 – 36 states

• 1900 – 45 states

• Today – 50 states

PAGES 10 – 11: AMERICAN INVENTORS

Word find puzzle with answers

• Benjamin Franklin – lightning rod, metallined stove (Franklin stove), bifocal glasses

• Philo Farnsworth – “father” of television

• Samuel Morse – telegraph and Morse code

• Orville and Wilbur Wright – powered airplane

• Cyrus McCormick – reaper that cuts grain

• Robert Fulton – steamboat 

PAGE 9: A NATION OF LAWS

#1 George Washington wanted our nation to be free. He thought that 

the people should choose their leaders. A king is not chosen by 

the people.

#2 A constitution is a plan the government follows. The U.S. 

Constitution calls for a government of three branches: one 

that makes the laws (legislative); one that carries out the laws 

(executive); and one that decides if the laws are broken (judicial).

#3 The founders were afraid that powerful people or groups would 

take away the rights of others. So, they created a government with 

three branches that share power. Each of the branches “checks 

and balances” the other branches.

#4 Rules help all of us by keeping us safe and maintaining order. A 

nation follows rules just as people follow rules at home, school 

and work.

Q C Z M L T D V J W

F Y R O B E R T F R

D R U B L I W M U I

H S A M U E L O L G

F A R N S W O R T H

C P D X K Q B S O T

Y O R V I L L E N Y

R Z Y D P H I L O Z

U X N I M A J N E B

S M C C O R M I C K
CVC 14-065

In addition to the 50 states, five territories (American Samoa, 

Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin 

Islands) and Washington, D.C. are part of our country, too. 

Answer the questions, then see if you can 

find each of them on a map. 

BONUS Questions

Which is 

the correct 

answer to 

the following 

questions? 

The answers are found on 

the previous page.

1. American Samoa is a 

group of islands in the South 

Pacific. Thick rainforests are 

found on American Samoa. 

American Samoa is known for 

its many _________

____________ trees.

a) Maple

b) Coconut palm

c) Oak

d) Redwood

2. Guam is an island and 

found in the Western Pacific 

Ocean. Guam is located south 

of Japan and east of the 

Philippines. Tourists like to visit 

Guam to enjoy ____________.

a) Beaches

b) Snow skiing

c) Rodeo shows

d) Cycling

3. Fourteen islands form 

the Northern Mariana 

Islands. They are located 

north of Guam in the 

Pacific Ocean. The nearby 

Mariana Trench – more than

____________ feet deep – is 

the deepest part of the ocean!

a) 10,000

b) 20,000

c) 30,000

d) 40,000

4. Puerto Rico is an island in 

the Caribbean Sea. Most Puerto 

Ricans speak Spanish and 

English. Many ships visit Puerto 

Rico. “Puerto Rico” is Spanish 

for ______________________. 

a) Open Door b) Island Home

c) Rich Port d) Round Rocks

5. The U.S. Virgin Islands is 

made up of 68 islands and cays 

(pronounced “keys”). They are 

located in the Caribbean Basin. 

Indian tribes lived on the islands 

before the first European, 

__________________________ , 

landed there.

a) Hernando de Soto

b) Marco Polo

c) Amerigo Vespucci

d) Christopher Columbus

6. Washington, D.C., 

also called the District of 

Columbia, is our nation’s 

capital. It is a city, not a state. 

Congress first met in the Capitol 

building in Washington, D.C. in 

the year __________________.

a) 2000 b) 1800

c) 1776 d) 1900