Age of Sail Overnight Program Teacher’s Manual “Bringing Maritime History to Life” Copyright 2010 Age of Sail Program San Francisco Maritime National Park Association All Rights Reserved Dear Teachers, Welcome to Age of Sail and thank you so much for choosing to attend our amazing program! This manual contains everything you will need to prepare your class for the Age of Sail overnight program as well as some supplemental in- formation, should you elect to use it. I have updated and streamlined the manual this year and I hope that it is more intuitive and accessible than ever before. We have found that the most successful outcomes occur when teachers connect their fieldtrip to the State Content Standards and Frameworks. Math, Science, Mu- sic, Literature, Language, Theatre, Visual Arts as well as History and Social Sci- ence are all important themes in the Age of Sail program and the manual contains a number of optional activities and projects within these disciplines, should you elect to use them. There are also excellent teacher resources online at www.nps.gov/safr If you or any of the parents are interested in more training we offer one day Par- ent/Teacher Workshops on the first Saturday of every month, from September to May. These provide an excellent opportunity to visit our site, meet some of the staff and actually participate in program tasks usually reserved for the lads. This is also a great chance for us to answer any questions you may have. To sign up for a workshop contact our Education Coordinator at (415) 292-6664 or [email protected]. Additionally, we can arrange for a costumed staff member to visit your classroom to help prepare your class for their voyage. We strongly recommend this for any teacher new to our program. A small sea chest full of practicing materials can also be rented at your request. For these services please contact Alice Watts at (415) 760-9620 or [email protected]. Finally, remember I am always here as a resource for you. Please feel free to con- tact me if I can be of any assistance prior to your voyage. Thank you for all the hard work that you do and for helping us bring maritime history to life for your students… this is going to be fantastic! Seth Muir Cell: (415) 215-6291 Education Director Email: [email protected] San Francisco Maritime Nat’l Park Assoc. [email protected] 2 Table of Contents Age of Sail Overnight Program Teacher’s Manual: Introduction 4 Relevant Quotes 8 Check In and Inclement Weather Logistics 9 Contact Information 10 Confirmation and Cancellation Policy 11 Organizing Your Students into Crews 12 Choosing Tall Sailors 13 Historian and Guest 14 Preparing the Crews 15 Packing List 16 Helpful Hints for Preparing the Crews 18 Checklist: What the Teacher Needs for Check-In 19 Checklist: Specifics 20 Special Needs 23 Program Timeline 25 3 Goals Through our Education Programs, we bring maritime history to life and support the goals set out in the California Department of Educations Content Standards for History-Social Science. The Age of Sail program was developed to engage the students through a chal- lenging and memorable encounter with history, using both the tools of experien- tial education, and the artifacts of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. By living the life of a sailor, aboard one of the last surviving examples of the working ships of California, the students gain not only a better understanding of local and state history, but also the concept of historical empathy; a skill critical to a meaningful understanding and evaluation of the past. As with any working vessel, the “sailors” need to perform as a disciplined and re- liable crew. In immediate and tangible ways, the students learn the value of criti- cal thinking, active listening, problem solving, teamwork, self-respect, self- reliance and leadership. Program Setting The Age of Sail program takes place aboard the Balclutha, a 300 ft Square-Rigged Tall Ship that is a National Historic Landmark Vessel. Balclutha was built in 1886 for the California grain trade. The ship no longer sails and is permanently berthed on the Hyde Street Pier in the San Francisco Maritime Nat’l Historical Park. Check-in happens at the Age of Sail office, located in the Sea Fox tugboat display on Hyde Street Pier located just before the Ticket Booth. 4 Historical Setting of the Age of Sail Our program is set in the year 1906 just after the devastating earthquake and fire while San Francisco lies in smoldering ruins. Much of the population is sheltered in tent cities and doubts are being expressed about the city’s survival. Our regular crew that have families here have jumped ship to fight fires and help in the rescue operations and the Captain needs a new crew to sail to Oregon for lumber. The students or "lads," arrive at Hyde Street Pier to sign aboard as the replacement crew. Our Captain will not sail with inexperienced greenhands. Therefore, the lads must prove, through the completion of tasks, that they are capable of sailing the ship. Activities such as reeving a block and tackle, rigging a Bosun's chair, row- ing a longboat, cooking on a wood-burning stove, raising sail and other tasks, are vital to the safe and efficient running of the ship and officers work with the “lads” to transform them into tarry-handed “salts”. Methods The program is run by four professional experiential educators. These staff mem- bers are specifically chosen for their skill and experience in using outdoor, hands- on environments to inspire student learning. Their role is to prompt, guide and encourage the students through each of the challenges they must undertake. We stress the need for the students to rely on their own resources and to solve difficul- ties through teamwork and dialogue. Operating under the guidance of the class- room teacher, the staff set age-appropriate levels of difficulty while maintaining a close observation on the general emotional and physical well-being of the crew. Each of the instructors plays a specific role based on both the historical setting, and on the needs of the lads. The Captain is the central authority figure, strong and commanding, but not without a sense of humor. The Doctor, friendly and compassionate, he or she provides the comic relief as well as a comforting smile. The First Mate is a disciplinarian, stern but fair. The Second Mate is "in the same boat" as the lads; new to the vessel and often making mistakes, but finds a way to work through them. For larger crews (36 students and above) an additional offi- cer, the Bosun, is assigned. 5 The adult chaperones that you bring, or Tall Sailors as they are known on the pro- gram, have a vital and unique role to play aboard the ship. They are asked to act as safety observers and to assist the staff in preventing accidents or injury. TALL SAILORS MAY NOT HAVE DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH THE LADS UNLESS THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE SAFETY CONCERN! With adults deliberately staying silent and in the background, the students soon forget their presence and begin to take ownership of the program, and responsibility for their own actions. Training Apart from some minimum necessary preparation, the amount of training depends on how much the classroom teacher wishes to integrate the program into lesson plans for the year. There are many ways in which the teacher can introduce les- sons on any subject from math and reading to science and geography (in addition to history) as the “training” that students must undertake in order to have a suc- cessful voyage. Our staff is so capable and flexible that they can make a program successful even if the students have only received the minimal training outlined in the All Crews Training Packet. The most important thing is that students (AND PARENTS) have an idea of what is going to happen, that is, that they will be participating in an OUTDOOR, history based experiential learning program that will be unlike anything else they have ever experienced. Should you require more support there are additional resources available to teach- ers in the form of in-school visits and teacher/parent workshops. Role of the Participants The instructors run the program and take responsibility for teaching and guiding the lads. They share the work of looking out for the lads safety with the Tall Sail- ors. The Tall Sailors are the adult chaperones aboard, silent and self-effacing. The Tall Sailors have one of the most difficult roles on board: they are there for safety only. This is challenging because parents are used to stepping in to help and guide their children in unfamiliar or difficult situations. To stand back and watch the children struggle through a problem is difficult, but necessary. One of our 6 goals is to increase the problem-solving skills of the children and if a Tall Sailor steps in, the opportunity to learn is lost. It is VITAL that PRIOR TO THE BEGIN- NING OF THE PROGRAM all Tall Sailors are aware that they will not be able to interact with the lads except during an emergency. This can be a very difficult concept for parents to grasp and can be very unsettling for them if they learn it only upon their arrival on the Pier. Please make sure your Tall Sailors read their Information for Tall Sailors packet, understand their role onboard and agree to act in this capacity. The teacher is known as the Guest of the Captain and observes the lads as they work through the challenges.