Fort Stanwix National Monument - Plan A Field Trip (U.S. National Park Service)

Explore the past with one of our programs designed for your grade level. Each of our educational programs are based on the New York State Learning Standards, and emphasizes the many different areas of the in-class curriculum.
Please contact the park at 315-336-4448 or the e-mail the Education Coordinator if any questions arise.

plan a field trip includes:

Kindergarten & First Grade                  Second & Third Grade
Fourth, Fifth, & Seventh Grades               High School
Multi-Age Level & Home School               Self Guided & Offsite Visits
Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site Visits

Kindergarten and 1^st Grade

My New Home
Length: 1-1/2 hours
Discover why children were at Fort Stanwix and what they would have been doing here. Students will participate in three hands-on activities during the visit.

“Anna and Abraham’s” discovery sack.
18th century children’s chores
Colonial toys and games

Finally, the students will discover that even though you may change the place you live, it is family that makes a house a home.

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2nd and 3rd Grades

The Fort Community
Length: 1-1/2 hours
What community helpers live at Fort Stanwix? Your students will explore the answers to this question by participating in three sensory-rich activities comparing 18th century community helpers with their modern counterparts.

Take part in a bucket brigade
Stand guard duty
Pay a visit to Dr. Woodruff’s day quarters

Come and find out how communities over 200 years apart are very much the same!

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4th, 5th, and 7th Grades

Garrison Life
Length: 1 ½ hours
Maximum Number of Students Per Program: 150
Times: 10:00 a.m. or 1:15 p.m.
Educational Goal: Students will learn about the daily life of a Continental Soldier serving at Fort Stanwix during the American Revolution.
Program Activities: Students will rotate through 3 stations pertaining to military service at a frontier outpost:
Fortification Walk: Discover how building the fort takes many skills, such as math and science, from planning through defending against an enemy.
Crime and Punishment: Find out what was against Army regulations for soldiers, and the repercussions of “unsoldier like” behavior.
Left Behind: Students will participate in an archeological study of reproduction items that represent the life of a soldier garrisoned at Fort Stanwix. Each of the reproduction items mirror objects that were discovered onsite during the excavation of the site in the early 1970’s.

Soldier's Day
Length: 3 hours
Maximum Number of Students Per Program: 60
Times: 10:00 a.m. through 1:00 p.m.
Educational Goal: Students will discover what life was like for enlisted men in the Continental Army at Fort Stanwix during the American Revolution.
Program Activities: The 3 main duties of a soldier: drill (musket), fatigue (manual labor), guard
Prerequisite Notes: Requires in-class preparation for the program. Lessons/materials can be found on the park Soldier's Day Lesson Plan section of the website.
--What was life like for a soldier in the Continental Army? Find out in this 3-hour hands-on program. After signing enlistment papers in school, your students will take on the roles of privates, corporals, and sergeants to prepare for their time at the fort. While at the fort, they will participate in the 3 main duties of a soldier -guard, fatigue, and drill (practice with a non-firing weapon). Lunch is included in the program time, and meal suggestions are included on our website.

21 Days
Length: 1 ½ hours
Maximum Number of Students Per Program: 150
Times: 10:00 a.m. or 1:15 p.m.
Educational Goal: Students will learn about the 21 day British siege of Fort Stanwix and how it played an important role in the Saratoga campaign of 1777.
Prerequisite Notes: If you have not covered the "Three Pronged Attack" on New York in your classroom yet, we strongly recommend booking a "Garrison Life" program for your class. Research material is available throughout our website.
Program Activities: Students will rotate through 3 stations pertaining to the fort and its siege. The stations are:
Fortification Walk: Discovering how the fort's structures helped to keep the British out and the Americans safe.
Team Drill: Students will learn how teamwork played a major role in the American victory at the fort by participating in a cannon crew.
The 5 W's: Through interactive theatre, students will learn the who, what, when, where, and why of the siege of Fort Stanwix. They will also learn how the events at the fort impacted local, state, national, and world history.

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High School
Most Junior High and High School Programs are designed with the assistance of the classroom teacher. Please call 315-336-4448 or e-mail the Education Coordinator for all options.

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Multi-Age Levels and Home School Groups

Ranger Guided Programs
If your group is between the ages of 5 and 8, any of the above listed K-1st Grade or 2nd-3rd Grade programs can be modified to suit your lesson needs.

If your group is between the ages of 8 and 12 any of our 4th-5th grade programs listed above are appropriate for multiple ages and learning styles.

Most programs for groups above the age of 12 are designed with the assistance of the classroom teacher or group leader. Please call 315-336-4448 or e-mail the Education Coordinator for all options.

Self-Guided Options
Please note: If your group decides to take advantage of any of these options, students must have an adult chaperone for their own safety!**
While exploring the park grounds on their own your group is invited to participate in the Fort Stanwix Junior Ranger Program. This can be printed from the Fort Stanwix website.
You are also invited to participate in our online Junior Ranger Program as a pre/post visit self-guide activity. For more information on this program, .

For more information on all options available for self-guided explorations, please refer to the Self-Guided listing on this page for complete information on all other options available to your group.

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Self-Guided Options and Pre/Post Program Visits
Please note: If your group decides to take advantage of any of these options, students must have an adult chaperone for their own safety!**

Marinus Willett Center
The Willett Center our Visitor Center at Fort Stanwix. It filled with exhibits for learners of all styles and ages. Along with the many text exhibits, the center also houses audio/visual presentations on the American Revolution, and many artifacts that help to tell the story of who served at the fort. You will also find our cooperating association's bookstore/gift shop in the Willett Center.
Time: We recommend at least 30 minutes to view all of the exhibits/presentations in the Willett Center. If you are short on minutes but would still like to visit the park, this is an excellent way to get a good overview.
Assistance: A staff member will give your group a brief orientation to the Willett Center before you go into the exhibit space, and will be available for any questions that may arise.
Accessibility Notes: The Willett Center is entirely accessible based on ADA compliance.

Inside the Fort
During your ranger-guided program, students will not have a room-to-room tour of the fort. Because of this, curiosity arises as to what is in the places they haven't seen. We welcome this, and invite you to explore the fort on your own. A description of the rooms can be found on the park brochure, available in the Willett Center or by request when making the group reservation.
Time: We recommend at least 30 minutes to be able to discuss some of the exhibits that are being viewed.
Assistance: Depending on staffing on the day of your visit, Living History staff and volunteers may be available to allow you into gated rooms and to answer questions.
Accessibility Notes: The fort is an accurate reconstruction of the original. It is accessible in the Gregg Barracks, ramps are provided on request, restrooms are compliant as well. Click here for more information.

Park Trails/Waysides
There is more to learn about the fort from the surrounding trails! From the paths surrounding the fort, you can see the site from the British perspective. You can also learn from the wayside signs where the British trenches were located, what the stream on the east side of the fort was used for, and much more.
Time: We recommend at least 30 minutes to walk the path and view all of the wayside exhibits.
Assistance: This walk will be completely self-guided, however questions can be answered by any of the park staff.
Accessibility Notes: The paths surrounding the fort are completely accessible to wheelchairs. Wayside signs are also tilted for ease of reading in wheelchairs.

Offsite Park Visits
Generally offered in the late fall through early spring, these free of charge programs could be a great way to prepare your classroom for an upcoming visit, a follow-up to a field trip, or based around a topic you are studying in the class!
Please call 315-336-4448 or e-mail our Education Coordinator for more information.

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Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site Lesson Plans:

Why Should We Remember?
Length: 1-1/2 hours
On August 6, 1777 some very important and long-lasting decisions were made on the battlefield at Oriskany. Walk the battlefield and find out about the stories that help us answer the question, “Why should we remember?”
Pre-Visit: There is one pre-visit lesson for this program. It can be downloaded by clicking on the following link:
Onsite Activities: Your group will participate in two activities while at the battlefield. The first is a small group activity based on decision making. The second is a ranger-guided walk of the battlefield relating the small group activity to the actual stories of the events of August 6, 1777.

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