 Classroom Ideas
As part of the NYS Curriculum, teaching about the New York
State Canal System can be a fun way to explore the past and
see how these inland waterways have shaped New York State.
Some ways in which you may be able to incorporate innovative
ideas into your classroom include:
Field Trip Ideas
- Bring your class to see how an actual lock works.
Canal Corporation lock-tenders can explain the mechanics
of the locks and many will be able to share interesting
facts with your students. To book a tour, please contact
our Canal Marketing Department at 518-436-2799.
- Arrange for your class to visit our flagship vessel, the Tug Urger.
This program is focused toward fourth grade
curriculum and combines fun and history in a one-hour
outdoor program. To book your class, call
518-436-2799.
- There are over 20 Canal-related museums across the
Canal System. Take your class on a field trip to one of
these museums and relive some of the Canal’s great
history.
- Take a ride on one of the many tour boats along the
Canal. Some might even offer reduced or special school
rates.
In-Class Ideas
- Write or re-enact a play about what life was like along
the Canal System.
- Build a replica of a Canal barge.
- Build a replica of a lock.
- Have students write a fictitious journal about a
week-long journey along the Canal System. It can be in
the past or the present. If the present, the students
can research local attractions and places to see and
visit along their trip. They can contact tourism offices
for additional information.
- Create an art exhibit of drawings or paintings which
feature the Canal.
- Learn songs about the Canal System and hold a concert
for parents and friends.
- Research and find out what kinds of boats were used on
the Canal for hauling goods. Calculate distance and
loads based upon their cargo and destinations.
- Use the Internet and find out about current rental
boat companies. Calculate how much a day and/or weeklong
trip would cost a student and/or their family. Where
would they go and what would they see and do?
Canal Activities
Need more information?
We've published an
account of the history of the Erie Canal and the
“lateral” Canals, as referenced by Roy Finch, that was
written in 1925 in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the
Erie Canal. Mr. Finch was employed with the
New York State Engineer and Surveyor, a defunct
governmental agency that managed the Canal System from the
1850’s to the mid-1900’s. He was intrigued by the
Canals and, in celebration of the birth of the Canal, thought
it was useful to share his knowledge and experience with all.
Still need more information?
Check out “A Guide to Canal Records”
and "The
Erie Canal
Time Machine" in the
New
York State Archives. The site describes 360 series
of records documenting New York’s Canals from the earliest
Erie Canal surveys to the completion and operation of the
Barge Canal.
In addition, the New
York State Museum has been researching early inland
navigation and Canals built prior to the Erie Canal in New York, and some of
the findings, including evidence of the oldest canal in New
York built near Utica in 1730, have been
re-published
on the web.
If you would like more history on the New
York State Canal System, please check out some of the sites
listed in our Canal-Related
Links page.
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