For Educators
Friends of Fort McHenry, partnered with the National Park Service, Living Classrooms Foundation, and local museums and historic sites, offers an array of innovative educational offerings both onsite and online. Browse below to find educational resources to incorproate the magesty of the Star-spangled Banner in your classroom.
Virtual Young Defenders' Day!
Young Defenders' Field Day is the largest annual 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. As well as introduces students to the National Park System. The day provides hands-on learning stations provided by the National Park Service, Living Classrooms Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, city park partners and many more. As the soldiers at Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 defended Baltimore, students gain the knowledge and skills to become Defenders of our parks!
With our 2020 event onsite event cancelled due to Covid-19, Friends of Fort McHenry, National Park Service as well as our partners have made the event virtual!
War of 1812 Interactive Battlefield Maps - Cutting-edge animated maps to illustrate Maryland’s unique contributions to the defense and heritage of the nation during four significant battles of the War of 1812 in the Chesapeake: the Battle of St. Leonard Creek, the Battle of Bladensburg, the Battle of North Point and the Battle of Baltimore.
LINK 1812battles.com
KeyCam - Bringing Fort McHenry to the world, the KeyCam site is anchored by four advanced web cams with their sights fixed on Fort McHenry in Baltimore. KeyCam is designed to give viewers the same sight-line to Fort McHenry that Francis Scott Key had 200 years ago during the Battle of Baltimore, a view that inspired him to write the words, “O say can you see,” that would become our national anthem.[JM1]
Link to NPS EarthCam [JM1]
Access the full range of high-quality resources related to the War of 1812 available! Developed by the Friends of Fort McHenry, in partnership with Maryland Public Television (MPT) and the National Park Service, the SSVR is housed on MPT's Thinkport. The site contains "one-stop-shopping" complete with 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! --> http://warof1812.thinkport.org/#home.html
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:
INSERT ARROWHEAD/ MARYLAND HERITAGE AREA/ CHESAPEAKE BAY GATEWAY NETWORK
Young Defenders' Day has been made possible thanks to:
INSERT ARROWHEAD/ BHHA/ LCF
Online Resources
Prepare your students so they have an overall understanding of the history of Fort McHenry and the Battle of Baltimore using the lesson plans listed below and our Star-Spangled Banner War of 1812 Classroom Resources.
Access the full range of high-quality resources related to the War of 1812 available! Developed by the Friends of Fort McHenry, in partnership with Maryland Public Television (MPT) and the National Park Service, the SSVR is housed on MPT's Thinkport. The site contains "one-stop-shopping" complete with 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! --> http://warof1812.thinkport.org/#home.html
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:
INSERT ARROWHEAD/ MARYLAND HERITAGE AREA/ CHESAPEAKE BAY GATEWAY NETWORK
War of 1812 Interactive Battlefield Maps - Cutting-edge animated maps to illustrate Maryland’s unique contributions to the defense and heritage of the nation during four significant battles of the War of 1812 in the Chesapeake: the Battle of St. Leonard Creek, the Battle of Bladensburg, the Battle of North Point and the Battle of Baltimore.
LINK 1812battles.com
KeyCam - Bringing Fort McHenry to the world, the KeyCam site is anchored by four advanced web cams with their sights fixed on Fort McHenry in Baltimore. KeyCam is designed to give viewers the same sight-line to Fort McHenry that Francis Scott Key had 200 years ago during the Battle of Baltimore, a view that inspired him to write the words, “O say can you see,” that would become our national anthem.[JM1]
Link to NPS EarthCam [JM1]
DOWNLOAD NATIONAL CURRICULM FOR GRADES 4 TO 8 :
Long May It Wave: The War of 1812 & Fort McHenry To support teachers in Maryland and across the United States as we commemorate the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 in 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
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Defense of Our Nation: Maryland's Role in the War of 1812
Courtesy of Baltimore's War of 1812 Bicentennial Education Committee
Onsite Programming
Young Defenders: National Park Week Field Day at Fort McHenry
What is Young Defenders: National Park Week Field Day?
Young Defenders Day is the largest annual 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. [LH1]
Young Defenders’ Day enables students to experience Fort McHenry as it was at the time of the War of 1812 and introduces them to the National Park System. The day provides hands-on learning stations provided by the National Park Service, Living Classrooms Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, city park partners and many more. As the soldiers at Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 defended Baltimore, students gain the knowledge and skills to become Defenders of our parks!
Event Transportation Funding
Transportation funding may be provided for Fourth Grade classes thanks to a grant from National Park Foundation, Every Kid in a Park (EKIP) .
When: Held every Spring 2021 date to be announced in Fall 2020.
If you are interested in learning more or to receive the application forms for Spring 2021, please email Events or call 410-962-4290 x850.
[LH1]Always “F” for Fort
FIELD TRIPS TO FORT MCHENRY
Prepare your students for their field trip to the fort so they have an overall understanding of the history of Fort McHenry and the Battle of Baltimore using the lesson plans listed below and our Star-Spangled Banner War Of 1812_ ClassroomResources.
Schedule a Field Trip - Visit the Fort McHenry's For Teachers Web page on the official National Park Service website for Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine.[LH1]
Schedule a "Land/Sea - Fort McHenry Experience" Field Trip - Immerse your students in a unique "hands-on" land-sea experience operated jointly by the National Park Service and Living Classrooms Foundation. This special field trip offers a history of Fort McHenry and its national significance as well as the opportunity to learn about the life of sailors, maritime history and Baltimore's port. To make a reservation for your school group (4th Grade and above) and information about fees, contact Kelly Drake or 410-685-0295.[JM2]
EVERY KID IN A PARK - Thanks to the National Park Service and other federal programs, all Fourth Graders and their families have the opportunity for an entire year to visit National Parks for FREE. Read more here...EVERY KID IN A PARK
[LH1]Check their page to be sure still valid. Consider also adding a seciotn and link to StarSpangledBanner.NET!
Nick wrote this AM that Kelly isn't with living Classrooms any more. I'll change this to the generic Shipboard email. [JM2]See if they have a generic email that all shipboard folks use? Maybe say -- Contact the Shipboard Department at Living Classrooms by calling ##.