School Programs available at the Armory and on-line
Contacts:
Joanne Gangi-Wellman, 413 734-8551 ext. 236

** All programs require one chaperone per 10 students.

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The Civil War – Soldiers, Civilians and Armory Workers – [Middle School program - "CLICK" here or on title to see complete informational sheet]

This student workshop (designed as a half-day event at the Armory preceded by a preparatory session at the host school site) provides hands-on experiences in several major areas: life as a worker at the Armory, life as a soldier in the Civil War, and life as a civilian supporting their loved ones from home.

Civilians (at the school site)                                                   Introduction to the Armory and the Civil War themes and then participate in an activity on the role of civilians during the Civil War.(the film, Springfield Armory and Springfield and the Civil War will be sent to the school before the school visit).

Learn about the ways that families and friends supported their loved ones during the Civil War. Help to make bookmarks, or make a clothes pin doll to sell at the Soldiers Fair.  Set the stage for the War and Civilian assistance with music, large photos of people at the 1864 Soldiers Fair. Books are available for teachers to borrow. Make important connections between what the civilians did to help support loved ones and the role of the Armory.

Armory Workers (at the Armory)

Lock plate manufacture is the purpose of this “shop”. Make an 1863 rifle musket lock plate. Take the required Loyalty Oath to make sure you are loyal to the union. Put on your aprons and then go to work for the Armory. Maybe you’ll be selected to be an inspector. Work as a team, figure out the math and perhaps shortcuts to earn your pay (gold chocolate coins.) Watch a film clip showing armory manufacture, up close and personal.

Soldiers (at the Armory)

Experience “being” a Civil War infantry soldier, find out about Civil War soldiers and learn how military life was similar or different for soldiers of color and for white soldiers. Handle the contents of a haversack. Find out the value of an item called a “house-wife.” Try some hard tack, try on a cap or jacket and learn the importance of a Goodyear rubber poncho.

You'll learn, also, how soldiers mapped the land over which they travelled and fought through surveying and map-making.

Civil War Military Mapping   (at the Armory)                        Become a military topographical or surveying engineer. You will have the responsibility of preparing directions for the troops to follow. First, get an understanding of the importance of military mapping for creating the maps of our country and for defensive or battle situations. Then become familiar with the equipment of compasses and the use of a chain for mapping. All important, will be ones ability to judge the quality of land for use of equipment such as cannons, horses and infantry. Learn the importance of estimating distances, team work and symbol to object recognition.

The workshop aligns with current Massachusetts standards in U.S. History I. The student workshop activities align with middle school standards in mathematics, science and technology and language arts.

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Catalyst for Change - [Middle School Program]

This program is led by teachers and rangers and consists of two 45 minute classroom lessons and one 2 ½ hr. hands-on museum program. Teachers select from three pre-visit programs: 1.) Manufacturing and the Community, 2.) In Their Own Words, and 3.) A Class Debate. Classroom experiences focus on the effects of Armory technology through readings about the consequences of an advertising business upon themselves, the local economy, and the environment.

The museum visit includes a discussion of firearms safety, a “Museum Search” and film. Small group discussion questions demand critical thinking to discern how Springfield Armory was a catalyst for change for civilians and soldiers and grapples with the positive and negative consequences of Armory firearms production for the U.S. military. Students present results of the museum search to the larger group and Armory staff and VIP’s compare the technological changes from one firearm to the next, starting with the Flintlock Musket used during the American Revolution and War of 1812 through the M-14 Rifle of the early days of the Vietnam War. Brought to light are the many inventions and industrial processes that were developed at the Armory that moved the country forward with interchangeability and mass production methods. All activities are interdisciplinary and link with curriculum frameworks for History, Social Studies, Science and Technology.

Armory for the Nation – [Upper Elementary Program]

Led by teachers and rangers, this program consists of a 45 minute pre-museum lesson for the classroom, a 90 minute ranger led Introductory program, “Right in Our Backyard” at the school, followed by a 2 ½ hr. Museum program and Post activity of the teacher’s choice.

Teachers can select from four pre-visit programs: 1. Let Them Eat Cake, 2. Wood ‘N You, 3. Producing Pens, and 4. Genius in Me. Students link their experiences with technology with firearm technology and the resulting consequences. The focus is on the effects upon soldiers and civilians.

During the site-visit, students discover inventors and inventions during “Technology, Inventions and Consequences”, museum search. Using objects, photographs and small group presentations students learn about each of the main shoulder arms designed and manufactured at the Armory and about the contributions made by the Women Ordnance Workers and other “Soldiers of Production” who sacrificed with long hours and a six day work week during wartime. Following the museum search students present their discoveries and staff point out how their information led to both advantages and disadvantages for soldiers, civilians and armory workers. Post-Museum classroom activities include the use of poetry, theatre, researching school conflicts, music and debating skills. This interdisciplinary program is linked with Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for English Language Arts, History and Social Science.

Evolution of Springfield Armory Firearms Program - [Scouts and community groups]

This program can be tailored to the time frame of the visiting groups and generally runs approximately 1 ½ hours. It includes an orientation film, a tour through the museum exhibits, and a space for lunch may be provided if available. Learn about the Springfield Armory’s role in American history and how the Industrial Revolution played a role in firearms development. Discover how the firearms changed over time and how these changes affected the soldiers in battle. See one of the world’s largest collections of firearms.

Educational history WEBsites

1812-1865: Using Web-Based Curricula Featuring the Springfield Armory’s role in America’s Industrialization 1812- 1865, [www.forgeofinnovation.org], Springfield Armory NHS and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst are pleased to offer this educational resource for all teachers. The lessons and web plan have been created by teachers and other education professionals specifically geared for grades 5th- 9th. However, teachers may use the primary and secondary historical materials at any level.

Using payroll documents, letters, maps, drawings, and historical records, teachers and students may learn about the industrialists, technicians, and artisans who created technologies and “armory practice” that laid the foundation of what became known as the American System of Interchangeable Manufacture.

The website focuses on the profound transitions that occurred as the factory system replaced the crafts tradition between the early 1800s and 1860s. Interactive, online curriculum activities delve into: 1) the crafts tradition in early American society; 2) the arrival of technologically–driven change in factories; and 3) the enormous consequences of this transition for society. The Armory’s extraordinary story is one of industrial growth, highlighting vital contributions to the development of standardization and interchangeability of parts seen today all about us [think automobiles & computers!]. This curriculum fills a large gap in K-12 curricula to tell the industrial story of the United States. Existing curricula focuses principally on the factory story through the immigrant experience in textile mills. Precision metalwork industry followed a different evolution due to: greater skill requirements, higher wages, differences in materials and working conditions, and more. Web activities are linked to Masschustts History, Social Studies, Math, Science and Technology curriculum standards.

1892-1945: Similarly, lesson plans, history, and images for secondary school learners have been combined by Springfield Armory National Historic Site and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, through a Parks as Classrooms grant, to create a WEBsite [www.cesd.umass.edu/Springfield_Armory_1892-1945/index.html] about the history of manufacturing and the workers at Springfield Armory from 1892 to 1945. Here one may explore the changes brought about by not just modern technology, but the introduction and incorporation of women and racial minority workers into Springfield Armory's workforce through two world wars in the first half of the 20th Century.