Plan a Field Trip

Students gather with a Park Ranger

NPS Photo

Springfield Armory National Historic site is a great place to learn about early American industry, techological innovation, women during World War II, and much more! The park strives to provide high quality standards-based educational offerings for teachers, parents, and students of all grade levels.

New curriculum is added regularly, but if you have an idea for a field trip that you do not see below, please reach out to park staff to help co-design a program that meets your needs.

How to Get Started:

1. Review the offerings below and think about what topic you may want to cover with your students.

2. If you do not see a program that meets your needs contact park staff to discuss co-designing a program.

3. Determine if you would prefer a virtual visit or an in-person ranger-led field trip.

4. For the best scheduling options contact us at least one month prior to your proposed field trip date.

5. When you reach out to the park be prepared to discuss available dates, mode of transportation, group size, length of program, and any accessibility accommodations your students may require.

Group Size and Chaperone Requirements: Most programs can be structured to accommodate a group up to 30 students. We required that teachers and chaperones be prepared to engage with students through the visit, and responsible for managing student behavior during your visit as needed. This will ensure a pleasant experience for all.

To plan your field trip or school visit with us, fill out the Education Request Form below.

 

Educational Program Offerings

• Mapmaker, Mapmaker, Make Me a Map! (Grades 5-8)  Unleash your students’ creative side with cartography. In this hands-on program, students will read a primary source account of the 1777 decision to locate the Nation’s first armory in Springfield, Massachusetts and take note of the physical and natural resources described within. Using craft materials, students will then take on the role of mapmakers as they work to create an early map of Springfield based on their interpretation of the reading.

• Shays' Rebellion: A Nation on Trial (Grades 6-9) Shays’ Rebellion was a pivotal moment in our nation’s early history. This three-touch model field trip will allow students to investigate the events that led to Shays’ Rebellion and the resulting need for a new governing document. Students will role play as historical figures and determine who was at fault for the conflict. A post-visit activity allows students to explore the deeper implications of assigning blame and the continuing role of protest in society today.

• Shifting the Manufacturing Process (Grades 3-6) Springfield Armory was a site of technological innovation that revolutionized how products were made. A shift in labor, specialization in product production, interchangeable parts, and mass production are topics that will be explored as students learn about production at the Armory. Students will work in a mock assembly line making a Lyle Gun to understand the changes between hand craft production to machine and mass production.

• Evolution of Springfield Armory Firearms (Grades 5-12)  See history come alive while learning about the technological advancements that occurred at Springfield Armory NHS. Using historic firearms, students will learn how technological advancements, pioneered at Springfield Armory, lead to increased manufacturing productivity that had a lasting impact on the Nation. This program can be done in person at the Armory or remotely via a digital platform.

Add on Offerings for Visits at Springfield Armory NHS

• Park Film Students will learn about the 174-year history of weapons manufacturing that took place at Springfield Armory by watching the park’s film.

• Blank Firing Demonstration (All Grade Levels) Rangers dazzle students with a blank firing demonstration of Springfield Armory’s historic black powder firearms. This demonstration highlights the primary firearm used by the Union during the Civil War. This demonstration is available on site, April though October and dependent on staff availability.

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Education Request Form

To plan your field trip to Springfield Armory NHS please fill out this form and a ranger will contact you within a week.

NPS Form 10-1750 (Rev. 04/2021)
National Park Service

OMB Control No. 1024-0228
Expiration Date 11/31/2025

Learning Accommodations

Does anyone in your group need any accommodations?

Yes No

If yes, describe the accommodation need.

Next Step

School / Organization Contact Information

School / Organization Name (required)

Name of Requester/Contact Person (required)

Title / Position (required)

Contact Email Address (required)

Contact Phone Number (required)
123-456-7890 extension if any

Mailing Address (required)

City (required)

State (required)

Alabama Alaska American Samoa Arizona Arkansas Armed Forces - Americas Armed Forces - Europe Armed Forces - Pacific California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Northern Mariana Islands Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virgin Islands Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

ZIP (required)
Five digit ZIP code [99999]

Next Step

Group Details - Park Visit/ Field Trip

Name of Primary Contact Visiting if Different Than Above (optional)

Title / Position of Primary Contact if Different Than Above (optional)

Email Address of Primary Contact if Different Than Above (optional)

Phone Number of Primary Contact if Different Than Above (optional)
Format: 123-456-7890

Program Name or Subject Requested/Self-Guided

Grade Level(s) of Students (required)

Number of Staff / Chaperones (required)

Number of Students (required)

Preferred Date of Visit (required)
format mmddyyyy

My preferred date has been confirmed by the park (required)

Yes No

Preferred Program Start Time (required)

Alternative Date(s) (required)
Enter one or more dates .

Anticipated Arrival Time (required)

Anticipated Departure Time (required)

Mode of Transportation (required)

Disclaimer:

A park representative will follow-up to confirm group details once this request has been received and reviewed.

Next Step

Academic Fee Waiver

Visitors 16 years of age or older (including students, chaperones, and teachers) must pay an entrance fee at this site. Academic institutions (including schools) may apply for an academic fee waiver to cover the cost of these visitors. The number of teachers/chaperones that are covered with a waiver varies depending on the size of the group.

Would you like to request an academic fee waiver for your group?

Yes. I need to complete the fee waiver application. No I do not need a fee waiver.

For this section, all of the criteria fields and the acknowledgement checkbox are required for the waiver.

Certification

Academic fee waivers are not granted automatically. Applicant groups must show they qualify for the waiver. There are three criteria the group must meet to qualify for an academic fee waiver: eligibility, relevance of park resources or facilities to academic program, and academic purpose. Details of these qualifications are listed below. If your institution and purpose meet these criteria, submit this form.

Criterion One - Eligibility

Describe and/or attach current official recognition or accreditation as an educational institution by a federal, state, or local government or other documentation attesting to educational status, such as an accreditation letter, educational tax-exempt letter.

Attach Supporting Document for Eligibility (if needed). Acceptable document types: are Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word, and Google Doc

Criterion Two - Educational Purpose

Verify how this visit supports a specific curriculum for which academic credit is offered. For example, attach a course syllabus/description, course catalog, lesson plan, letter detailing the educational purpose, etc., and/or describe.

Attach Supporting Document for Educational Purpose (if needed). Acceptable document types: are Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word and Google Doc

Criterion Three - Relevance of Park Resources or Facilities

Identify the pertinent park resources and/or facilities and detail how they are relevant to support the educational purpose of the visit (attach letter or describe).

Attach Supporting Document for Relevance (if needed). Acceptable document types: are Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word and Google Doc

Authorized School / Organization Contact Name (required)

Title / Position

Acknowledgement (required)

The Recreation Fee Authority (16 USC 6802 Sections 3 a and b) allows for fee waivers only for bona fide educational and/or scientific institutions that are using the park for educational purposes. I hereby certify that the above detailed trip meets these requirements and therefore request that fees be waived.

Current official documentation of recognition of affiliation as an educational institution by a Federal, State or local government entity, or other evidence attesting to educational status is attached (e.g. accreditation letter, educational tax-exempt letter). It is insufficient to merely state or imply this on official letterhead.

By checking this box I acknowledge that I have read the Acknowledgement.

Date of Acknowledgement (required)
format mmddyyyy

Submit my Education Reservation Request

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NPS Form 10-1750 (Rev. 04/2021)
National Park Service

OMB Control No. 1024-0228
Expiration Date 11/31/2025

Notices

Privacy Act Statement

Authority: Public Law 114-289 National Park Service Centennial Act and 54 U.S.C. 100701 Protection, interpretation, and research in System.

Purpose: To administer education programs for education audiences including but not limited to school groups, scouting groups, extracurricular groups, and home school groups.

Routine Uses: To effectively manage requests for education received by the NPS, the Education Reservation Request Form is used to collect basic education reservation information to facilitate operational aspects of scheduling groups for park education programs, including in-park education programs, ranger in classroom programs, and/or online distance learning programs.

Disclosure: Voluntary, however, failure to provide the requested information may impede the ability to grant your education reservation request.

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement

We are collecting this information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501) to provide park managers and educators the information needed to schedule and conduct education program activities. All applicable parts of the form must be completed in order for your request to be considered. You are not required to respond to this or any other Federal agency-sponsored information collection unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. OMB has approved this collection of information and assigned control number 1024-0288.

Estimated Burden Statement

Public reporting for this collection of information is estimated to average 5 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525. Do not send your completed form to this address.