Fort Ticonderoga invites teachers to apply to participate in the 2017 Fort Ticonderoga Teacher Institute focused on “Last of the Mohicans: Early American History and Literature.”
Twelve teachers will spend a week at Fort Ticonderoga learning about the history behind James Fenimore Cooper’s classic early American novel Last of the Mohicans. Dr. Joan Wry, an associate professor of early American literature at St. Michael’s College, will place Cooper’s novel in the context of other early American literature of the first half of the 19th century. Dr. Jon Parmenter, an associate professor of colonial America and indigenous peoples, provides historical context with a focus on the French & Indian War in general and the 1757 campaign Cooper used as a setting for his novel in particular.
Fort Ticonderoga staff provides participants with behind-the-scenes opportunities, practical sessions on integrating documents and artifacts into the classroom, and immersive experiences related to the life of soldiers fighting for control of this pivotal wilderness outpost.
The Fort Ticonderoga Teacher Institute features lecture-based discussions with visiting scholars Joan Wry and Jon Parmenter. Also included are guided tours and activities with the Fort’s Education and Interpretation staff related to the soldier experience at Ticonderoga during the crucial 1757 campaign and an exploration of the early 19th-century history of the Ticonderoga peninsula at the time Cooper wrote his “Leatherstocking” series. Teacher facilitator Tim Potts provides activities revolving around artifacts and documents in Fort Ticonderoga’s renowned collections linked to Historical Thinking practices, C3 Frameworks, and state learning standards.