| School Programs |
There are three types of learning opportunities at Fort Caspar:
Site Tours
Discovery Trunks
Classroom Connections |
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Site Tours
Whether you take a staff-guided tour or self-guided tour, check out these Educator Guides for a field-trip checklist, on-site activities overview, and pre-visit and post-visit activities.
3rd Grade Site Tour Educator Guide
4th Grade Site Tour Educator Guide
7th - 12th Grade Site Tour Educator Guide
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| Option A: Museum-Staff Guided |
Fort Caspar Museum interprets the cultural history of Fort Caspar, the City of Casper and central Wyoming. Site visits include tours of the reconstructed fort buildings, Mormon Ferry, and Guinard Bridge; Museum Gallery Exploration; and other site features. The Museum Gallery features exhibits on Prehistoric Peoples, Western Emigrant Trails, Frontier Army, 100 years of the City of Casper history, the Oil Industry, Cattle and Sheep Ranching and the Energy Industry.
Prior to the visit, each teacher receives an “Educator’s Guide” by email (or download it from our website). It includes information about the Site Tours as well as Pre-Visit Activities and Post-Visit Activities. Site Tours meet the following standards:
♦ Wyoming Social Studies Standards 2, 3, 4 & 5
♦ Essential Curriculum Standards for 3rd Grade
Unit #3 - Casper Economy
Unit #4 - Casper History
♦ Essential Curriculum Standards for 4th Grade
Unit #2 - American Indians
Unit #4 - Trails
Unit #5 - Railroad
Unit #6 - Indian Wars
Availability: guided tours April 15–
October 15
Program Length: 1 1/2 - 2 hours
Fee: $10.00 per group or $.50 per student if less than 20; teachers, chaperones & bus drivers free; cash, check, credit card or LPOs accepted.
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Option B: Self-Guided |
You and your students are free to explore the site on your own. This option is available all year, although the fort buildings are closed October through April.
Please call to let us know when you plan to visit so we know when to expect you!
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| Discovery Trunks |
 Discovery Trunks allow you to bring history in a hands-on format into your classroom. Each trunk contains reproduction objects, audiovisual materials, books and activities that your students can see, smell and touch. The educator’s guide includes background information, lessons, activities and a bibliography.
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Trunk Topics
♦ Plains Indians
♦ Explorers
♦ Mountain Men
♦ Pioneers
♦ Frontier Soldiers
♦ Cowboys
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| Discovery Trunks meet the following standards: |
♦ Wyoming Social Studies Standards 2, 3, 4, & 5
♦ Essential Curriculum Standards for 4th Grade
Unit #2 - American Indians
Unit #3 - Mountain Men,
Missionaries &Explorers
Unit #4 - Trails
Unit #6 - Indian Wars
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Availability: All Year
Fee: $2.00 per trunk; cash, check, credit card or
LPOs accepted
Rental: One Week, Friday - Thursday.
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| Classroom Connections |
Break out of your classroom and into ours! Interactive, hands-on interdisciplinary programs compliment a visit to the museum and fort in the Fall or Spring. Current topics include Plains Indians, Explorers, Mountain Men and Pioneers. Half or whole day visits can be arranged. One topic per visit is recommended and you can choose three to four activities. Students should have a good understanding of these eras prior to the visit.
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Classroom Connections meet the following standards:
♦ Wyoming Social Studies Standards 2, 3, 4, & 5
♦ Essential Curriculum Standards for 4th Grade
Unit #2 - American Indians
Unit #3 - Mountain Men, Missionaries &
Explorers
Unit #4 - Trails
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| Plains Indians Lesson Options: |
| Art Analysis |
Students analyze paintings by George Catlin to learn about Plains Indians. Students will apply skills of observation, reflection and the application of ideas to analyze paintings.
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| Winter Counts |
 Students study winter counts to learn about Plains Indians, compare ideas of time, and create a winter count of their own.
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| Object Detective |
Students examine objects significant to the lives of Plains Indians. They use their detective skills to determine each object’s maker, user, materials, use and role in the lives of Plains Indians
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| Explorers Lesson Outlines: |
| Dressed for Success |
Students learn about the clothing and tools of Explorers. This lesson focuses on how each item contributed to success during their journeys.
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| Object Detective |
Students examine objects significant to Explorers in the West in the 1800s. They use their detective skills to determine how each object was made, used and its role in the lives of Explorers.
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| Compass Exploration |
Students learn how to use a compass like famous explorers of the West including Lewis and Clark and John C. Fremont. An interactive hunt in the museum or outside culminates the lesson.
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| Junior Historian |
Students use their skills as a historian to analyze diaries and journals of Explorers.
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| Explorer Perspective |
Students write a diary entry or letter synthesizing knowledge from lessons during Classroom Connections and with their teacher.
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| Mountain Men Lesson Options: |
| Dressed for Success |
Students learn about the clothing and tools of Mountain Men. This lesson focuses on how each item contributed to success during their trapping expeditions.
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"Thank you for teaching us all about the
Mountain Men. I think that when I walked
out of Ft. Caspar my brain was ready to
explode with knowledge!!”
“I sure appreciate it for teaching us. Now I
want to be a mountain man.”
--Student Comment from Poison Spider
Elementary 4th Graders
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Object Detective |
 Students examine objects significant to Mountain Men from the mid-1820s to the mid-1840s. They use their detective skills to determine how each object was made, used and its role in the lives of Mountain Men. |
“In Pursuit of Their Calling”: The Mountain Man Era Through the Eyes of Alfred Jacob Miller |
Students analyze paintings by Alfred Jacob Miller to learn about the Mountain Men. Miller was the only artist to travel with a supply expedition during this period and record his experiences. Students will apply skills of observation, reflection and the application of ideas to analyze paintings.
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| Nature’s Engineer: Beaver Basics |
| Students learn about the beaver, its habitat and why this animal was so important in the Rocky Mountain fur trade. An art activity culminates the lesson. |
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"Thank you for teaching us about beavers! It
was funny when you made Reece be the
beaver. I wish I could stay all day.”
"I felt great learning about the nature’s
engineer (beaver). Of course the best part
was the museum.”
--Student Comment from Poison Spider
Elementary 4th Graders
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Mountain Man Perspective |
Students write a diary entry or letter synthesizing knowledge from lessons during Classroom Connections and with their teacher.
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| Pioneers Lesson Options: |
| Dressed for Success |
 Students learn about the clothing and tools of people on the Emigrant Trails and how each made item them successful during their journey west.
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| Object Detective |
Students examine objects significant to emigrants on their journeys west and use their detective skills to determine how each object was made, used and its role in the lives of emigrants.
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| Junior Historian |
Students use their skills as a historian to analyze diaries and journals of emigrants traveling through Wyoming.
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| A Day in the Life: Student vs. Pioneer |
Students compare and contrast their day with that of a child traveling west on the emigrant trails.
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| Forging West: Portraits of Pioneers |
Students analyze paintings by William Henry Jackson and William Ranney to learn about Emigrants. Students will apply skills of observation, reflection and the application of ideas to analyze paintings.
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| Pioneer Perspective |
Students write a diary entry or letter synthesizing knowledge from lessons during Classroom Connections and with their teacher.
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"Thank you for teaching us more about
mountain men and beavers. I want to go
back! Chop chop the sound was awesome!”
"Thank you for showing us around the
building and teaching all of the stuff. I liked
the tour and learning about the mountain
men and about the beavers. I liked the
sound of the beavers and I liked the TV
[Promethean Board] because you could
learn things on it that we haven’t learned
before.”
"Thank you so much for increasing my
knowledge! I think that the museum was very
organized and modern. I learned a lot more
things about mountain men and beavers that
I didn’t know before.”
"I thought the games were extremely fun!”
"Thank you for teaching me how to use the
ferry.”
--Student Comment from Poison Spider
Elementary 4th Graders
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Availability: October 15 - April 15
Program Length: Varies
Fee: $10.00 per group or $.50 per student if less than 20; teachers, chaperones & bus drivers free; Cash, check or LPOs accepted. Limit of 30 students.
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For more information about any of the programs
Call Erin Rose at 235-8462 or email her. |
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Contact
Rick Young
4001 Ft. Caspar Road
Casper, WY 82604
307-235-8462
email
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