Parks as Classrooms: Field Trip Programs

A group of young students attend a Park Ranger program.
A Park Ranger presents a program to an attentive group of students.

NPS Photo

Best Field Trip Ever! Field Trip Planner!


We are pleased to offer this Field Trip Planner for visiting Gettysburg National Military Park. Since opening the Museum and Visitor Center in April of 2008, we are able to offer a wider array of student activities and itineraries, and we want this publication to help you make the best choices for your field trip and your students – based on the age, size and budget of your group, as well as the amount of time that you have to spend at Gettysburg. In short, we want to help you plan the best field trip ever! Follow the link above to access the Best Field Trip Ever! Field Trip Planner.

 

Ranger Field Trip Programs and Curriculum Materials



Are Ranger Field Programs Right For You?
We present two ranger-led field programs each morning and each afternoon during the Fall and Spring Field Trip Season, primarily on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

All Ranger Field Trip Programs are free of charge, and each includes pre-visit lessons for you to complete in the classroom.

Information on how to register for a Park Ranger-led Field Trip program can be found below.

Our Fall 2024 Field Trip Season is from September 30--November 8, 2024
Our Spring 2025 Field Trip Season is from March 31--May 23, 2025.


If you would like to be included on our mailing list to receive our Education Handbook for the 2024-2025 school year, kindly send an email to Gett_Education@nps.gov

 

How To Reserve

Thank you for making Gettysburg National Military Park a part of your year!

To Begin Your Reservation Request for any of our Field Trip programs, please either:

Complete this Form
or
Email our education team the following information:

Subject Line: Reservation Request Ranger Field Program
[ ] Name of School/Organization/Family
[ ] Street Address
[ ] City, State, Zip
[ ] School/Contact Phone #
[ ] Teacher/Leader Contact
[ ] Teacher/Leader Email
[ ] Grade(s)
[ ] Number of Students/Participants
[ ] Number of Classes, if applicable
[ ] Programs of Interest
[ ] Possible Dates/Times for Each
[ ] Additional Questions/Comments

 

Please Note: All programs and procedures are subject to change.

 

Student Education Field Trip Programs

Click on Program Title for Curriculum and Pre-Visit Materials

 
U.S. Civil War Soldiers stand in a line holding muskets

Join The Army: With Company K

Theme

The Civil War soldier’s life was full of hardships, sacrifices, and challenges.

Goal

To offer a ninety-minute long, hands-on "Life of a Civil War Soldier" program especially for school-age children in Grades 2-6 that will encourage further study of American history and the Civil War.

Grades:

2-6

Group Size & Duration:

35 Students Maximum/10 Students Minimum

Curriculum Connections:

Social Studies; History; Physical Education

 
A stone farmhouse with a granite monument in front
The Slyder Family Farm

NPS Photo

Slyder Family Farm:
Before, During, and After the Battle

Theme

The battle of Gettysburg affected not just the soldiers who fought it, but also the civilians in and around the town - destroying property, stability and livelihoods.

Goal

The goal of this program and its accompanying materials is to instill a sense of ownership for the Slyder farm in the minds of all the students who visit it, thereby establishing a sensibility and connection to the impact that wars have on entire generations of Americans - soldier and civilian. During this program, students will explore the John Slyder farm through a trail hike and farm tour, as well as their chores like blacksmithing and fence-building. Students will then role-play, and decide whether they would stay on their farm during the battle.

Grades:

3-8

Group Size & Duration:

35 Students Maximum/10 Students Minimum

Curriculum Connections:

Social Studies; History; Pennsylvania History

 
A U.S. Cannon Crew from the Civil War
U.S. Artillerymen of the Civil War

Library of Congress

Artillery & Teamwork: The 9th Massachusetts Battery

This program focuses on the actions of the 9th Massachusetts Battery and their engagement with Confederate soldiers from General William Barksdale's Mississippi Brigade on July 2, 1863. Train in teams on the loading and firing procedures of Civil War cannons before walking in the footsteps of the 9th Massachusetts Battery near the Peach Orchard. This program was once known as "Courage and the 9th Massachusetts Battery," which was part of our character-driven "Battlefield Footsteps" education programs at Gettysburg National Military Park.

Grades:

3-12

Group Size & Duration:

35 Students Maximum/10 Students Minimum

Curriculum Connections:

Social Studies; History
 
Sketch by Edwin Forbes depicting a field hospital after a Civil War battle.
Wounded soldiers sit outside a Civil War hospital.

Library of Congress

Field Hospital: Caring for the Wounded

Theme

The Battle of Gettysburg is well known for its stories of courage and bravery on the battlefield. Lesser known is the story of the medical personnel, Union and Confederate, who had by 1863 greatly improved their bases of knowledge and organization to save lives and improve living conditions for the sick and wounded of the war.

Goal

This student program seeks to personalize the battle by having each student focus on one individual, whether it be a sick or wounded soldier, a nurse, steward or surgeon. By role-playing these individuals, students will gain a greater understanding of the organization and dedication of army medical personnel, and will be able to place Civil War medicine in the context of medical progress. Another goal is to have the students begin to think about Civil War battles and all battles in the context of their aftermaths and consequences. During this program, students will set up a field hospital at a historic barnyard, coordinate triage and surgical treatment of casualties using roleplay, and discover the problems and progress of a Civil War medical corps.

Grades:

5-12

Group Size & Duration:

35 Students Maximum/10 Students Minimum

Curriculum Connections:

Social Studies; Health & Science

 
Soldiers Monument Gettysburg National Cemetery
The Soldiers' Monument, Topped By Liberty, Stands in the Gettysburg National Cemetery

NPS Photo

Fallen Soldiers: The Soldiers' National Cemetery and the Gettysburg Address

Theme

The Soldiers' National Cemetery and the Gettysburg Address are ever present reminders of the horror of war and of man's capacity to endure, overcome, and grow from tragic events.

Goal

To convey the significance and relevance of the Gettysburg Address and Soldiers' National Cemetery to the students. During this program, students explore and examine the letters of soldiers buried in the Gettysburg National Cemetery, along with their battle, burial, and identification stories, and the words of Lincoln's historic address, which helped to dedicate this ground.

Grades:

7-12

Group Size & Duration:

40 Students Maximum/10 Students Minimum

Curriculum Connections:

Social Studies; History; Language Arts

 
Painting Depicting Combat at the Battle of Gettysburg
Hancock at Gettysburg by Thure de Thulstrup

Library of Congress

Pickett's Charge: A Critical Look

Theme

Battle, as shown by "Pickett's Charge", was a sad, costly, and frightening experience during which soldiers exhibited many examples of courage, devotion, fighting ability and fear.

Goal

Explore cause and consequence of Civil War combat by walking the fields of Pickett's Charge, its repulse on Cemetery Ridge, and then by discovering and discussing how the charge is remembered today. The Pickett's Charge student education program seeks to personalize the battle by having each student focus on the life and sacrifice of one soldier.

Grades:

4-12

Group Size & Duration:

45 Students Maximum/15 Students Minimum

Curriculum Connections:

Social Studies; History

 
The Rock and Tree Covered Slopes of Little and Big Round Top
The Rock and Tree Covered Slopes of Little and Big Round Top

Library of Congress

The Round Tops

Theme

Goal

Hike Big Round Top, in the path of the flanking movement of the 15th Alabama Infantry on July 2, 1863, then take up the position of the 20th Maine Infantry, defending Little Round Top at all costs.

Grades:

4-12

Group Size & Duration:

45 Students Maximum/15 Students Minimum

Curriculum Connections:

Social Studies; History
 
A group of visitors stand near the stone Warfield house on the Gettysburg Battlefield.
Visitors stand near the stone house of James Warfield.

NPS Photo

Borderland

Theme

Goal

Investigate historic buildings, family documents, and military reports contrasting the lives of Gettysburg's Black families and the Confederate battle lines (and later monuments) that were later established nearby.

Grade

6-12

Group Size & Duration:

30 Students Maximum/10 Students Minimum

Curriculum Connections:

Social Studies; History; Pennsylvania History

 

Last updated: September 18, 2024

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

1195 Baltimore Pike
Gettysburg, PA 17325

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