NYS Standards Included: K.1, K.4b, K.7, K.8 and 1.2, 1.3, 1.6, 1.7c, 1.9c Available: September/October and late April through mid-June Program Length: 90 minutes Program Times: 10 am and 12:30pm Group Size: Up to 100 Additional Program Notes:
For 3 or more classes, please divide the whole group into three small groups. Each small group will rotate between each of the activities.
Explore a child’s life at Fort Stanwix with your students, and learn why children were at a military post far from home and what they did here! Throughout this 1.5 hour program, students will help pack for a 3-year adventure with the Continental Army, help a fort family with their daily chores, and play with some of the popular toys of the 1700s as they discover how much they have in common with the children of long ago.
National Park Service
2nd & 3rd Grades
The Fort Community
NYS Standards Included: 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.9 and 3.3, 3.6 Available: September/October and late April through mid-June Program Length: 90 minutes Program Times: 10 am and 12:30 pm Group Size: Up to 100 Additional Program Notes:
For 3 or more classes, please divide the whole group into three small groups. Each small group will rotate between each of the activities.
Far from the communities they were accustomed to, the Continental Army had to transform their permanent fortifications into communities of their own. During this program, your students will become the firefighters and police officers of the early American army with hands-on activities demonstrating how intense – and necessary – both of these jobs were. They will also have the opportunity to compare and contrast a visit to the doctor between the 1700s and today as they explore the idea of this unique military community.
Holiday Treasures 3rd Grade Only
NYS Standards Included: 3.4, 3.5b, 3.6 In-Class Supplement: Holiday Treasures Pre-visit Lesson Plans Available: Early November through Winter Break Times: 10 am Program Length: 90 minutes Group Size: Up to 100 Additional Program Notes:
Like the other onsite programs offered at the park, Holiday Treasures is outdoor-based for most of the visit, so please dress accordingly (in fact, it’s about 10 degrees colder in the fort than outside). In the event of a school or park closure, a limited number of rescheduling dates will be available prior to the December Winter Break.
Reservations for this program begin in early November and run through break week in December, so you are encouraged to book as early as possible to ensure you are able to visit.
Works best with travel groups of 10 students and 1 adult, but can work with whole class groups with 1-2 adults
National Park Service
4th & 5th Grade
Wilderness Fort
NYS Standards Included: 4.3d and 5.6b Available: September/October and late April through mid-June Program Times: 10 am and 12:30 pm Program Length: 90 minutes Group Size: Up to 150 Additional Program Notes:
For 3 or more classes, please divide the whole group into three small groups. Each small group will rotate between each of the activities.
Often hundreds of miles from their homes, soldiers in the Continental Army at Fort Stanwix were responsible for defending an area they considered to be the wilderness. This program gives students a “soldier’s eye view” of life at the fort as they practice (drill) with training muskets, make an in-depth investigation of the fort’s defensive structures, and discover how rules keep soldiers – and students – safe.
History Detectives: 1777
NYS Standards Included: 4.1, 4.3d and 5.6b Available: September/October and late April through mid-June Program Times: 10 am and 12:30 pm Program Length: 90 minutes Group Size: Works best with groups up to 60 Additional Program Notes:
Students should be divided into work groups of 4-5 prior to arrival
One adult for every student work group is recommended
What does the 1777 siege of Fort Stanwix have to do with the American victory at Saratoga? In this puzzle-solving exploration of the fort, your students will use teamwork and problem-solving skills to answer that very question. The experience begins with a whole group game, then the student detective groups will travel throughout the fort gathering clues before regrouping to link the clues and solve the mystery.
National Park Service/Ranger Dan U.
6th Grade
Archeology at Fort Stanwix
NYS Standards Included: 6.2d Available: September/October and late April through mid-June Program Time: 10 am Program Length: 2 hours Group Size: Works best with groups up to 60 Additional Program Notes:
Students should be divided into work groups of 4-5 prior to arrival
One adult for every student work group is recommended
How does archeology help us tell the story of the past? Just like those of ancient cultures, the objects left behind by people living in and around Fort Stanwix help us understand what life was like at the fort in the 1700s. Your students will investigate and catalog reproduction objects as they do archeological field work, explore original objects on display in the park museum, then head to the fort to discover how park rangers use the information provided by archeologists to keep the stories of the past alive today.
National Park Service
7th Grade
21 Days
NYS Standards Included: 7.3d Available: September/October and late April through mid-June Program Times: 10 am and 12:30 pm Program Length: 90 minutes Group Size: Up to 150 Additional Program Notes:
For 3 or more classes, please divide the whole group into three small groups. Each small group will rotate between each of the activities.
If you have not yet covered the 1777 British Campaign on New York (“3-Pronged Attack”), please let us know; this will help us know how to focus the program (introduction vs. review)
How did twenty one days in August of 1777 helped to change the course of American history? Throughout this interactive program, your students will examine the fort’s defensive structures from an enemy perspective, learn the importance of teamwork during the siege by participating in an artillery drill (practice), and discuss how the elements and outcome of the 1777 siege of Fort Stanwix played a part in the American victory at Saratoga.
National Park Service/Ranger D U.
High School
Survive the Siege: Fort Stanwix – Created by our 2022 Teacher-Ranger-Teacher
NYS Standards Included: 11.1, 11.2 C3 Framework Standards: D2.His.1.6-8, D2.His.1.9-12, D2.His.2.9-12, D2.His.4.6-8, D2.His.4.9-12, D2.His.16.9-12, D4.2.3-5 Available: September/October and late April through mid-June Program Time: 10 am Program Length: 90 minutes Group Size: Works best with groups up to 60, but can go up to 100 Additional Program Notes:
Students should be divided into work groups of 4-5 prior to arrival
Student/adult ratio of 1:20 is recommended
A pre-visit activity
A program orientation slideshow
Do your students have what it takes to survive the 1777 siege of Fort Stanwix? As they head off in teams, they will complete several game-based activities to discover how the American defenders of the fort secured a victory against the British, and why their survival was crucial to the outcome of the Saratoga Campaign.
National Park Service/Ranger Dan U.
Supported Learning (Special Education) Classes
Please choose from one of the above programs based on your needs. In order for us to give your students the best experience possible, please note on the reservation form any specific accessibility/learning needs your students have so we can adjust the program accordingly prior to your arrival. (For example, if your students have mobility concerns we can shift activities to accessible spaces in the fort, or if some students have an aversion to loud noises we can create an atmosphere within the program where there are no sudden loud noises.)
Multi-age Level Classes
These Include small schools where grades are combined either in classes or specifically for the field trip. Please choose from one of the above programs based on your needs. If you need us to modify the presentation slightly based on what material has been covered in the classroom (i.e. introduction vs. review), please note that in the accommodations section of the reservation form.
National Park Service
Homeschool Groups
Don’t forget! Homeschool Day is always the 3rd Wednesday in September. Please register for the event via this form: Homeschool Day 2024 Registration
If you are unable to make it for Homeschool Day, please choose from the following options based on the following student group sizes:
For groups of 15 or fewer age/grade appropriate students, these are the best programs:
My New Home (This program is excellent for a wide age range)
History Detectives: 1777 (Participants strongly encouraged to have prior knowledge of Battles of Saratoga.)
Archeology at Fort Stanwix
For groups of 16 or more age/grade appropriate students, any of our programs will work.
National Park Service
Scout Groups
For groups of 15 or fewer age/grade appropriate students, these are the best programs:
My New Home (This program is excellent for a wide age range)
History Detectives: 1777 (Participants strongly encouraged to have prior knowledge of Battles of Saratoga.)
Archeology at Fort Stanwix
For groups of 16 or more age/grade appropriate students, any of our programs will work.
National Park Service
Self-Guided Experiences
Would you like to come on your own? Would you like to extend your visit before or after the program? Were all the program slots booked for your available dates? Come on a self-guided visit, and you can still have a wonderful educational experience at the park! Here are some options:
Fort Stanwix Junior Ranger Program: This activity book highlights important information in the visitor center, the fort, and along the paths. Once completed, students will earn a badge and certificate to celebrate their accomplishments! To print, please click here.
Create a learning packet of your own: Based on your class lessons and the information found on the Fort Stanwix NM website, create an educational packet specifically to introduce or review the history of the site with your students.
Self-guide with orientation: Start your visit with a ranger or volunteer historical overview of the site, then explore the park at your own pace.
National Park Service
Summer Recreation Groups
Because of our very robust summer program schedule, we do not reserve specific education programs during Summer Break, but we would still love to have you and your day campers spend some time with us. We ask that you still let us know you’re coming so we can expect you, and we’ll let you know what park programs are available during your visit.
National Park Service/Ranger Dan U.
Rangers in the Classroom
&Virtual Field Trips
Program Lengths: Offsite: up to 90 minutes Virtual: up to 60 minutes
Group Size: No limit Age/Grade Range: No limit Offsite Travel Radius: 30 miles
Bring the history of Fort Stanwix to you! Whether you are a mile down the road or on the other side of the country, you can have an education program in the comfort of your own space. If you are interested in an offsite or virtual experience, please contact the education coordinator to schedule your program. If you are interested in a topic not listed here, there is a potential of creating a program based on your group’s interests, so please contact us to discuss what options are available.
Current offsite/virtual offerings include:
A Soldier’s Life
Women and Children in the American Revolution
Music of the Continental Army/18th Century Holiday Music
The History of Fort Stanwix
From Memory to Monument: The Story of the Creation of Fort Stanwix National Monument
Virtual options requiring no reservations can be found below
Join park volunteer Louisa for a special virtual field trip through the park! Meet soldiers and ladies and learn a bit more about the fort community contributed to the victory of the American Revolution.
