History in My Backyard

This morning, all of my Middle School  students head out for field trips.  Grade 6 heads north to the Farm School in Massachusetts, a tradition that creates memories (and stories!) that last a lifetime.  Grade 8 heads south to Harper’s Ferry, Antietam, and Gettysburg; to see Civil War sites they’ve been studying in History class.  7th grade and I are headed out for each of the next three days to see local history sites related to the American Revolution.

The last two days of school have been consumed by the excited energy these adventures entail.  In a way, the last two days have been harder than the trips that start today.  Not that the field trips won’t exhaust the adults - they will - but the energy of doing is easier to manage than the energy of prospective fun.

T and I have spent hours checking out the sites that the students and I will now visit in the next few days.  Some of them are gems that my students drive by on their way to school.  Others are a few miles away, treasures of Revolutionary War history.  I’m excited to share this history, which seems exotic to me, a kid who grew up in California, far away from George Washington and the Patriots.  That history is in our backyard now and it’s time for some adventures!