Person 1: Oh Wait, Are You Johnny?

1 / Introduction (at SkyCroft) / -The Civil War Mini Play!
(attached)
-Talk to students that the area of around them is full of history – including the Civil War. Soldiers have marched around this area, a new national road was founded to connect east and west. Today we are going to hike and see some historical places. (Maybe lead a discussion about why it’s important to learn history).
2 / Bottom of the Hill / Battle of South Mountain (paraphrased from )
-The battle of South Mountain is not well know, as one of the major & deadly battles of the Civil War occurred three days later at Antietam.
-During the Civil War the North (known as the Union) fought against the South (known as the Confederates) over many issues including slavery, how to govern, & national vs local power. The war lasted from 1861-1865.
-The Union army was led by General Ulysses S. Grant & the Confederate army was led by General Robert E. Lee
-After a series of victories Gen. Lee decided to take the war into Northern territory (it had mostly been fought in the South) to:
1. try to influence Northerns to end the war and settle for peace & convince European countries that the Confederacy was its own nation.
2. Plus, the abundant cropland of un-battled Maryland was tempting as a method for feeding the troops.
-As part of his plan for the Northern Campaign, as it was called, Lee camped in the town of Frederick and wrote & published Special Order 191. This Special Order included all of Lee’s plans for battle.
-To the Confederacy bad luck a copy of the Special Order 191 was lost & was later found on a field by Union soldiers. This allowed the Union to act quicker than they might have.
-The two forces met & fought throughout the day. At the end though, Gen Lee ordered his soldiers to withdraw during the night.
-The Union army might have been able to end the war right then and there. However, the next day (at another part of the mountain) the fight was delayed by FOUR hours by a Union General. Though they won the battle, the delay took away the opportunity army to follow, split the Confederate army formation into pieces & win. The delay took away the opportunity & the war continued.
-Though it was not a large battle, but it is important because it was the first major battle in the North
3 / The Appalachian Trail / The Appalachian Trail: (from )
-Was completed in 1937.
-The idea for Appalachian Trail came from a man named Benton Mackaye.
-Is the USA’s longest footpath at 2,179 miles.
-It touches 14 different states & houses over 2,000 endangered & rare species
-The trail goes from just 124 feet above sea level up to 6,625 feet above sea level.
-About 10,000 people so far have hiked the entire trail & it takes about 5 million steps to walk the entire trail.
-Maintained by over 30 different trail clubs.
4 / George Washington & the Two version of the Washington Monument.
Right before turning to the see the monument / Tell students that they are about to see the first Washington Monument ever built.
Who was George Washington?
-George Washington was born in 1732. He worked as a surveyor, a farmer, military colonel & general, and president in his lifetime. He led the American army during the Revolution, served as the President during the Constitutional convention when our government was written. He served as our first President under the Constitution of the USA. He helped to keep the country united together.
The National Washington Monument
There had been a plan since the designing of Washington DC to have a monument to honor George Washington. The design was chosen for the monument in 1836, the cornerstone was laid in 1848, but because of the Civil War and other things the monument was not completed until 1886.
The monument you are about to see predates the Washington Monument in DC by almost 60 years.
5 / Washington Monument
(at the foot of the monument) / History of the Monument
‘According a period newspaper account, on July 4, 1827 at 7am, most of Boonsboro’s 500 inhabitants assembled at the public square. Behind the Stars and Stripes and stepping spiritedly to the music of a fife and drum corps, they marched two miles up the mountain to the monument site. The citizens worked until noon and then held a dedication ceremony and lunch. They resumed work and by 4pm the monument stood fifteen feet high on a 54-foot circular base. The day ended with the reading of the Declaration of Independence and a three round salute fired by three Revolutionary War veterans. The workers returned that September to finish. Upon its completion, the monument stood 30 feet high.‘
The monument often fell into disrepair, and was rebuilt at least twice during its history - mostly recently by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936. The monument is currently maintained by the Maryland Park Service.

6 / One teacher mans the outside of the monument (especially the front) while students rotate in groups of 5-6 going up the monument steps) / Teacher at the bottom of monument:
Ask students why they think that this piece of land was as a strategic part of the Civil War. Talk to them about how the Washington Monument was used as a signal tower during the Civil War. (Talk to them about strategy & how the height of the mountain makes it easy to view the surrounding area)
Also talk about the similarities and difference with the monument in DC (neither have statues, both have simple direct designs. The monument in DC artistically draws from Ancient Egypt where obelisks represented the sun god).
Teacher at top of monument: Encourage students to look for the cities/places surrounding.
There are signs at the top to guide you.
7 / History of the National Park Service & the Department of Natural Resources. / This park is run by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
In the mid 1800s interest began to grow in preserving natural wonders & our history, but it wasn’t until 1916 that Congress created the National Park Service to preserve and care for these important places.
Without the work of agencies and organizations like the Dept of Natural Resources places like George Washington’s home, Thomas Jefferson’s home and this monument as well would be in ruins.
When you get back you will be writing a letter to a Senator explain why it’s important to protect these historic and natural places. When you return to school you will be planning a brochure for the Washington Monument to help explain why it’s important place to preserve.

Optional – if open & time available – there is visitor’s center & museum. It is not large but it’s a possible option to have students look through the museum.