Day #13 – Fort Ticonderoga and Saratoga

Today was probably one of the only days that I was skeptical about.  First I do not teach before the Progressive Era, so I was wondering what I was going to take out of the day.  Our guide at Fort Ticonderoga did not impress me.  I know with lunch we had a shorter time at the Fort than we had wanted.  What my big complaint about the guide was that he just assumed that we knew about the battle.  I’m sorry, but the American Revolution and the Seven Year’s War is not my forte and I was more confused about what he spoke about than what he actually taught me. I did like how he explained how and why the fort was constructed with the different types of defenses, and the fact that by the time of the Seven Year’s War and the American Revolution Forts were more or less obsolete when fighting in a battle.  This could go on and explain why the Civil War and other wars emerged into the fighting styles that they had.  We could try to have the students make a conclusion by given them a group of weapons that were used during certain wars and ask them how they would defeat the fort with them.

I enjoyed our guide much more at Saratoga; he seemed more knowledgeable and more interested in the Battles of Saratoga.  I liked how the park service had shown where the Americans and the British lines were during the battle.  It did not leave you guessing too much, but I know that if I was by myself I would not have figured out what he explained.  I did not see the interactive map that was inside of the visitor’s center, but using an interactive map in class to show what the two sides of the battle were doing.  That way we could bring in the primary documents of the commanders and the soldiers to bring it to life. 

This was a wonderful trip, but I’m tired and I am done!

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