Education
Passing our heritage down for generations
Educational Programs and Curriculum
More than 100,000 students and adults immerse themselves in our heritage annually in outdoor and educational programs, including our award-winning Tales of the Towpath fourth-grade curriculum, Immersion Days field trips, the Freemansburg Canal Education Center, environmental education programs, conferences, and workshops.
The Tales of the Towpath
This traveling curriculum offers 4th- and 5th-grade students a unique opportunity to explore mid-19th century life along the Lehigh and Delaware canals and understand the canals’ importance in America’s growth during our 19th Century Industrial Revolution. Developed by a team of advisors comprised of teachers, principals, curriculum coordinators, and historians, Tales of the Towpath is centered on an illustrated storybook that follows the life of a young Irish boy – Finn Gorman – whose father takes his family to America in 1846 and eventually becomes a canal boat captain. Young Finn’s adventures lead readers on a journey into the region’s past, when anthracite coal was fueling industrial and economic growth.
Cultural Ecology of Eastern Pennsylvania
Our newest curriculum, Cultural Ecology of Eastern Pennsylvania, provides teachers and students with a cultural/ecological perspective of patterns of landscape change in the Lehigh and Delaware valleys of eastern Pennsylvania by investigating the interconnections and cause-effect relationships between humans and the environment.
This multi-disciplinary, high school curriculum includes five units that span the course of 16,000 years, beginning with the arrival of the first humans in Pennsylvania and the subsequent development of Native American culture. The curriculum progresses to European settlement, the 19th century Industrial Revolution, and 20th century industry. Unit 5 examines the reclamation of damaged natural resources, through environmental awareness and laws that mandate the protection of water, air, and land. The unit concludes with a detailed look at current environmental issues that pose a threat to eastern Pennsylvania and the rest of the planet. These units can be taught as one year long curriculum, or can be taught as self-contained units of study. We offer this curriculum in two formats, both printed and online.
Please visit us at www.culturalecology.org for more information or email [email protected] to discuss the curriculum further with our education manager.
Lehigh Valley Passport to History Guide to Programs for Education
Lehigh Valley Passport to History is a partnership of historic sites and resources in and around Pennsylvania’s Lehigh and Northampton counties. This group connects people with historical activities, events, tours, and exhibitions throughout the Valley, and helps draw attention to smaller historical sites and societies that do not have their own online presence, helping the group leverage its publicity and marketing efforts.
As partners of Lehigh Valley Passport to History, the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor would like to share their newest initiative, the Guide to Programs for Education. The D&L is featured within this guide, along with a variety of other historical organizations with programs that cater to school groups and educators. Click on the image to download the full guide.
