There is increasing pressure on teachers to take virtual field trips. It's cost-effective, the argument goes, and technology can replace the real thing leaving more time for Common Core.

I disagree. My students are more engaged, develop inquiry skills, and extend their learning when they can be on site working with experts.

I’m not talking about field trips that are ONLY about having fun. Learning should be fun, of course, but should available funds pay for trips to amusement parks?

In my class we go on “learning experiences,” not "field trips," and they are exactly that—learning outside the classroom walls with the exact same expectations I have inside the classroom.

Books, films, cartoons . . .

For instance, I aim to take my students to visit the Roosevelt sites every year.

I prepare them—and follow up—with books, documents, film footage, and recordings, to complicate their understanding of Pearl Harbor, The Four Freedoms, Eleanor Roosevelt, and more.

We may, for example, look at political cartoons and discuss their messages. We talk about how to interpret them and why they exist.


Marquis Visits Poughkeepsie

The name of the town is Poughkeepsie, New York – up the Hudson River, halfway between New York City and Albany: latitude 41.63 degrees; longitude 73.88 degrees. The day is September 16, 1824. It is a beautiful day – fitting for a visit from one of the most beloved generals from the American Revolution.

The Marquis de Lafayette has arrived while on his tour of the United States nearly 50 years after fighting in the American Revolution. It is currently about half past two in the morning and the black sky is lit up by large piles of wood kindled by hundreds of boys. The orange flames burn until daylight.

Not long after the sun comes up, the wharf is packed with people who all want to catch a glimpse of the famous man. Excitement heightens as the citizens of Poughkeepsie catch sight of Lafayette and join the parade to bring Lafayette to meet the town trustees. The sun is just beginning to light up the brick and wooden buildings of the town as the parade weaves through the few paved streets of Poughkeepsie. When the parade finally arrives, Lafayette steps outside his carriage and waves to the crowd. Then he disappears into the building.

One of the trustees Lafayette meets happens to be Matthew Vassar who, in 1861, will establish one of the first women’s colleges in the United States. This college, named for its founder, will be a source of pride for the people of Poughkeepsie for years to come. Of course, at this moment in time, neither Lafayette nor Vassar knows this.

After countless speeches and handshakes, Lafayette travels to the Forbus House where Colonel H. A. Livingston warmly welcomes him. The two gentlemen reminisce about the war before Lafayette goes to the Poughkeepsie Hotel for a delicious breakfast feast. Later in the day, Lafayette returns to his boat and continues on his way to Albany.

It is highly doubtful that Lafayette would have suspected that 187 years after his visit a girl from Poughkeepsie would be writing an essay about it. Even though his visit was brief it fascinated me. I was surprised that such an important and well-known man would visit this small town. As I was researching, I learned a few things.

I learned that Poughkeepsie was a brief stop on Lafayette’s way from New York City to Albany. I also learned that the Poughkeepsie Journal covered his visit. In the article, the writer gave an exhaustive description of who was in the parade and in exactly what order, who sat next to who during the meals, who shook Lafayette’s hand, and other such minor details.The newspaper, however, never quoted Lafayette directly or even described what he was wearing. Interesting facts like this show me how unique my town is.

Megan Mantaro is now a junior at Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Poughkeepsie. This essay won the Dutchess County Historical Society contest held in conjunction with last year's Big Read celebration. Students submitted essays inspired by Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning play, Our Town, describing a historical event in the town where they live.

An Irrepressible Conflict: The Empire State in the Civil War recently opened at the New York State Museum in Albany to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Divided into three sections: Antebellum New York, Civil War, and Reconstruction & Legacy, the exhibit shows that New York played a more critical role in the war than you might think supplying men, money, and material to effort.

The Museum has also created an extensive virtual exhibit with online resources such as a Civil War Collections Finding Aid, historical documents, and illustrations from the New York State Library and Archives.

Among the most notable objects, many of which are included in the online exhibit, are a Lincoln life mask from 1860, the earliest recognized photograph of Frederick Douglass, and the only known portrait of Dred Scott.

There are numerous Hudson Valley items in the exhibit. For instance, a flag from Elmer Ellsworth (above), a native of Saratoga County, who became the war’s first martyr, and the pulpit below chosen to symbolize the power and passion of the abolitionist movement.

The pulpit came from the Church of the Holy Cross in Troy. Designed by the architect Andrew Jackson Downing, the building appears on the National Register of Historic Places, though it is no longer in use.

Visting the exhibit

The Museum has created 45-minute tours for grades 7-12 aligned with NYS Standards: MST 4, 5; SS 1,3,4. Click here to get details and download classroom materials. Reservations are available trhough September 22, 2013.

No bus money? Apply for an Explore Award.