Fort Ticonderoga Staff Presents at Statewide Conference

May 8, 2013 - PRLog -- Fort Ticonderoga recently received a GO Grant enabling Director of Education Rich Strum to present at the New York State Council for the Social Studies 75th Annual Conference held in Rye Brook, New York.
Strum’s presentation on “The Common Core, Literacy, and Historical Thinking in the Social Studies” utilized documents in the Fort Ticonderoga collection related to the American Revolution. In one activity, teachers examined documents from three perspectives of the May 10, 1775, capture of Fort Ticonderoga. They analyzed the three documents, noting similarities and differences, and discussed the possible reasons for the various interpretations of the event. Attendees in the session included teachers from across New York State at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
“It’s important for Fort Ticonderoga to be an active participant at teacher conferences to continue our role as a leader in the field of education, “ noted Beth Hill, President and CEO of Fort Ticonderoga. “Fort Ticonderoga has a wealth of resources that enable teachers to engage their students with not only history, but other key disciplines, including English language arts, math, geography, science, and economics.”
The grant from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and administered by Museumwise, enabled Fort Ticonderoga to continue engaging teachers from around the state, while at the same time receiving valuable feedback from teachers to help improve its programs for both educators and students.
Fort Ticonderoga’s programs for educators expand this year to include the new Fort Ticonderoga Teacher Institute. Sixteen teachers from across the country, selected through a competitive process, will spend a week at Fort Ticonderoga this July focused on the career of Benedict Arnold. Teachers will work with noted Arnold scholar James Kirby Martin, master teacher Tim Potts, and the Fort’s Rich Strum as they explore the intriguing career of this controversial figure. Teachers will work with artifacts and documents from the collection, gain new insight into 18th-century military life through immersion activities with the Fort’s Interpretation team, and create new curriculum for use with their students and to share with their peers.
Other programs for teachers include the Fifth Annual Colonial America Conference for Educators on May 17th (pre-registration required) and a series of scholarships designated for educators to attend the Fort’s various seminars and conferences. You can learn more about Fort Ticonderoga’s programs for educators at www.fort-ticonderoga.org under the “Explore and Learn” tab.
The GO grants are one of a series of grants offered to help museums and historical societies strengthen and develop their institutions and work with their communities. These grants, administered by Museumwise, are designed to make it easy for organizations to access professional help and improve their institutions. To learn more about these grant programs, eligibility requirements and deadlines, visit Museumwise’s web site at www.museumwise.org, or contact Museumwise by email at info@museumwise.org and by phone at (800) 895-1648.

FORT TICONDEROGA
America’s Fort ™
Located on Lake Champlain in the beautiful 6 million acre Adirondack Park, Fort Ticonderoga is a not-for-profit historic site and museum that ensures that present and future generations learn from the struggles, sacrifices, and victories that shaped the nations of North America and changed world history. Serving the public since 1909, Fort Ticonderoga engages more than 70,000 visitors annually and is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of Fort Ticonderoga’s history.  Accredited by the American Association of Museums, Fort Ticonderoga offers programs, historic interpretation, tours, demonstrations, and exhibits throughout the year and is open for daily visitation May 17 through October 20, 2013. The 2013 season features the Fort’s newest exhibit “It would make a heart of stone melt” Sickness, Injury, and Medicine at Fort Ticonderoga which explores early medical theory, practice, and experience as each relates to the armies that served at Fort Ticonderoga in the 18th century.  Visit www.FortTiconderoga.org for a full list of ongoing programs or call 518-585-2821. Fort Ticonderoga is located at 100 Fort Ti Road, Ticonderoga, New York.

America’s Fort is a registered trademark of the Fort Ticonderoga Association.