An NPS photo
Students participate in a dramatic presentation on Arsenal Square
Current
Ranger-Guided
Curriculum-based Programs
Nineteenth Century Lifeways K-2
Students will enter into a day in the life of the past. They will find out what it was like to milk a cow, play 19th century games, use a slate and pen, take a family picture and journal their experience. The program is set up into stations. As students rotate through the stations they learn different aspects of 19th century life. This is designed to be a fun, educational, and active experience.
Niagara Movement: The Early Civil Rights Movement K - 12
At the dawn of the twentieth century, America had yet to fulfill a promise of equality and freedom for all. Students discover the story of this early twentieth century civil rights organization and its call for change. Who were the members? What did they stand for? What was their dream? Why have they been forgotten? 2 hours
Trek the Trails K - 12
Students participate in ranger-led hikes to some of the less-traveled places of Harpers Ferry NHP. Hikes vary in difficulty and subject relevance. Explore the river environment, climb a mountain, walk a battlefield, or discover ruins. Emphasis is on fun, physical activity, and appreciation of the natural landscape! 1 - 2 hours
Journey through Freedom 2 - 4
Students follow footprints to find trunks from the past. What can artifacts tell us about people from the past? Stories are told of each individual’s journey to freedom. 1 hour
Harpers Ferry: A Place in History 3 -12
Students explore 250 years of the American history experience as told through the Harpers Ferry story. Teams compete to decipher truth or fiction in an interactive game format while visiting significant history sites. 1 hour (3-8), 1.5 hours (9-12)
Supplied for Survival:
Meriwether Lewis at Harpers Ferry 4 – 6
Students apply the model of the Corps of Discovery to role-play as "corps" teams, make supply decisions, and solve an actual situation. Did they pick the right supplies? Will they survive? Students find out why Harpers Ferry was so significant to the great adventure that opened the American West.
1 hour
To Arms! Soldier’s Story 4 – 9
What was life like for soldiers garrisoned at Harpers Ferry? What military action took place here? Why was Harpers Ferry so important? Students are “enlisted” into the infantry, issued a wooden gun and kepi, and taught drill. A soldiers' trivia competition determines what “company” will move ahead to capture the Confederate flag. 1 hour
Incident at Harpers Ferry: John Brown’s Raid 4 – 12
Students enter into this 19th century event through role play, primary readings, story, and a reader’s theatre. The controversial issues of enslavement, defining freedom, and political action are considered.
1 hour
Under Fire: A Civil War Story 4 – 12
Harpers Ferry, a border town between north and south, was under military occupation throughout the Civil War. Student teams “adopts” a real family from the past and must make the decision if they should remain or leave and why. As students move through time and place, they discover what actually happened to “their” families. 1.5 hours
Black Voices 9 – 12
Students explore the story of the African-American experience through situation and response. As they travel through place and story, students discover how individuals met the challenges from enslavement to civil war to civil rights. 1.5 hours
Virginius Island: A Story of River and Industry 9 - 12
Students explore Virginius Island, an industrial community of the 19th-century. What happened to the Island? Why is the town gone? Students use clues to learn about what happened to the island and why this significant waterpower site, once home to many 19th-century industries, is now gone. 1.5 hours
