Civil War Preservation Trust 7th Annual Teacher Institute

I recently received an email indicating that I'll be presenting at this year's Teachers Institute conducted by the Civil War Preservation Trust. Here are the details:

The Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) will host its Seventh Annual Teacher Institute from July 25-27, 2008 in Hagerstown, MD. This free weekend will feature "field trip" tours of Antietam and Harpers Ferry, focusing on techniques teachers can use to make a battlefield visit a central part of their Civil War curriculum.

Teachers will attend their choice of workshops on Friday and Sunday, covering a range of military and civilian topics. Past presenters of these workshops have included leading historians and educators, and topics have ranged from tactical military history to strategies for teaching the Civil War to struggling readers. These workshops are designed not only to impart specific information about the era but also a variety of pedagogical strategies to help teachers bring the Civil War to life in their classrooms.

Once again, Virginia Tech's Center for Civil War Studies will be an active partner in the institute, and Dr. James I. "Bud" Robertson, director of the center, will be a keynote speaker at the institute. Through our partnership with Virginia Tech, CWPT is able to offer Continuing Education Unit credits to participating educators.

The CWPT Teacher Institute is provided at no direct cost to teachers, who have only to pay for their room and travel. CWPT anticipates being able to provide travel stipends for 10 or more teachers who would not otherwise have been able to attend due to geographic or funding constraints. Stipend applications will be made available to teachers in the near future.

For more information, contact John Blanton at (202) 367-1861 x223 or by e-mail at jblanton@civilwar.org.

Registration forms and details on the CWPT Teacher Institute can also be found on the web at http://www.civilwar.org/historyctandclassrm.htm.

The "Best Civil War Lesson Plan" Contest

Here is a quick post of a contest for everyone to enter:

The "Best Civil War Lesson Plan" Contest
Sponsored by The History Channel and the Civil War Preservation Trust

Do you have a terrific Civil War lesson plan to share - one that is challenging and relevant to today's students? Then enter the Best Civil War Lesson Plan contest for a chance to win money and recognition!

Prizes: First Place - $1,000; Second Place - $750; Third Place - $500. Prizes are generously donated by The History Channel.
Who May Enter: K-12 teachers nationwide - in public, private, and home schools
Deadline: All submissions must be received by December 1, 2007.
Guidelines: All lesson plans must include the following elements in order to be considered:

• The teacher's complete contact information - including the name of the teacher's school with complete mailing address, complete home address, and preferred phone number and/or email address.
• A brief description of the goals of the lesson and comcepts to be taught.
• A list of the materials to be used, as well as copies of teacher-created handouts.
• A brief description of the time involved.
• An explanation of the methods to be used.
• A list of correlating state standards for social studies or history in the teacher's home state, or the appropriate NCSS standards (www.ncss.org).
• Use of at least one primary source - this could be an historic photograph, document, letter, diary, or artifact.
• Inclusion of elements that are engaging and thought provoking for students with a variety of learning styles.

If possible, teachers are encouraged to introduce the concept of battlefield preservation within their lesson. However, lack of this component will not cause an entry to be disqualified. Teachers are also encouraged, but not required, to submit a method of evaluation with their lesson plan.

Submissions become the property of the Civil War Preservation Trust and The History Channel, and may be reprinted, posted on their respective web sites, or shared via other forms of media.

Winning teachers will be notified January 15, 2008.

Send your lesson plan to:

Education Department
Civil War Preservation Trust
11 Public Square, Suite 200
Hagerstown, MD 21740