Resources for Educators
We offer a large variety field trips, Outreach programs, in-class resources and digital resources that cover aspects of Colonial life and American Revolutionary history. Many are free to use, and you combine one or all of them to suite your needs Below are the various options available, along with the grade level they are intended for and the cost (if any). If you have any questions about any resources available to educators you can contact us at Info@Washingtoncrossingpark.org
Field Trips
Colonial Days Field Trips | Grades 3 – 8
Washington Crossing Historic Park makes the perfect site for an educational (and fun!) field trip. The park offers dedicated Colonial Days that are specially designed for students of all ages. During a field trip, students rotate through stations, spending 15 minutes at each stop to learn about life in colonial America and Washington’s crossing of the Delaware. For additional information and a list of days, please see our dedicated page here. Cost for these programs is $11 per person, with 1 chaperone free per 10 students. We also have funding to help offset the cost of trips for Title I schools.
Rescuing the Revolution Field Trip Tour| Grades 4 – 8
The tour begins at Washington Crossing Historic Park in PA, and ends at Princeton Battlefield State Park in NJ. Guests will spend the day retracing the events of December 25, 1776 to
January 3rd, 1777, when George Washington’s army crossed the Delaware River and secured three victories in NJ, at the Battles of Trenton and Princeton.
This program is a brand new type of experience for schools and students, to give them a more thorough and hands-on experience with the History of the Crossing and Ten Crucial Days. If you are interested in experiencing this type of tour or want additional information contact us at info@washingtoncrossingpark.org. Expected cost for this program is $15 per person. More details and an itinerary can be found on the tours dedicated page here.
Outreach
Outreach Programs | Grades 3 – 12
Bring history into your classroom! Our historical interpreters can come to your class and give presentations on various aspects of the revolution, colonial life, etc. to suite your curriculum. We can also adapt our normally on-site Colonial Days program and take it to your school. Pricing is dependent on the distance to the school and what materials you want covered, to inquire contact us at info@Washingtoncrossingpark.org
History Chests | Grades K – 8
History Chests are perfect for schools, homeschool pods, libraries, scout troops, and other student groups. These themed trunks can be rented by teachers and other educators to facilitate in-person, hands-on programming for students in Kindergarten through eighth grade.
Each chest includes a week of activities, lesson plans, and hands-on reproductions related to one specific theme, including Period Cooking, Education in Colonial America, and Toys and Games.
Each chest includes:
- A list of common core standards
- Instructions
- Worksheets
- An inventory list
- An evaluation form for the teacher
- Additional resources
Chests are available for $45 for one week, $55 for two weeks. Longer terms may be available depending on demand. Chests can be picked up at Washington Crossing Historic Park’s gift shop. To learn more or place an order for a chest, please call 215-493-4076.
Camp in a Box | Grades 2 – 7
Each Camp in a Box kit contains supplies and instructions for more than 20 history-themed activities that students can do at home over the course of a week.
Activities are divided into five themes:
- Be a Spy
- Be in Nature
- Be a Historian
- Be a Colonial Kid
- Be a Colonial Tradesman
Designed for ages 7-12, activities include making a code wheel, planting period seeds, and creating a timeline of the Ten Crucial Days. The boxes are designed to be used by one child, but activities can be adapted to more than one child or to a classroom for homeschool/virtual learning. Most supplies you’ll need are in the box, and a shopping list of perishable and common household items is also included.
Camp in a Box is available for $25 for in-person pickup at Washington Crossing Historic Park’s gift shop. Domestic shipping is an additional $10.95.
To learn more or order a box, please call 215-493-4076.
Virtual Resources
Virtual Lessons | Grades 3 – 12
Adapted from our most popular in-person educational experiences, our new virtual Zoom lessons are led by park historical interpreters. They’re compatible with in-person, partially-remote, and fully-remote classrooms. Cost is $45 for each lesson and content can be adapted for a wide range of audiences from Grades 3-12.
76 Seconds of History | Grades 3 – 12
This series of 76 second videos cover various aspects of the crossing and the Ten Crucial days, and offer a great ‘bite-sized’ resource that you can play in your classroom to reinforce or introduce lesson topics. These videos cover a wide range of topics from the role of women in the army, to what boats were used in the crossing, how accurate the famous painting of the crossing is and more. These videos were made in part with the generous support of the Americana Corner Grant program and Capital health
Lesson Plans | Grades 2 – 8
Bring Washington Crossing Historic Park to your classroom. Our historical interpreters have developed more than a dozen free lesson plans for teachers of elementary-age students. These lessons plans are free to use.
Other Resources
Constitution Compendium | Grades K – 12
The Constitution Compendium is a collection of educational resources and information about the United States Constitution. These materials are offered in partnership from the Washington Crossing Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution and the Friends of Washington Crossing Park to celebrate Constitution Day, the anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787. See the full list of resources here.
Camp Followers Digital Experience | Grades 5 – 8
This digital experience is designed for students in grades 5-8, but it’s informative for learners of all ages. By the end of the experience, you’ll understand the important role played by camp followers: the people who traveled to encampments and worked for the Continental and British armies. This resource is Free to use.
Passport to History | Grades 1 – 5
Discover history at four sites in your own back yard and win a prize! Mercer and Bucks Counties are rife with Revolutionary history. Now kids have the opportunity to fill a “Passport to History” with stamps from all four of the Ten Crucial Days sites. Those who fill their passport can win prizes, including Revolutionary War coloring books, free drink coupons from Wawa and free ice cream coupons at Uncle Ed’s Creamery in Pennington, NJ. Washington Crossing Historic Park of PA, Washington Crossing State Park of NJ, the Old Barracks in Trenton, and the Princeton Battlefield are thrilled to announce this collaboration to encourage kids to learn about the area’s rich history and enjoy our gorgeous parks! There is no cost to use the passport although you may have to pay admission to tour the sites involved.
Click here to download and print your passport.
Additional Activities | Grades K – 5
If you are looking for a quick and easy activity to do with your class or children, these short and fun colonial themed activities can be downloaded for free from our website, along with the provided background they can learn and create their own cocked hat, butter, and more. You can download these activities for free as many times as you like, and can distribute them to friends of colleagues .
Videos
Our YouTube channel Colonial Classrooms videos can be used as further background or as a nice combination of audiovisual learning for your classroom. The Videos are free to use
Blog
Washington Crossing Historic park’s Blog frequently posts articles about the history of the park, Washington’s Crossing and the Ten Crucial Days. Peruse our list of published articles or if you or your class have a question that you would like us to address in a blog post, please email info@washingtoncrossingpark.org. We’re always looking for new topics to discuss!