Teachers, Dive into History with the American Battlefield Trust!

(Washington, D.C.) — As students of all ages return to school this fall, the American Battlefield Trust wants to refresh educators' knowledge of its programs supporting field trips, hands on learning, and ready-made curricula for students to incite their interest in the early republic. Much like the veterans of the Revolution, War of 1812 and Civil War believed that the battlefield as an outdoor classroom was the cradle for historical education, the Trust believes that these hallowed grounds can serve as a site for education, commemoration and contemplation. More than 50,000 students have benefited from our grant program — and many more through our lesson plans — with schools from all 50 states having interacted with our traveling trunks. We hope that more students can benefit and be inspired to learn and preserve our history. 

“The American Battlefield Trust is always proud to support schools with history education programming and allow students to receive a hands-on lesson with the great American story,” said Trust President David Duncan. “We take great pride with inspiring another generation of historians and battlefield preservationists.”

The History Field Trip Grant program helps bring students and educators to the unique locations where history was made. Designed to maximize the impact of quality history education in and out of the classroom, the grants cover transportation, admission and presenter/guide fees up to $3,000 with the goal to provide K-12 students with an unforgettable experience. Funding is based on application requests and needs of a class or school system in addition to their proximity to battlefields, museums and other historical sites.  Popular destinations include Gettysburg National Military Park, Antietam National Battlefield, Independence Hall and Mount Vernon. In addition to the History Field Trip Grant Program, the Trust holds an extensive video library including Trust-produced virtual field trips to those too far from a major historical site. 

The Trust's Traveling Trunk program provides educators with an assortment of items for historical instruction directly to the classroom at no cost. A hands-on learning experience inspires questions and interest in history and battlefield preservation directly in the classroom, making it an opportunity unlike any other. The Trust's Traveling Trunk program brings all the necessary materials and plans for an extensive lesson involving period-specific reproduced documents and artifacts. By giving an up-close look at historical artifacts, the Trust hopes to give students an opportunity to place themselves in the historical context of the soldiers and civilians of each conflict. The demand for trunks is high, and we invite educators to apply each summer to receive a trunk and make history in the classroom.

Lessons plans, developed through a partnership between classroom teachers nationwide and the Trust’s Education Department, explore the American Revolution, War of 1812 and the Civil War with carefully thought-out lessons in thematic and chronological modules. Each lesson plan includes extensive resources ranging from videos, primary sources, articles and biographies assembled by educators and historians, ready to add to Google Classroom. Inclusive primary sources, biographies and articles are featured to share relevant and meaningful accounts with students of all backgrounds. These lesson plans provide teachers with everything needed to have for a thoughtful and engaging classroom experience that provokes interest in the three wars of the early American republic. 

Help make history personal to students by partaking in these three programs from the American Battlefield Trust! The Trust understands the need to engage students with interactive and engaging lessons and inspire the next generation to be a part of battlefield preservation and learning history.  

Learn more about the History Field Trip Grant here.

Learn more about the Traveling Trunk Program here.

Learn more about the Trust-created lesson plans here. 

Learn more about the Trust’s video resources here. 

The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 58,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War across 155 sites in 25 states. Learn more at www.battlefields.org. 

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