Welcome To The New Education Resource!

This Week We Feature Educational Opportunities at our State’s Historic Forts

The Pacific Northwest has a rich history concerning the military forts that were constructed during the 1800s. Educators and students are also rich with the many resources that have been developed to interpret this unique aspect of Washington state history. Specifically designed curriculum, organized field trips, storytellers, and documentaries are available to help bring history to life.

On our recent road trip to Eastern Washington, HistoryLink.org staff had the opportunity to visit Fort Walla Walla Museum’s amazing campus, which features the main museum with four separate exhibit halls -- and a 17-building historic village. Fort Walla Walla offers a full range of well-developed educational resources including an admission-free docent-led Field Trip that takes students to each building in small groups. Even during summer months, we observed a group of wide-eyed youngsters listening intently to a historically costumed docent. Over the past decade more than 50,000 students have participated in the school tour program.

Fort Walla Walla Education Program also hosts a popular Summer Kid’s Camp program for ages 9-11, performances by the Living History Company Performers, and a new reading project called Tales o' the Trail in which volunteers read aloud from books of regional historical interest to children ages 5-9.

Fort Nisqually Living History Museum, in Tacoma, Washington,offers summer camp programs to children from 1st to 8th grade and guided Field Trips of the historic fort for preschool through high-school-aged students. Starting in the trade store, interpreters teach students about the history of Fort Nisqually as part of a global fur trade business.  Next, students visit the other historic buildings where the focus is on daily life of Fort Nisqually's nineteenth century employees and their families.

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, located in Vancouver, Washington offers several unique programs for young people.  The popular Junior Ranger program is offered both onsite and online. In the Kids Dig program, children learn how archaeologists excavate, and also what role the science of archaeology has in understanding the past -- what it can tell us about history, how archaeologists interpret what they find, and why it is important to preserve pieces of the past. Fort Vancouver also offers a comprehensive Field Trip experience. The tour includes visits to the Fur Store, Indian Trade Shop, and Chief Factor’s House. 

After the tour, groups are welcome to visit any of the site’s other buildings, including the Bake House, Blacksmith Shop, Carpenter Shop, Jail, Bastion, Hospital/Barclay Quarters, and Counting House and areas of interest surrounding fort including the garden, the Land Bridge, and Interpretive trails through the village on a self-guided basis. Last year, the park served more than 20,000 students from Oregon and Washington schools. Their visits provided firsthand awareness of life at the first permanent colonial settlement in the Pacific Northwest. Finally, both Fort Vancouver and Fort Nisqually have internship opportunities for older students.

As someone who loves experiencing new adventures and approaches to history, I have always heard that this program is not one to be missed: Campfires and Candlelight at Fort Vancouver. Visitors at this annual event have the opportunity to experience the night life of the U.S. Army soldiers, Oregon Trail immigrants, and residents of Fort Vancouver Village by the light of the candles and campfires. This year this living history experience will be held on September 18. For more information, contact Vancouver National Historic Visitor Center at 360.816.6230.

Take time to visit these historic forts either individually or with your classes. The more opportunities that we as educators use to explore and deepen our knowledge of Washington state history, the more chances we have to find those special ways to spark interest and respect for the past in our students.

For more information, read the HistoryLink.org essays that have been written on Northwest Forts and related subjects. The following are links to essays about the history of Fort Vancouver and are examples of what you can find on HistoryLink.org.

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5251

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=7298

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9068

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=1946

About the HistoryLink.org Education Resource

HistoryLink.org in partnership with Heritage 4Culture has developed an enhanced Education Resource featuring valuable curriculum materials and other important resources for educators and students.

Since its debut in 1998, HistoryLink.org has served as an essential education resource; educators and students make up over one-third of its traffic. These students and educators have told us they use HistoryLink.org because of its free, authoritative, and easily accessible content.

After 10 years, however, it was time to find out from these users how HistoryLink.org could further provide current and relevant Washington state education resources. Based on the input received from social studies teachers, librarians, students, museum educators, and others who regularly use HistoryLink.org for classroom and heritage projects, new resources have been identified, created, and posted. Curriculum and other heritage education projects developed through 4Culture Heritage Cultural Education Program are featured

HistoryLink.org is a constantly evolving website with new essays and timelines added weekly. The Education Resource is in its infancy and will be regularly updated with new content, curricula, and links representing organizations and individuals from across the state Washington.  We encourage continued feedback on this page and its resources. Please contact education@historylink.org. with input, suggestions, and related projects. By becoming a subscriber to HistoryLink.org, educators will receive even more up-to-date information about new materials and resources for the classroom as they are added to this page.

Education Initiative – HistoryLink.org’s two-year project to update educational resources and to increase outreach to educators

What Educators are Saying – Educators from across the state respond to HistoryLink.org