For a public school student in Oneida County, a field trip to Fort Stanwix could probably be considered a rite of passage. The Fort hosts numerous students from around the area each year for field trips. Known as “The Fort That Never Surrendered”, Fort Stanwix famously withstood siege by the British army for about three weeks during the American Revolution, and is located right in our backyard in Rome.
On Thursday, September 21st, 21 students from Camden High School had the chance to experience the Fort on a field trip beyond the ordinary. The MVCC Dual Credit US History class visited to participate in a new high school-level program at the Fort that is just over one year old. The experience was specifically developed for high school students with their curriculum and standards in mind, and was intended to provide a hands-on opportunity to explore local history.
Before the trip, students worked on a pre-visit document analysis.
Students worked in teams of four to complete twelve different tasks. Each one revealed information about the Fort’s characteristics that contributed to the success and survival of the individuals who fought bravely to protect it.
Tasks focused on the importance of the rebellion’s indigenous allies including the Oneida Indian Nation, period spycraft, family life, weaponry, and more. Once students completed their tasks, they brought their answer sheet to a park service ranger, who gave them a secret code. Using that code, students used a cipher wheel to reveal a final message about the siege.
After the trip, students created profiles of people influential in the outcome of the battle in the style of a baseball card for a classroom project.
For teacher Jessica Harney, seeing the program in action was a personal point of pride. In the Summer of 2022, she actually helped to develop the program and associated educational materials in partnership with Fort Stanwix staff.
“Seeing the program come to life and the impact that it had on my students was really fulfilling,” Harney said. “Hands-on learning is essential to make it fun. While the MVCC Dual Credit US History course is rigorous, showing students that we can have fun while learning made this a meaningful community-building exercise for our class.”
Words From The Students:
"My favorite part was walking around the fort and doing that scavenger hunt thing. Everything was super cool and the Fort looked really good. I learned how they fired cannons, what they thought North America looked like, and the actual size of cannonballs." -Owen
"My favorite part was how interactive everything was. I learned how to conduct a cannon-firing squad so that was cool."- Emm
" My favorite part was when we were done with the hunt and got to explore areas we didn't see before." -Jacob