The focus of this year’s institute is “1776 at Ticonderoga” and will accommodate 14 teachers for a week-long exploration of the critical year of Independence as it unfolded at Fort Ticonderoga. Applications are due April 15.
During the course of the week, teachers will work with author and historian James L. Nelson. They will explore topics related to the failed invasion of Canada and the subsequent retreat to Ticonderoga, the structure of the Continental Army, the construction and manning of a fleet to protect Lake Champlain, and how the events of 1776 at Ticonderoga helped lay the groundwork for a stunning American victory at Saratoga the following year.
Teachers will work with original documents in the Fort Ticonderoga collection. Tim Potts, Past President of the New York State Council for the Social Studies, will interact with teachers throughout the week, leading them through pedagogical activities applicable in the classroom.
Several immersive experiences will allow teachers a greater appreciation of the day to day work of Continental soldiers that served at Ticonderoga in 1776. Teachers will become the crew of a 30-foot bateau on Lake Champlain, take part in wood-working activities, and cook a meal in an 18th-century field kitchen.
Interested teachers can learn more by visiting Fort Ticonderoga’s website at www.fort-ticonderoga.org. Click on the “Explore and Learn” tab and select “Educators” on the drop-down menu. Additional details and the application form are available on the website.
About Fort Ticonderoga
The Fort Ticonderoga Association is an independent not-for-profit educational organization which serves its mission to ensure that present and future generations learn from the struggles, sacrifices, and victories that shaped the nations of North America and changed world history. It serves this mission by preserving and enhancing its historic structures, collections, gardens and landscapes; and educating the public as it learns about the history of Fort Ticonderoga.
Welcoming visitors since 1909, it preserves North America’s largest 18th-century artillery collection, 2000 acres of historic landscape on Lake Champlain, and Carillon Battlefield, and the largest series of untouched 18th-century earthworks surviving in America. Fort Ticonderoga engages more than 70,000 visitors each year, and annually reaches more than 5,000 people in outreach programs.
Fort Ticonderoga offers programs, historic interpretation, tours, demonstrations, and exhibits throughout the year and is open for daily visitation May 10 through October 19, 2014. Fort Ticonderoga is accredited by the American Association of Museums and pursues its vision to be the premier cultural destination in North America. 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.
Photo: Participants in the 2013 Fort Ticonderoga Teacher Institute crew the Fort’s 30-foot bateau.