The Horse Trail will be temporarily closed as normal in the spring due to muddy and soft trail conditions. Please help us preserve the park's natural and cultural resources by not riding in the park until further notice.
Students will be able to analyze how the Northern Campaign of 1777 failed for the British and explain how the Battles of Saratoga impacted the course of the American Revolutionary War through French involvement. They will also be able to summarize the meaning of the idiom "turning point" and apply it to the Battles of Saratoga.
Students will be able to assess the items contained within the Neilson House and evaluate whether Benedict Arnold and Enoch Poor had what they needed to make effective command decisions during the Battles of Saratoga.
Students will be able to compare the domestic life of an upper-class 18th century family with what they know of their own modern life in the 21st century.
Through the scavenger hunt of the Schuyler House, students will examine:
how an 18th century family experienced life in their day including technologies, adaptations, and solutions for heating, lighting, and obtaining water
Phillip Schuyler's role in the local and regional economy
how the Schuyler's welcomed guests in their home with period entertainment and dining
how the life of the upper-class Schuyler family compared with that of their enslaved servants.
A virtual, asynchronous, Distance-Learning based lesson (flexible enough for in-person learning!)
Grades 4 - 7
NYS Social Studies Framework and Common Core requirements met: see Lesson Plan.
Estimated Prep Time
2 hours
Estimated Lesson Run Time
45-60 minutes
Lesson document downloads:
Teacher Lesson Plan with full instructions on using the lesson, including options for in-person learning.
Student Activity Packet with activities and instructions for all parts of the lesson, and suggestions for additional, expanded learning opportunities.
Lesson videos:
5 total, see below -- all include Audio Descriptions (AD) and have available closed captioning (CC).
NOTE--closed captioning may be having technical difficulties. Closed Captioned videos will also be viewable on Park's YouTube channel.
To whom are YOU loyal?
When learning about the American War for Independence (American Revolution), it's easy to look back and think "Well of COURSE we'd become our own country!" But if we put on the glasses, so to speak, of those who lived here at that time and had to face that question of loyalty, we find the answers may not be so clear to see!
The 1st of 5 videos for our Saratoga Battlefield-based lesson, "Loyal to Whom?"
Loyalty in the American War for Independence is a complex topic. This lesson explores the subject with the Battles of Saratoga, or the area where they were fought, as a case study.
Designed as an asynchronous Distance Learning lesson, it can also be used for in-person classes--see Lesson Plan Downloadable Document for more.
The 2nd of 5 videos for our Saratoga Battlefield-based lesson, "Loyal to Whom?"
Loyalty in the American War for Independence is a complex topic. This lesson explores the subject with the Battles of Saratoga, or the area where they were fought, as a case study.
Designed as an asynchronous Distance Learning lesson, it can also be used for in-person classes--see Lesson Plan Downloadable Document for more.
The 3rd of 5 videos for our Saratoga Battlefield-based lesson, "Loyal to Whom?"
Loyalty in the American War for Independence is a complex topic. This lesson explores the subject with the Battles of Saratoga, or the area where they were fought, as a case study.
Designed as an asynchronous Distance Learning lesson, it can also be used for in-person classes--see Lesson Plan Downloadable Document for more.
The 4th of 5 videos for our Saratoga Battlefield-based lesson, "Loyal to Whom?"
Loyalty in the American War for Independence is a complex topic. This lesson explores the subject with the Battles of Saratoga, or the area where they were fought, as a case study.
Designed as an asynchronous Distance Learning lesson, it can also be used for in-person classes--see Lesson Plan Downloadable Document for more.
The 5th of 5 videos for our Saratoga Battlefield-based lesson, "Loyal to Whom?"
Loyalty in the American War for Independence is a complex topic. This lesson explores the subject with the Battles of Saratoga, or the area where they were fought, as a case study.
Designed as an asynchronous Distance Learning lesson, it can also be used for in-person classes--see Lesson Plan Downloadable Document for more.
Duration:
6 minutes, 17 seconds
VIRTUAL TOUR and SCAVENGER HUNT
Want to tour the Battlefield, but can't actually be here? No problem! We have a virtual tour of the battlefield, AND a "Scavenger Hunt" for your students as they follow the tour.
Are your students doing a research paper on the Battle of Saratoga or the American Revolution and you're looking for great material? We can help! Our Student Research Packet is full of pictures, maps, illustrations, and information about soldiers during the Battle of Saratoga, weapons of the American Revolution, uniforms, food, important people at the Battle of Saratoga, and more. And it's FREE!
We're not doing research for the students, but we are providing some excellent information...probably more than they'll need for their project.
Don't let "elementary" fool you! There's lots of great info in the Packet for middle-school level projects too.
We are currently redesigning our Student Research Packet for web compatibility, we apologize for the inconvenience. If you would like a copy of the current packet made available to you, please e-mail our Education Specialist.
The Traveling Haversack Kit contains a Teacher's Guide and six different "Discovery Bag" activities. Each small group bag contains a reproduced artifact as a manipulative to introduce a particular theme for participants in the Revolutionary War: food, drink, cleanliness, entertainment, women's roles, and money.
This activity is designed to be reviewed by the teacher, photocopied, and distributed to students. It is intended to be a simple exercise in analyzing and understanding how geography influenced American and British decision making in the Battles of Saratoga. The activity was originally planned for class use while visiting the battlefield, but it could also be used pre-visit in conjunction with Saratoga National Historical Park's virtual tour, or as a stand-alone activity.
The Battles of Saratoga not only had significant effects on national and world history, but also deeply affected those directly and indirectly involved. “Dear Diary” uses primary source documents—journals—to examine this crucial event through the eyes of participants.
This Math/Social Studies worksheet can be used to help students learn about the three basic organizational levels of an army during the American Revolution. Students will calculate the number of soldiers one may have seen in a Revolutionary War army, and develop an appreciation for the vast numbers of soldiers needed to help secure American independence.
Ready-to-use materials for teachers can greatly contribute to a meaningful educational experience for students and teachers alike. This activity accompanies a self-guided battlefield tour during the course of a visit to Saratoga National Historical Park.
This activity gives a summary account of the Battles of Saratoga. Using a short reading passage, students will answer several questions. Some of the questions require only knowledge-level responses, while others require a degree of analysis to answer the questions.
Nature hikes are a great way to explore outdoor areas, and Saratoga National Historical Park’s main hiking trail, the 4+ mile Wilkinson Trail, has much to offer. Named for British mapmaker Lieutenant William Wilkinson, the trail has a shorter, 2 mile option useful with students. This activity sheet accompanies the 2-mile hike, encouraging students to look around them and engage with the natural world around them.
Many schools will never be able to visit Saratoga National Historical Park, but teachers can still conduct a virtual tour of the battlefield on the park’s website, either during a computer lab, through a classroom computer connected to a projector, or on a Smart Board. This worksheet accompanies the virtual tour.
This activity is intended to be a simple exercise in analyzing and understanding how geography influenced decision making by both American and British armies in the Battles of Saratoga. It was originally planned for class use while visiting the battlefield, but it could also be used pre-visit in conjunction with the Saratoga National Historical Park virtual tour, or as a stand-alone activity.
(518) 670-2985
Saratoga National Historical Park information desk available daily from 9am - 5pm. If no one is available to take your call, please leave a message, and someone will return your call as soon as possible.
