Sandy Hook Self Guided Field Trips

The following is a list of lesson plans and materials available for teachers leading their own class trip. For more information or to reserve equipment, please call 732-872-5970.

Shell Identification Kit. Grades 3-6. No fee. 

A box with examples of shell specimens that can be found on Sandy Hook’s beaches, that teachers may borrow for an onsite visit. Includes background information about the shells. 

Exploring Sandy Hook’s Beach and Salt Marsh. Grades 4-8. No Fee.

This self-guided program includes lessons about Barrier Island Dynamics (including waves) and The Salt Marsh. Each lesson includes on-site activities for classes and pre-visit and post-visit activities.

Fort Hancock: A Small Town Traveling Discovery Kit. Grades 4-6. No Fee.

This traveling kit contains reproduction artifacts of items used by soldiers and residents of Fort Hancock. The kit includes a narrative and activities using the artifacts, and is designed for classroom use. It can be used alone, or as a pre-visit activity by using the companion folder, “A Day at Fort Hancock”.

A Day at Fort Hancock Self-Guided Tour. Grades 4-6. No Fee.

This self-guided folder gives classes an opportunity to explore Fort Hancock on their own. The folder contains a map of the historic fort district and building descrip- tions, along with questions. This folder is a companion to the traveling activity kit, “Fort Hancock: A Small Town.

Hooked on Math. Grades 3-8. No fee.

Six self-guided Lesson Plans for grades 3-8 that integrate New Jersey Core Curriculum Social Studies and Marine Science Curriculums with Mathematics. Lessons use Sandy Hook cultural and natural resources; Mortar Battery, Sandy Hook Lighthouse, Nine-Gun Battery Field and North Beach. On-site equipment used with the lessons include metric and english trundle wheels and measuring tapes, hand-held GSP units, calipers, hand lenses and beach profiling poles. Lessons include pre-visit and post visit activities. Contact the Sandy Hook Visitor Center to reserve use of the equipment to conduct the activity the day of your on-site visit.

Discovery, An Overnight Experience. Elementary through High School. No fee for school visits during spring and fall.

Teacher workshops are conducted each year in March. These free programs give teachers guidance on how to best plan a self guided trip. Sandy Hook also has ranger guided and distance learning programs available.