1. Yorktown Victory Center
Starring Dora, Chelsea, and Becky

2. Yorktown Victory Center
200 State Rte 1020,
Yorktown, VA 23690

3. Entrance Fees and Group Booking
Student Tour Rate $6.50
Student Hands on Program $7.25
Adult Tour Rate: $8.50 per 10 students or Regularly $9.75
Adult Hands On Tour: $9.75
Contact: Bonnie Vosberg
(757)
Group Tours: Group tours must be booked three days in advance, so hours and days depend on availability.
There must be a group of at least 15 students to get the student group rate and a guided tour.
Length of tours: vary, but about half a day

4. YVC Facilities Accommodations Restrooms Parking It’s Free!!
The main building is completely wheelchair accessible, and motorized rascals are available that can traverse the grounds.
There are both indoor and outdoor exhibits at the center, meaning tours rain or shine!
Restrooms
Four restrooms in main building:
One at the entrance
one in each of the three halls
There are 3 standard stalls and one handicap stall in each bathroom).
Parking
It’s Free!!
The parking lot is located outside of the main front entrance of the building.
Busses can park in the lot.

5. Lunch
Lunch order form and information can be found at
Picnic tables on site!

6. Background Knowledge on Yorktown Victory Center
YVC includes a gallery and living history exhibit on the Revolutionary War, in particular, the Siege of Yorktown.
It is important because it is located near the battlefield where (with the help of the French) the American colonists won the Revolutionary War against the British.
It is a great location for students, because it gives them information on the Revolutionary War from beginning to end.
The living history portion of this site includes:
a re-creation of a revolutionary era farm occupied by an continental army encampment, illustrating the day-to-day life of soldiers and commoners during this time.
reenactments by museum personnel, including an artillery fire.
Students have the opportunity to try on revolutionary-era clothing, including German, Colonist, French, and British uniforms and commoner dress.

7. Grade Level and Purpose of the Trip
Intended grade level: 4th Grade
The purpose of this trip is to help further develop the students’ understanding of the Revolutionary War, and in particular, how the Siege of Yorktown led to the eventual surrender of the British Army.
The students will also learn the role that France and Germany played in aiding the colonies and the British (respectively) during the battle.
The living history exhibits on this trip will give students a perspective on the day-to-day lives of the people living during this time including:
soldiers/officers, doctors, farmers and residents of Yorktown (commoners) and enslaved African Americans

8. Possible SOLs
VS.2c The student will demonstrate knowledge of the physical geography and native peoples, past and present, early inhabitants of Virginia by c) locating and identifying water features important to the early history of Virginia (Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, James River, York River, Potomac River, and Rappahannock River, and Lake Drummond and the Dismal Swamp)
VS.5b The student will demonstrate knowledge of the role of Virginia in the American Revolution by b) identifying the various roles played by whites, slaves, free blacks, and American Indians in the Revolutionary War era, with emphasis on including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry; , and James Lafayette.
VS.5c The student will demonstrate knowledge of the role of Virginia in the American Revolution by c) identifying the importance of the Battle of Great Bridge, the ride of Jack Jouett, and the American victory at Yorktown.
***********
USI.6c The student will demonstrate knowledge of the causes and results of the American Revolution by c) describing key events and the roles of key individuals in the American Revolution, with emphasis on George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry.
VUS.4 The student will demonstrate knowledge of events and issues of the Revolutionary Period by d) analyzing reasons for colonial victory in the Revolutionary War.

9. Vocabulary
The students should be familiar with the following vocabulary terms prior to visiting the Yorktown Site:
1). Loyalist: American colonists who stayed faithful to the British Empire. (ushistory.org, 13.c)
2). Patriots: American colonists who wanted to gain independence separate from the British Empire.
3). Artillery: Large military weapons. During the Revolutionary War, cannons were the major artillery used by the armies.
4). Continental Army: The military of the 13 colonies, established by the Continental Congress
5). Continental Congress: Governing body of the 13 colonies and first official government of the United States of America. (history.com/topics/american-revolution/the-continental-congress/)
6). Articles of Confederation: The first constitution of the United States, adopted in 1777 (ourdocuments.gov/)
7). Regiment: A specific unit of an army.
8). Colonel: Military officer in charge of a regiment.
9). Siege: A military operation where soldiers surround a town/city in attempts to take over it (meriamwebster.com)
10). Constitution: Document that is considered to be the “Supreme Law of the Land” of the United States. (whitehouse.gov/1600/constitution)

10. c). The surrender of the British Army by General Cornwallis
Pre-Trip Activity 1
In groups of 4-5, the students will create a script to a 3 minute skit relating to the Siege of Yorktown.
Students will use their social studies books and other resources provided by the teacher to write their scripts.
In their skits, the students can focus on at least one of the following themes:
a). The Continental Army takeover of the Yorktown area and its effects on the commoners living in the area.
b). The actual Battle of Yorktown, including mention of artillery used, British and American armies (and their generals) and assistance from the French and German armies.
c). The surrender of the British Army by General Cornwallis
The students should consider the following characters when writing their skits:
a). George Washington
b). General Cornwallis
c). Colonist living in Yorktown
d). America, British, French and German soldiers
e). Servants and Enslaved African Americans
**The students will draft their skits and bring their final drafts with them to the site.

11. During Trip: Activity Two
The students will perform their skits on the gallery stage.
The students will use the Revolutionary-Era clothing (provided by the site) from one of the boxes and racks of clothing.
Clothing includes:
Commoners/Colonists (men and women)
American, British, French and German Soldiers
The students will have about 5 minutes to get with their groups, dress up, and prepare for their skits before they begin.
The skits will be about 3 minutes each.

12. Post Trip: Activity Three
Students will create their own brochure about the Yorktown Victory center (independently or in groups of 2-3)
The brochure is meant to persuade others to visit Yorktown
Students will mention the various things to learn and the most exciting things to see and do at this location.
The brochure must include the following elements:
a). At least 4 things you can learn about the Revolutionary War while visiting the center
b). Fun activities, videos, exhibits to visit at the center
c). At least two pictures (drawn or from the internet) that represent the site itself or the history surrounding the site.
** The students will present their brochure to the class when finished.

14. References
1). American Revolution. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2015, from
2). The Constitution. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2015, from
3). The Loyalists. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2015, from
4). United States. National Park Service. (2015, November 30). Revolutionary War Artillery. Retrieved December 3, 2015, from
5). Siege. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2015, from
6). Siege of Yorktown. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2015, from
7). Yorktown Victory Center, living history, american revolution. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2015, from