As the new school year kicks off, the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and the New York State Canal Corporation are inviting educators to take advantage of new lesson plans, virtual tours, and field trips focused on the Erie Canal in 2024/25. The free learning resources are geared for fourth through eighth grades and are part of the online Erie Canal Learning Hub.
“We are excited to bring the canal to the classroom. Students and teachers in New York State and beyond can tap virtual tours, videos, and lesson plans to learn about the history of the Erie Canal and see how it operates today,” said Bob Radliff, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
The new lesson plans include activities for students to explore the significance and impacts of the Erie Canal on the state and nation. Curriculum for seventh and eighth graders includes virtual field trips to the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse and the Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site near Amsterdam.
In addition, schools in New York State can register now for free field trips to designated museums and historic sites during the 2024-25 school year through the Ticket-to-Ride and Open Outdoors for Kids programs. More than 60,000 students, 75-percent from economically disadvantaged schools, have participated in field trips through these programs.
New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “As we commemorate the Bicentennial of the Erie Canal in 2025, we are thrilled to partner with the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor to engage students through the Erie Canal Learning Hub. These innovative educational resources can help the next generation of canal enthusiasts and stewards learn about the transformational impact of our nation’s most iconic waterway.”
Field trip signup and curriculum resources are available at http://www.eriecanalway.org/learning-hub.
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