Introduction

Programs -

Soldier's Day
   Lesson Plans
   Park Visit
   Post-Visit
   Materials

Exploration

Self Guided

Lesson Materials

Activity Packet

Brief Histories

Resources

Fourth Grade Education Packet

Soldier's Day Program
"Defending the Oneida Carry- A Soldier's Life in Revolutionary New York"

Rationale:

Theme:

Goal:

Objectives:

Students will:

Complete various activities to familiarize them with the 3rd NY regiment and the life of an 18th century soldier.

Participate in the Soldier. s Day program as it pertains to the New York State syllabus for 4th grade Social Studies.

Complete provided activities to reinforce the Soldier's Day experience.

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Pre-Visit Lesson Plans:

Lesson 1 (mandatory) - Enlistment Day

Lesson 2 (mandatory) - Who are the People in My Company?

Lesson 3 (mandatory) - Food and Pay for the Soldier

Lesson 4 (mandatory) - Duties of a Soldier

Lesson 5 (mandatory) - Marching Orders

Lesson 6 (optional) - Leisure Activities

Lesson 7(optional) - Ranger Visit (only available January 2 through March 31)

Lesson 1 (mandatory)- Enlistment Day

Educational Goal:

Behavioral Objectives:

1. Review reasons for the colonists' unhappiness with England.
2. Become acquainted with the 3rd NY regiment and the Campaign of 1777 through provided teacher materials.
3. Understand the processes of recruitment and enlistment.
4. Sign enlistment papers making them soldiers of the 3rd NY Regiment of the Continental Army.
5. (Optional)Write a letter home to their parents telling them about his/her enlistment and state reasons why they want to join in the war against England.

Prerequisites:

Vocabulary:

Recruit: (v) to enlist new members (n) a newly enlisted member of the Army

Enlist: to join one of the armed forces voluntarily

Regiment: a military unit consisting of a number of companies

Company: a group of soldiers usually 40 in number

Campaign: a series of military actions forming a distinct phase of a war

Continental Army: the American army during the War for Independence

Time: 45 minutes

Materials:

Teacher: "The 3rd NY Regiment" and "The Campaign of 1777", recruitment poster (may be reproduced), teacher-to-parent letter (1 per student), enlistment papers (1 per student)

Student: pen or pencil, paper, vocabulary notebook

Intro. / Anticipatory:

Development:

1. Review causes of the American Revolution.
2. Introduce the 3rd NY Regiment and the Campaign of 1777.

Closure:

1. Read the enlistment paper aloud to the class. Make sure the students agree with what it says. After you have read and explained the paper, have the students fill in the date and sign at the bottom. This should be taken home to show parents.
2. (Optional)Students will write a letter to their parents explaining why they have enlisted in the Continental Army.

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Lesson 2 (mandatory)- Who are the People in My Company?

Educational Goal:

This lesson will provide an understanding of the duties and requirements for the 3 ranks of soldiers your class will be portraying in the Soldier's Day Program. 

Behavioral Objectives:

Students will:

1. Become familiar with and discuss the importance of each of these ranks: Private, Sergeant, and Corporal.
2. Discuss what the requirements placed upon the ranks of Corporal and Sergeant are.
3. Based upon discussions, choose students to be the Sergeant and Corporals for your Soldier's Day.
4. (Optional) Learn why some ladies had to follow the army, and were so important to the army.

Vocabulary:

Sergeant, Corporal, Private, and Campfollower

Note: definitions are to be taken from the "4 different Roles" sheet.

Time: 30-45 minutes

Materials:

Teacher: "Ladies of the American Army", "4 Different Roles" (1 per student), "Ranks in the Continental Army" (for posting or for inquisitive students).

Student: vocabulary notebooks, pencils.

Intro. / Anticipatory:

Pass out "4 Different Roles" and discuss importance of each rank.

Development:

1. Familiarize students with the requirements for the ranks of Sergeant and Corporal.

2. Discuss with students why these ranks have extra requirements.

3. (Optional) Talk about who the Campfollower was and why that role

   was important to the Continental Army.

Closure:

Based upon discussions of the requirements of Sergeants and Corporals, students need to choose a pool of classmates qualified to serve in these two ranks. In the final vote, 1 Sergeant and 2 Corporals will be selected for each participating class.

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Lesson 3 (mandatory)- Food and Pay for the Soldiers

Educational Goal:

Students will study the concept of change in pay and in meals from the 18th century to today.

Behavioral Objectives:

Students will:

1. Recognize the difference in pay from a Private to a Sergeant in the Continental Army.
2. Understand the meanings of the terms "Continental Script" and "rations".
3. (Strongly suggested option) Prepare a menu to pack for lunch for the Soldier's Day Program from the choices provided.
4. (Strongly suggested option) Make a haversack to keep the lunches in.
5. (Optional) Prepare a list of items they may purchase based on the rank assigned to them and the "18th Century Cost" sheet.

Prerequisites:

Lessons 1 and 2.

Vocabulary:

Ration, Continental Script

Ration: a food allowance for one day

Continental Script: paper money given to soldiers by the Congress in place of hard coin like gold or silver ecruit, Enlist, Regiment, Company, Campaign, and Continental Army

Time: 45 minutes

Materials:

Teacher: "18th century costs" (1 per student), haversack diagram, boiled beef recipe

Student: paper (2 pieces), pencil or pen.

Topic #1 - Pay

Teacher's Note:

For the men of the Continental Army, pay was something that was bittersweet. The Congress at this time began making Continental script, paper money, because they did not have enough silver to pay everyone in the Army. This was a promissory note that after the war, the Congress would trade the holder the dollar amount in silver that was denoted on the script. Since it was "just a piece of paper", many storekeepers would not accept it, or they would inflate the prices to make sure they would not lose any money. In 1778, the rate of exchange in New York was 8 dollars script for 1 dollar silver. The rates of pay for enlisted men in the Army were as follows: Private soldier: 6 2/3 dollars per month. Corporal: 7 1/3 dollars per month. Sergeant: 8 dollars per month.

Intro. / Anticipatory:

1. Show students the "promissory note" message on a modern dollar bill. Ask if they know the meaning and origin of the message.
2. Define the term "Continental Script" with the class.

Development:

Discuss pay in the Continental Army, both type and how much.

Closure:

1. Compare the worth of paper money from the Continental Army to today.
2. Compare differences in pay/costs between the 18th Century and today.
3. (Optional Activity) Students will purchase supplies they want/need for 1 month based on the pay assigned to the Soldier's Day ranks they voted on in lesson 1. Costs come from the "18th Century Costs" page. Students should share their lists and tell if they had any money left over. Also, discuss differences in prices from the 1700's to today.

Topic #2 - Food

Teacher's Note:

In the Army of 18th Century America, food was rationed to the soldiers as well as any women and children traveling with the Army. The whole soldier. s ration for one day was: 1lb. salted beef/pork, 1 lb. bread or 1 1/4 lbs. flour, 1 cup dried peas or rice, 1 gill (1/2 cup) rum. This was cut in half for the wives and in quarters for the children. Cooking the evening meal was the only time the soldiers could build a fire in the fireplace, as not to waste their ration of wood. Any breakfast or lunch was cold leftovers from the previous night. Since your class will be following the same rules as the original Army and they will be eating lunch at the fort, it will be cold rations. They may plan their menu from the following: chunked and pre-cooked meat, beef is preferable, chunked block cheese, whole grain or white rolls, raw carrots, fruit juice or water to drink. For a snack bring apples, dried fruit, or nuts.

Intro. / Anticipatory:

1. Define and explain the term "ration".
2. Explain how rationing was carried out by using the information from the Teacher's note.

Development:

1. Discuss differences in availability of food - no grocery stores.
2. Discuss differences in food preparation and storage.(i.e. no prepackaged meats, round loaves of bread, no refrigeration-salted meats, etc.)
3. (Strongly suggested option) Have students plan a menu from suggested items listed. If your students want to be authentic, they can use the boiled beef recipe. After your menu is completed, make sure that the students take it home to show their parents. (Hopefully this will give the parents enough time to go shopping before the trip.)

Closure:

1. Ask students if they think the people in the Continental Army could stay healthy with the rations they were given. Why/ why not?
2. Also, talk about what might happen if the shipment of food did not come, or was spoiled when it arrived to the regiment. (
3. Strongly suggested option) Make haversacks to hold lunches in. There should be one per student, like a lunch bag. Instructions and a materials list are included in the Lesson Material section of this packet. This can be done in class, at home, or with the art teacher.

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Lesson 4 (mandatory)- Duties of a Soldier

Educational Goal:

Students will form a knowledge base of the duties a Continental soldier carried out on a daily basis, prior to their visit to Fort Stanwix.

Behavioral Objectives:

Students will:

1. Define and discuss the three duties of a soldier.
2. Discuss consequences of not having daily duties
3. (Optional) Complete activities that simulate the soldiers' duties, and compare activities with the vocabulary words.

Prerequisites:

None

Vocabulary:

Drill, Fatigue Duty, Guard Duty
Drill: practice loading and firing a musket, or canon
Fatigue Duty: work to help keep your surroundings tidy and sturdy; chores
Guard Duty: standing at an assigned post to protect an area from enemy attack

Time: 1 hour, or various times throughout the day

Materials:

Vocabulary notebooks, cleaning supplies, password cards

Teacher's Note:
The soldiers of the Continental Army were assigned many tasks to help them become disciplined and to help them learn how to work together as a group. The three main duties that helped the Army to achieve these goals were fatigue, drill, and guard duty.
Fatigue duty included repairing any structures being used by the Army, whether in a field or in a fort, gathering wood and water, airing bedding, etc.
Drill: During the war, soldiers would be drilled for many hours each day to become efficient enough to fire his musket 3 times per minute. Because of the fighting style of the time (line formation), the line of soldiers had to be able to fire together as one unit. Although your class will not be drilling for 8 hours a day like the soldiers of the 18th Century, they will have an opportunity to practice the drill with wooden musket cutouts.
Guard Duty: Guard duty was used in the Continental Army to protect the soldiers against enemy attack as well as to prevent any soldiers from deserting. Passwords were used when anyone approached a guard protecting a camp or the main gate of a fort.

Intro. / Anticipatory:

1. Ask students what they think would happen if they did not have rules or a daily routine in school. How do the rules help them to do their job as a student?
2. Explain that rules are especially important in an army. Ask Students what they think the Continental Soldiers did throughout their daily routine.

Development:

Explain the 3 duties of a soldier and why they were important.

Optional Activities:

1. Fatigue Duty - This is an opportunity for the children to clean their environment! Have them: clean out their desks, help you clean the classroom, or clean the playground at recess.
2. "Gansevoort Says" Drill - Play this just as you would "Simon Says", just substitute Gansevoort. This achieves the goal of doing an individual action as one, as they will have to do in their musket drill. Anyone who is caught not doing what "Gansevoort says" is wounded in battle and has to sit out. (Col. Gansevoort was the commander of the 3rd NY Regiment while they were at Fort Schuyler.)
3. Guard Duty - Make a "safe zone" in your classroom. Appoint three guards to protect this area. Pass out countersign cards provided to the remaining students. Make sure they do not share what is on their cards with each other. The guards will say the password as each student comes to the guard post, and the student trying to get in has to whisper the countersign into the guard. s ear. If the proper word is given, he/she may pass. If not, the spy has to sit in his/her seat. Note: The correct pair, Swarthout-Nimrod was actually used by the 3 NY!

Closure:

1. Ask students what might have happened to the army if the soldiers did not have rules or daily routines.
2. (Optional) Ask students if they believe these activities were a good simulation of the three main duties of a soldier.

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Lesson 5 (mandatory)- Marching Orders

Educational Goal:

Students will gain primary knowledge about the Oneida Carry, the siege and the history of Fort Stanwix/Fort Schuyler to provide a knowledge base for their Soldier's Day visit.

Behavioral Objectives:

Students will:

1. Learn about the Oneida Carry and why it was an important place in 18th Century New York.
2. Define "Fort Schuyler" and "siege".
3. (Optional) Make a list of things they would bring from home to Fort Schuyler. 

Prerequisites:

Knowledge of the distance and environment between New York City and Fort Schuyler. 

Vocabulary:

Oneida Carry, Siege, Fort Schuyler

Oneida Carry: the 1-3 mile piece of land between the Mohawk River and Wood Creek. It was important because it was one of the few land bridges on the supply route between New York City and Ontario, Canada.

Siege: when an enemy surrounds a place (like a fort) and tries to cut off supplies to make the other side surrender, or give up.

Fort Schuyler: the name given to Fort Stanwix during the time that the Continental Army occupied it.

Time: Approximately 1 hour

Materials:

Teacher: "The Oneida Carry", "The Siege of Fort Stanwix", "A Brief History of Fort Stanwix", and a classroom NY State map.

Student: vocabulary notebook, paper and pencil. 

Intro. / Anticipatory:

1. Define Oneida Carry, show students where it is on a NY state map, and discuss why it was so important to both the British and the American armies.
2. If not already done, show students the distance between New York City and Fort Stanwix.

Development:

Define Fort Schuyler.

Closure:

1. Change the ending - What might have happened if the British were successful?
2. (Optional)Make (individually or whole group) "Things from Home" list.

This ends the mandatory lesson plans. Lessons 6 & 7 are optional, but recommended for enrichment.

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Lesson 6 - Leisure Activities

Educational Goal:

Students will learn about the various things the soldiers did in their free time.

Behavioral Objectives:

Students will:

1. Make a buzz toy to play with.
2. Learn the 18th century version of Checkers called Draughts (pronounced" drafts").
3. Learn and sing several verses to "The Yankees Return From Camp".

Prerequisites:

Knowledge of the tune "Yankee Doodle"

Vocabulary:

None

Time: Varied

Materials:

Teacher: Buzz Toy Instructions, "The Yankees Return From Camp", checkers and checkerboard

Teacher's Note: The soldiers at Fort Schuyler had very little free time in their day. However, from the archaeological digs that were done at the site and from diary entries, we know some of the ways they used to pass their free time. The free time activities included writing letters home, reading the Bible (if they were literate) or listening to Bible stories, making sure their uniforms were repaired, playing ball games like lacrosse and rounders (an early form of baseball), as well as those activities below.

Intro. / Anticipatory:

1. Ask students what they like to do in their free time.
2. Ask students what they think Revolutionary War soldiers did in their free time.
3. Share soldiers' leisure activities from teacher's note with class.

Development:

Activity #1 This toy can be made with a 2-holed button and a piece of Buzz toy:sturdy string. (Instructional diagram included in Lesson Material section.)

Activity #2 This is 18th Century checkers. The only thing that Draughts:changes is the fact that a player can not jump their own color unless they have been "crowned".

Activity #3 Learn several verses (or all) of "The Yankees Return to Song: Camp" since "Yankee Doodle" was a song that the British used to make fun of the Americans they obviously did not sing that. They took the same tune, changed the lyrics, which then made fun of the British! A reproducible copy of the song is included.

Closure:

Discuss the similarities/differences between the free time activities of the 18th Century and today. Your students are more than welcome to bring their buzz toys to the fort to play with during lunch and to see how well they remember the new song by singing it during fatigue duty.

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Lesson 7 - Ranger Visit(only available January 2 through March 31)

Educational Goal:

To let the students and the Park Ranger assigned to them get to know one another, to answer any questions you or your class have about the visit, and to prepare for the Soldier. s Day program.

Behavioral Objectives:

Students will:

1. The Park Ranger will present a slide show.
2. Park Ranger will orient the students to what will be happening throughout their Soldier's Day program.
3. Students will ask any questions they have about the program.

Prerequisites:

Completion of lessons 1 through 5.

Vocabulary:

None

Time: 45 minutes - 1 hour

Materials:

None

Intro. / Anticipatory:

1. Park Ranger will introduce him/herself.
2. Any preliminary questions will be answered.

Development:

The slide show will be presented, student questions about the Soldier's Day Program will continue.

Closure:

1. Corporals and Sergeants will be announced to Park Ranger.
2. Any final questions will be answered.

Soldier's Day Visit:

Schedule:

1. Arrival / introduction
2. Fatigue / guard duties
3. Drill
4. Lunch
5. Artillery drill
6. Review of day / discharge / pay

What to Expect:

When you arrive at the main gate of the fort, each class participating should be marching in the following formation:

(front of line)
Sergeant
Corporal     Corporal
Privates     Privates
Campfollowers
(with food)

You will be halted/greeted by a Park Ranger at this point. From then on, your company of "soldiers" is under the command of the Park Ranger, Sergeants, and Corporals until they are back on the busses (this includes lunch).

Lunch: At lunch, the park ranger will leave the class, but for the benefit of the program, please allow the Sergeants and Corporals to remain in charge of their squads of soldiers. After the class is finished eating, the Sergeants and Corporals will make sure that all of the trash is picked up.

All of the trash generated from lunch needs to be taken out with you when you leave.

Dirty dishes should be put back into haversacks. The students should stay in the barracks unless they are given permission by a sergeant to go to the necessary (bathroom) or have been given other instructions. The details for this will be discussed in the introduction at the fort.

Note: Make sure your students dress for the weather! Unless it is pouring rain or extremely cold, the program goes on as planned.

Note: In a Soldier's Day program we do not allot time to visit the bookstore or other rooms within the fort. If you would like to do either of these things, you can look on your own after the program is completely finished. We invite you back for our "Exploration Program", which can be either Ranger led or self-guided.

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Post-Visit Activities:

Here are a few suggestions on post-visit activities. These are meant to reinforce the experiences of the visit to Fort Stanwix National Monument.

Letters to Fort Stanwix:

Students may write a letter to either their Park Ranger or the fort telling us what they have learned in the mini-unit. Our address is:

Fort Stanwix National Monument
112 E. Park St.
Rome, NY 13440

Letters to a Serviceman/woman:

Write a letter to a modern soldier and tell him/her about your experiences as an 18th Century soldier. Ask questions so you can compare your experiences with theirs. Addresses should be available at the nearest recruiting office.

18th Century Kid:

Students write about either what they would miss the most about living in a wilderness fort on the Oneida Carry in the 18th century, or what they have learned about being a member of the Continental Army.

On your Own:

In this activity, students use their creativity to demonstrate what they learned on their visit to Fort Stanwix. Various suggestions are: writing a song, writing a poem, making a model of the fort, etc.

The staff of Fort Stanwix National Monument thank you again for participating in our Soldier's Day program. We hope that our efforts have made history a bit more "real" for you and your students. We look forward to your visit in the future!

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Fourth Grade Education Packet
Lesson Materials:

Note: All histories are in the Brief Histories section.

• Teacher-to parent letter
• Recruitment poster
• Enlistment paper
• Four Different Roles
• Ranks in the Continental Army
• 18th Century Costs
• Boiled Beef Recipe
• Haversack diagram
• Password/Countersign cards
• "The Siege of Fort Schuyler" script
• "Yankees Return from Camp"
• Buzz Toy diagram
• Changes in the Oneida Carry - worksheet
• The Oneida Carry maps; pre 1758, 1778, 1820, 1905

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