"Every child deserves a champion – an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists they become the best that they can possibly be" -Rita Pierson
October 24, 2024
Free Inquiry #6
Field Trip to Fort Steele Heritage Town!
Photo Source: Cranbrooktourism.ca
What is Fort Steele Heritage Town?
Fort Steele is a heritage site that takes visitors back to the year 1898. It preserves the charm of a 19th century gold rush town, and includes restored buildings, interpreters and exhibits that bring this town back to life. Fort Steele has an incredibly rich history, it went from a boomtown, to a regional centre, to a ghost town and finally, to an important historical site in the East Kootenays! There are many activities to educate visitors on the history of this town, some of which include old-time trade demonstrations, Clydesdale wagon tours, gold panning, live performances and a variety of museum displays and travelling exhibits! There is a wide array of information for students to learn and be immersed in by visiting this heritage sight.
Photo source: www.fortsteele.ca
Why Would This be a Beneficial Field Trip?
This would be a great way to immerse students in local history! Experiencing historical sites firsthand will really help students engage and understand our past in a meaningful way. Fort Steele staff does a great job of bringing its history to life through play’s and interactive storytelling. I remember visiting the Fort Steele Heritage in grade 1 because of how engaging and memorable the staff and teachers had made the experience!
What Would a Field Trip to Fort Steele Look Like?
Here is an itinerary for a potential field trip to Fort Steele Heritage Town:
Activity #1: Teach students about the animals!
Fort Steele has an array of animals, from highland cows to pigs, and lambs to Clydesdale horses. Visiting the animals, and even taking a wagon ride behind the Clydesdales’s can be an immersive way to teach students about the different conditions and care various farm animals need to live and thrive. Students will also learn about various agricultural practices. If you visit during ‘Farm Days’, the livestock team will teach visitors how to cut, rake, & bale winter feed the 1898 way! Heritage Breed Sheep, Pigs, Chickens, Ducks, and Donkeys are available for viewing and interaction in addition to the Fort Steele Clydesdale Herd.
Photo Source: Fort Steele Facebook Page
Activity #2:Visit the Historic Buildings(and stop for a tasty treat!)
There is a variety of historic buildings for students to visit in the heritage site! From a restored 19th century hotel, to a real blacksmith shop, there is a ton of buildings bustling with history that students can learn about. There is even a bakery that visitors can enter and order treats in! Mrs. Underhill’s City Bakery is a replica of the original 19th century bakery, and offers a variety of fresh heritage favourites such as cinnamon buns, cookies, rolls and more! You can book a tour through their website, or you can do a self guided tour!
Click here for a presentation I made on the various historic buildings in Fort Steele! Teachers can show this presentation to their students beforehand to build excitement and teach them the history of the sites, or they can just look over them to familiarize with the sites and history of the town!
Photo Source: Fort Steele Facebook Page (Replica of the city bakery)
Activity #3: Visit the Theatre!
Another historic building in Fort Steele is the theatre. Here, they offer a variety of shows for visitors to attend. The building has been authentically restored to mimic how it would have looked in the 1800’s. This is a great way to show students how people used to get their entertainment before tv’s and cellphones!
Photo Source: Fort Steele Facebook Page
Expectations for Visiting a Heritage Site:
Remember to go over expectations with students before visiting. These buildings are very old and delicate, and visitors need to be respectful and responsible while exploring.
Here is a list of expectations/responsibilities educators should go over with their students before attending Fort Steele, or any other heritage site that may have valuable historical objects:
Made with a colourful checklist grid template on Canva
How to Apply Technology to this Field Trip:
To apply the use of technology to this field trip, I think that having students create presentations on their favourite historical building that we visited would be a good option. Students can use information they learned on the field trip, as well as further research on the site/building, and present it in a fun way to the class (such as through a video, powerpoint, infographic, podcast, etc).
Here is a document that includes a lesson plan for this activity:
