Kaitlyn Ellsworth

Pennsylvania Resources
1. Old Bedford Village
a. 220 Sawblade Road, Bedford, PA 15522;
(814) 623-1156
b. This is a great place for students to see what
it was like for Americans to live during the
18th and 19th centuries. Students would be
able to see different re-enactments from this
time period, see different displays, and make
crafts. Through their educational programs,
students have the opportunity to learn about
weaving, quilting, basket making, and schooling. This program
works with schools to provide educational field trips. This
resource would be great for a PreK-4 social studies classroom
because it will give students a glimpse into what it was like to
live hundreds of years ago. They will learn about the culture and
lifestyle from back then and compare it to life today.
2. National Constitution Center
a. 252 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19106; (215) 409-6600
b. The National Constitution
Center is a place where
students can go to learn all
about the United States
Constitution. While visiting
here, students would be able to
look at real documents. There
are also many statues of the
different people that found our
country. For field trips, this center has a theater where they learn
about the history of the United States Constitution and learn
through hands-on experiences. Located in the historical city of
Philadelphia, the National Constitution Center is a great social
studies field trip for students because it is a museum dedicated
to the Unites States Constitution. Students will learn more about
how our country became America and how this document helped
form our country.
3. Gettysburg Heritage Center
a. 297 Steinwehr Avenue, Gettysburg, PA 17325; (717) 334-6245
b. When students visit this center, they will learn about life in
Gettysburg prior to the battle and after the battle. Students will
get the opportunity to learn through documents, videos, and
hands-on activities. Coming here, students may not know how
people reacted when they figured out a battle was going to be
fought here, so they will learn about the people who lived here
and what their reactions were. At the end of the tour, they show
 a movie to explain the Battle of
Gettysburg and what happened
after. This would be an interesting
field trip because this battle is very
historic to our nation and took place
in our home state. Students would
get the opportunity to learn about it
on the land the battle actually
happened on, which is unique and
interesting.
4. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
a. 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107; (215) 732-6200 ext.
269
b. Here, students can learn about the history of Pennsylvania
through primary sources. At this place,
they have actual diaries and letters from
people who lived during the Civil War.
There are also manuscripts, pictures,
and artifacts that are used to help
educate people on the history of
Pennsylvania. There is also a large,
historical library located here. This
would be a great place to go on a field trip since they work with
teachers to tie in standards to the field trip. On field trips, they
discuss our nation from when it was first formed to where it is
now. Philadelphia is a city with so much historical value, so it is a
great place to be to learn about our states history!
5. Lincoln Train Museum
a. 425 Steinwehr Avenue, Gettysburg, PA 17325; (717) 334-5678
b. Here, students go on a train ride, guided by
Abraham Lincoln, that will explain important
events in our nations history. The train ride
tour will start with the history of when our
nation was being found, end with the present
day, and cover what is in between. It also
focuses a lot on Lincolns life and his son.
Some topics discussed are presidents, sports,
pop culture, and the military. There are also trains that younger
kids could play with. This would be a fun social studies field trip
because students would learn about our nation in a unique way.
Some students might be interested in sports or Hollywood, and
learning about the background of these topics would be
interesting to them.
6. Eisenhower National Historic Site
a. 243 Eisenhower Farm Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325; (717)- 334-
1124
 b. Located in Gettysburg, this was the house of Dwight D.
Eisenhower. He served as the President of
the United States. One program offered here
is the Junior Secret Service Agent Program. It
is for kids ages 7-12, and they get to train to
be a part of the Secret Service. They can
also take a tour of the house to learn about
where he lived and all of his belongings. This
would be a great social studies field trip
because students can learn about history, historical figures, and
presidents. There are many different activities to do that would
interest children, and they are all educational. They have many
different field trip options listed on their website with a
description and the grade level it would be appropriate for.
7. Betsy Ross House
a. 239 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106; (215) 686-1252
b. Betsy Ross is the the woman who sewed the stars and stripes
onto the American Flag. It is
because of her that our nation has
the flag it has today. When visiting
the Betsy Ross House, students
will see the house that represents
where she helped sew the
American Flag. While here, they
will learn about the history of
Betsy Ross and the 18th century. They have a set itinerary for
field trips that involves a tour, interactive activities, and
informational sessions. This would be a great place to go on a
field trip since every classroom has an American Flag in it. Since
students see the American Flag everyday, I believe it is
important for them to learn the history behind it, which is also a
part of our countrys history.
8. Fort Ligonier
a. 200 South Market Street, Ligonier, PA 15658; (724) 238-9701
b. Fort Ligonier is a place where people can go to learn about the
French and Indian War and Pontiacs War. When visiting, students
can learn the basic history of the time period, people, and
soldiers. Students will learn how Fort Ligonier was used with Fort
Pitt and by the British. It was attacked during the war. Today, Fort
Ligonier is restored and a popular field trip destination. In
addition to the fort, there is also a museum that has important
information from this time period. They are also getting a new
center this spring called the Fort Ligonier Center for History
Education. Fort Ligonier works with schools and teachers to help
design the best field trip possible. This would be a very
educational field trip for students, and is relevant to social
 studies, because it focuses on an important event in our nations
history. What is learned on this field trip will
come up in history classes in the future, and
students will be able to refer to this trip as a
reference.
9. Underground Railroad Museum at Belmont Mansion
a. 2200 Belmont Mansion Drive, Philadelphia,
PA 19131; (215) 878-8844
b. This educational, social studies field trip talks
about the lives of people that have stayed in
the Belmont Mansion and about the
Underground Railroad. It will teach students
what slavery was, when it took place, and
what the Underground Railroad was. The
stories that are told to teach children about these topics have
actually happened here. They have photos and different artifacts
located here to help explain everything and to have evidence.
This would be a good social studies field trip because students
would learn about an important historical event that had a major
impact on our country.
10. Brandywine Battlefield Park
a. 1491 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, PA 19317; (610) 459-3342
b. At this location, may soldiers fought in the American Revolution
years ago. On this land, students
would be given the opportunity to
see a video about this and go on a
tour of the Ring House, which is
where George Washingtons team
met. Afterwards, they could choose to learn about George
Washington, Quakers, medicine back then, or design their own
flag. Special programs include woodworking and what dance was
like during this time period. This would be a good social studies
field trip since the land is so historical. There is also a lot of
information covered on different types of history. The fact that
students can choose from a few different stations to go to is
great because they all have different interests.