Ox Hill Battlefield Field Trip Chelsey Collins • Nov 2015

Basic Information:

● ● 4134 West Ox Road, Fairfax, Va 22033 ● Contact information: unavailable ● Tour is a 25 minute audio available online and can be conducted by the teacher. ● Hours: Open from Dawn to Dusk ● Entrance fee: None ● This site is wheelchair accessible. ● There are no Lunch Accommodations. ● Parking: Free

● Get on I-64 W/I-95 N from N Harrison St, W Franklin St and N Belvidere St

Directions: ● Follow I-95 N to VA-123 N/Gordon Blvd in Woodbridge. Take exit 160B from I-95 N

● Get on VA-286 N/Fairfax County Pkwy in Burke from VA-123 N

● Follow VA-286 N/Fairfax County Pkwy to Monument Dr in Chantilly. Take the Fair Lakes Parkway exit from VA-286 N/Fairfax County Pkwy

● Follow Monument Dr to West Ox Rd

Website: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/oxhill/ Purpose of trip:

The main objective of this trip is to have the students experience a civil war battlefield first hand. Most students won’t get the opportunity to visit a location like this by themselves so this might be the only chance they get to interact with history. Having a field trip to a battlefield makes learning about the different battles relevant to the students. Plus they can use this experience to visualize what they are learning when we discuss other battles in history. Another benefit is that the students get to use their visual, kinesthetic and auditory modalities to learn about the past.

Grade: 4th SOL:

VS.7 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the issues that divided our nation and led to the Civil War by a) identifying the events and differences between northern and southern states that divided Virginians and led to secession, war, and the creation of West ; b) describing Virginia’s role in the war, including identifying battles that took place in Virginia; c) describing the roles played by whites, enslaved African Americans, free African Americans, and American Indians. Why is this battle important?

● “The events at Ox Hill were triggered by Confederate General Robert E. Lee's attempt to outflank the retreating . After the battle of Second Manassas along Bull Run on August 28-30, 1862, the Federal Army retreated toward the well-protected capital city of Washington.”

Why is this site Important:

● Virginia is scattered with battlefields from the Civil War. ● “Ox Hill is the site of the only major Civil War engagement in Fairfax Va.” ● “Two Union divisions under the command of General and Major General engaged Confederate troops at Ox Hill on September 1. Both Stevens and Kearny were killed.” ● “Ox Hill marked the end of the Second . After the engagement, the Federal Army completed its retreat to the fortifications around Washington. The Confederates turned north and crossed the Potomac River, igniting the Maryland Campaign. Sixteen days after Ox Hill, the armies met at Antietam in the bloodiest single day of the war” Key Words to Know:

● Confederate: Southern States fighting for slavery

● Union: Northern States fighting against slavery

● General: An officer of high ranking

● Commander: A commissioned officer in command over a military unit

● Flank: The extreme left or right side of an army or fleet.

● Skirmish: A fight between small bodies of opposing troops

● Brigade: A large body of troops

● Volley: The release of many firearms or missiles at the same time.

Activities:

Pre-Field Trip: During: After Field Trip: After the field trip the students are going to work in groups of three To activate background During the field trip I want to create their own Newspaper them to reenact the battle of Ox Hill. knowledge and to get the students clipping of a relevant civil war battles thinking about the civil war I am Each student is going to be given a role in Virginia. They must choose a going to have the students do a at random prior to the tour so that they different battle than the battle of Ox vocabulary fill in the blank know what role to pay attention to. I Hill and must list the different worksheet. This way the student’s am going to have the students write generals, the location of the battle, will be able to look at vocabulary, key facts during the tour so that they who won, and three other important facts that go along with the battle. and organize their thinking prior to can be accurate. Then after a picnic in After they create their newspapers the the trip. This will help them the park they are going to work class will have their own “museum understand the definition of words together and act out their roles. The walk” and analyze the different while they are listening to the tour. students will use the rubric for more battles of Virginia. The students will detailed expectations. use the rubric for more detailed expectations.