Education Programming

Friends of Fort McHenry partners with the National Park Service and Living Classrooms Foundation, as well as museums and historic sites throughout the region, to offer an array of innovative educational offerings both onsite and online.

Schedule a Field Trip to Fort McHenry Visit the Fort McHenry's For Teachers Web page on the official National Park Service website for Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine.

TEACHERS! Download the "200 for the 200th" 2013 Field Trip Application Here: 200For200_FieldTripApp_Final_HighRes5.07.13

Schedule a "Land/Sea" Fort McHenry Experience a "hands-on" land-sea experience operated jointly by the National Park Service and Living Classrooms Foundation which immerses students in the history of Fort McHenry and its national significance. Offered in the spring and fall, the program serves over 300 students annually. To make a reservation for your school group (4th Grade and above) or for more information about fees and scheduling, contact Elizabeth Koustmer at ekoustmer@livingclassrooms.org or 410-685-0295.

Explore the Star-Spangled Virtual Resource Center Access the full range of high-quality resources related to the War of 1812 available! The Friends of Fort McHenry, in partnership with Maryland Public Television (MPT) and the National Park Service, developed the Star-Spangled Virtual Resource Center. Housed on MPT's Thinkport, the Virtual Resource Center provides educators with "one-stop-shopping" for complete lesson plans, primary source documents and images, sound and video clips, and more. Teachers can develop new lessons using these resources and students can use to create virtual museums and other projects. Visit the Star-Spangled Virtual Resource Center!

Play Hold the Fort! A game of survival, strategy & nerve in the War of 1812 -Take command of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore! Lead and inspire 1000 men under your command! Hold the Fort puts players in charge of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore, responsible for the defense of the fort and the city. As commander, players lead the troops, manage resources to keep the fort from falling under the withering British bombardment.

The Star-Spangled Resource Center and Hold the Fort were made possible by grant support from:

Download National Curriculum for Grades 4 Through 8: Long May It Wave: The War of 1812 & Fort McHenry To support teachers in Maryland and across the United States as they commemorate the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 in their classrooms, the Friends of Fort McHenry developed a national curriculum on the War of 1812 and Fort McHenry for grades 4 through 8 in partnership with the National Park Service. Download lesson plans that correlate to the Maryland State Curriculum for Social Studies and the Common Core State Standards Initiative and emphasize historical thinking skills. Each lesson plan includes primary source documents and images, student worksheets, and suggestions for accommodations and extensions.

Development of the curriculum has been made possible by generous funding from the National Park Service, Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network. Special thanks also to GWWO, Inc.Architects for its donation of services.

Elementary Lessons

Secondary Lessons

Lessons Adaptable to Grades 4-8

Interdisciplinary Lessons Adaptable to Grades 4-8

Supplementary Materials

Defense of Our Nation: Maryland's Role in the War of 1812
Courtesy of Baltimore's War of 1812 Bicentennial Education Committee

Young Defenders Day Young Defenders Day is the largest curriculum-based educational program at Fort McHenry. It enables students from Baltimore City Public Schools and other schools to experience Fort McHenry as it was at the time of the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. Students have the unique opportunity to interact with more than 100 living history interpreters and re-enactors in a re-creation of an historic encampment. Led by their teachers, who have been provided special training for the occasion, students unfurl a replica of the impressive 30'x 42' Star-Spangled Banner, serve on a cannon crew, "drill" as U.S. soldiers, tour the fort, experience 19th century civilian life, and learn about African Americans who defended the fort in 1814. More than 1,500 students participate annually each September. For more information, please contact Lisa Hansen or 410-962-4290 x850.