Long May It Wave: a National Curriculum on the War of 1812 and Fort McHenry
Frequently, when we think about the Chesapeake Bay we imagine beautiful beaches, wild wetlands, and amazing animals. But the Chesapeake Bay watershed isn’t just home to osprey and diamondback terrapins. It has also been a stage for some critical moments in American history.
Recently, the Friends of Fort McHenry and the National Park Service joined forces to develop a national curriculum on the War of 1812 and Fort McHenry for grades 4 through 8. This new curriculum will help teachers in Maryland, and across the Unite States, bring history to life inside their classrooms as they celebrate the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 and focus on history within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Not only does this new curriculum resource features 16 lesson plans that are aligned with the Maryland State Curriculum for Social Studies and the Common Core State Standards Initiative, it is available to be downloaded for free! The Long May It Wave Curriculum places an emphasis on developing your student’s historical thinking skills and will draw students in with interesting lesson topics, such as “Pirate or Patriot” and “Political Cartoons from the War of 1812.” Each of the lesson plans includes student worksheets, primary source documents and images, and suggestions for accommodations, extensions, and some feature suggestions for assessments. The Curriculum is also structured so that teachers can easily select lesson plans that are designed for elementary or secondary audiences, lessons that are adaptable for grades 4-8, interdisciplinary lessons, and supplementary resources.
In addition to the Long May it Wave Curriculum, the National Park Service also provides War of 1812 and Fort McHenry lesson plans, a teachers guide, and information for planning a trip to Fort McHenry out of the Fort McHenry National Monument and Historical Shrine “For Teachers” website.
Long May It Wave: national curriculum on the War of 1812 and Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historical Shrine “For Teachers” website