Unique Private Tours of Historic Boston for Groups

March 16, 2010 by Ben Edwards · Leave a Comment 

Is your group, organization or family planning a trip to Boston in the near future?

Are you looking for a memorable way to see the historic sites at your own pace with a knowledgeable guide?

If the answer to these questions is “Yes” then the six-minute video below on my private tours of Historic Boston will be of great interest to you. As a children’s book author, Boston historian and tour guide, I’ve had the opportunity to introduce thousands of individuals from all over the country and all over the world to Boston’s remarkable history since 2004. Families, civic and corporate groups, and school groups have participated in my Walking Tours of Historic Boston. Read some of their testimonials.

What makes the private tours I offer the obvious choice for your group or family?

This is not your “typical” walking tour. You’ll walk from Boston Common to the North End and see 14 historic sites plus 4 hidden/secret spots as I share photographs, engravings, maps, artifacts, and original colonial newspapers from my personal collection.

Your private tour is truly “private”. Only your group or family will participate and the tour will go at a pace that’s comfortable for you. This personalized approach ensures that you get the most out of your tour experience – plenty of time for questions and the flexibility to stay longer at many of the sites.

Tours are customized to meet your specific needs. Additional tour options are available (see details and pricing below) that allow time for a lunch break at Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market; a visit inside the Paul Revere House; and a trip to Charlestown to tour USS Constitution and see the Bunker Hill Monument and Museum.

Private tour participants receive a free copy of the audio version of my children’s book One April in Boston on 3 CDs. One CD set is given per group while individuals receive free access to download the MP3 audio version. The book tells the tale of my early Boston ancestors and their connection to the Sons of Liberty and Paul Revere.

Along the tour route, you’ll appreciate my genuine passion and enthusiasm for Boston history. This stems in part from the fact that four generations of my Edwards ancestors lived in Boston from 1700 to 1852 and during the tour I truly walk in their footsteps. I also reveal fascinating, little-known stories about early Boston life passed down in my family for over 200 years.

Children in particular enjoy learning about my family’s connection to Paul Revere. My fourth great grandfather Benjamin Edwards was a 10-year-old orphan in April 1775 living right down the street from the Old North Church when the signal lanterns were shown from its steeple and Paul Revere made his Midnight Ride. Ben lived with his uncle, a member of the Sons of Liberty, and toward the end of the American Revolution his older sister Sally Edwards married silversmith Paul Revere Jr., firstborn son of the famous patriot.

Private Tour Options and Pricing

Regular Tour

  • Includes: 14 historic sites; the 3 CD set of One April in Boston plus unlimited downloads of the MP3 audio version. The tour lasts 2.5 hours.
  • Pricing: 10 people or less for a total fee of $140 – additional adults are $14 each and additional children (12 & under) are $11 each.
  • Book your tour today by calling 617-670-1888 or use this form.
  • Tours begin at 10 am on Boston Common – corner of Park and Tremont streets.
  • View a map of the tour route as it appeared in 1775.

Extended Tour Option 1

  • Includes: 14 historic sites; the 3 CD set of One April in Boston plus unlimited downloads of the MP3 audio version; time for a lunch break at Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market; time to tour inside the Paul Revere House (a small admission fee); and a wonderful audio download of Longfellow’s famous poem “Paul Revere’s Ride”. The tour lasts 3.5 hours including lunch.
  • Pricing: 10 people or less for a total fee of $180 – additional adults are $15 each and additional children (12 & under) are $12 each.
  • Tours begin at 10 am on Boston Common – corner of Park and Tremont streets.
  • Book your tour today by calling 617-670-1888 or use this form.

Extended Tour Option 2

  • Includes: 16 historic sites; all of the items listed in Option 1 plus a visit to Charlestown to tour the USS Constitution and see the Bunker Hill Monument and Museum. The tour lasts 5 hours including lunch.
  • Pricing: 10 people or less for a total fee of $240 – additional adults are $17 each and additional children (12 & under) are $14 each.
  • Tours begin at 10 am on Boston Common – corner of Park and Tremont streets.
  • Book your tour today by calling 617-670-1888 or use this form.

Tours/Field Trips and Pricing for School Groups – See the Innovative School Programs post below.

Learn more about your tour guide Ben Edwards.

Email your family and friends this link to my business card.

The video for private tours will be added soon. For now, you can get an excellent sense of what it’s like to work with me by viewing the six-minute video embedded below in the Innovative School Programs post.

Innovative School Programs Your Students will Love

March 16, 2010 by Ben Edwards

Are you a grade school social studies teacher looking for programs and tools that can help you move far beyond traditional textbooks to truly excite, motivate and inspire your Colonial American history students?

Are you interested in accomplishing this even if you have little or no budget?

If the answer to these questions is “Yes” then the six-minute video below will be of great interest to you. It introduces some of the innovative school programs and tools for teachers I’ve developed over the past six years including Boston field trips, school author visits and a blog dedicated to educators of Colonial American history. As a children’s book author, Boston historian and tour guide, I’ve had the opportunity to work with thousands of students and hundreds of teachers in Grades 3-6 throughout New England since 2004. During Boston field trips, I walk in the footsteps of my early Boston ancestors and introduce students to Revolutionary Boston with the aid of photographs, engravings, maps and original colonial newspapers from my personal collection. During school author visits, I discuss my book One April in Boston; teach students about the events that led up to the American Revolution; and discuss the book’s underlying theme of goal setting for children. Every student participating in these programs receives the MP3 audio version of my book for free. Those taking the Combination Tour or attending a school author visit also get a bonus audio download of Longfellow’s poem “Paul Revere’s Ride” – both mentioned in the video.

Perhaps the greatest tool I’ve created for teachers is one that’s absolutely Free – the Teach History blog. This resource, which has proven tremendously popular with technology loving students, contains interactive articles, audio podcasts, and YouTube videos that focus on Colonial American history and Boston history. Many of the articles contain links to rare primary source materials I’ve collected over the past 15 years.

Tours/Field Trips and Pricing for School Groups

Sons of Liberty Tour

On this tour you will be introduced to early Boston and walk in the footsteps of some of its most distinguished citizens including Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Samuel Adams and Paul Revere. You’ll learn more about the patriot cause, the story of their secret organization, and the events that led up to the American Revolution.

Along the route, you will see the Massachusetts State House, Boston Common, Park Street Church, Granary Burying Ground, King’s Chapel Burying Ground, King’s Chapel, Old Corner Bookstore Building, Old South Meeting House, Old State House, Site of the Boston Massacre, Faneuil Hall and 3 hidden/secret spots. Learn more about these sites.

Tour length: 90 minutes (10 am-11:30 am)

Pricing:

Children (12 & under) $9
Adults $11
(One free chaperone for every 10 students)

Book your tour today by calling 617-670-1888 or use this form.

Paul Revere’s North End Tour

On this tour you will retrace the footsteps of 10-year-old Ben Edwards, my direct ancestor, and many of the other people in One April in Boston. Young Ben lived right down the street from the Old North Church in April 1775. You will learn more about the events of April 18-19, 1775 including the lantern signal from the steeple of Old North and Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride. Longfellow’s poem that made Revere famous will also be discussed.

You will see the Old State House, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House, Old North Church, Copp’s Hill Burying Ground and 2 hidden/secret spots. Learn more about these sites.

Tour length: 90 minutes (10 am-11:30 am or 12:30 pm-2 pm)

Pricing:

Children (12 & under) $9
Adults $11
(One free chaperone for every 10 students)

Book your tour today by calling 617-670-1888 or use this form.

The Combination Tour

This economical tour is our most popular. It combines the Sons of Liberty Tour and Paul Revere’s North End Tour with a lunch break in between at historic Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market.

Tour length: 3 hours with a break for lunch (10 am-2 pm)

View a map of the tour route as it appeared in 1775.

Pricing:

Children (12 & under) $11
Adults $13
(One free chaperone for every 10 students)

Book your tour today by calling 617-670-1888 or use this form.

School Author Visits

My classroom presentations, highly praised by teachers, are interactive, educational, inspirational and fun! I discuss my book One April in Boston and share a copy of the print version with every student. Students meet the characters in the story including 10-year-old Ben Edwards, my direct ancestor, learn about their lives and the events that led up to the American Revolution. Special focus is given to the Sons of Liberty and their fight against British taxation, and Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride.

One April in Boston is the story of an American family and a very special gift that was passed down from generation to generation. This “gift of the spyglass” is given to each child who reads the book and listens to the presentation. Through the story, children learn the value of setting a goal for the future, developing a plan, working hard and never giving up on their dreams. Just like the main character in the book, each child realizes that by utilizing this strategy they can truly be “anything they set their minds to be.”

Students learn about the goals I had when I was their age and read the first book I wrote about Boston history at age 10. They see how taking small steps, even at a young age, can move them closer to their own goals.

Pricing:

$175 for a one-hour classroom presentation
Minimum of 4 classroom presentations per school visit
Travel fees (40 cents per mile) apply to schools outside a 30-mile radius of Boston

School Programs Brochure

Click on the links below to view our 2010-2011 School Programs brochure outlining field trip options for school groups.

Video link: Innovative School Programs on History (embedded above)

Filed under: Audio, Colonial Newspapers, Primary Sources, Technology In The Classroom, Tours, Video
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Teachers: Are You Engaging AND Empowering Your Students?

December 22, 2009 by Ben Edwards · Leave a Comment 

21st-Century-SchoolsIn this month’s issue of Principal Leadership, a publication of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), Chris Lehmann, Principal of the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, authors an excellent article called Shifting Ground. In the piece, Mr. Lehmann notes that students today have fully embraced technology and now it is time for schools to empower them to use it for learning. Facebook, text messaging, YouTube, blogging, Twitter and the list goes on, are all far more popular with students than textbooks and lectures these days, but are teachers and administrators truly grasping the full impact of this technological shift? The article mentions that although many schools have integrated 21st century tools, in many there hasn’t been a change in the way students learn. Tools like interactive whiteboards are obviously much more engaging for students and certainly more functional for teachers than traditional chalkboards, and students will learn better as a result, but why stop there the article asks. Mr. Lehmann challenges schools to set the bar for themselves far higher, noting that they should strive for student empowerment. By this he means having students take the skills they learn in the classroom and “apply them to ends of their own creation”. With all the technological/social networking tools at their disposal, students can collaborate, conduct their own research and network effectively. With the information they have gathered, students can then create videos, podcasts, write blog entries, work together on a wiki and so much more. Author Chris Lehmann speaks to us in his role as a high school principal, but I view much of what he says as quite applicable for the middle school level as well.

In the article Mr. Lehmann gives examples of real-world learning projects his students have been involved in as well as how they have used Twitter to connect with the wider world and stay in touch with educators who have visited the school. He notes that social networking has “changed the landscape of society” and that educators must not only be aware of and embrace social networking tools but also teach students how they can utilize them for academic networking as well. The article concludes by recognizing the challenges that teachers, students and administrators face as schools race to keep up with the changes in society. The author notes that although these changes are difficult, they provide an opportunity for schools to rethink what they can truly be. “In the end,” he states “it is time to stop thinking of school as preparation for real life and instead show students that the time they spend in school can be a vital and enriching part of their very real and very important lives.” To learn more about the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and how you can receive copies of their publication Principal Leadership as a benefit of membership, visit their website: principals.org.

The insightful video below entitled “Learning to Change – Changing to Learn” features numerous educators who have reached the same conclusion about the future of 21st century education as the author featured in this blog post . The video was produced by the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), the premier professional association for school district technology leaders. To learn more about this organization, as well as the benefits of membership, visit their website: cosn.org.

Video link: Learning to Change-Changing to Learn (embedded above)

Filed under: Technology In The Classroom, Video
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Covering the Annual Boston Tea Party Reenactment on Twitter

December 15, 2009 by Ben Edwards · Leave a Comment 

OldSouthLast Sunday I attended the annual reenactment of the Boston Tea Party at Old South Meeting House celebrating the 236th Anniversary of the event. I decided to cover it using some of the latest technology available to any 21st century correspondent these days – with mobile device in hand (in my case an iPhone) I would be sending tweets on Twitter using TweetDeck as the events unfolded. My Twitter handle @bostonhistory seemed appropriate for the assignment. I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to step back in time and discuss these modern communication tools with patriot printers like Benjamin Edes and Isaiah Thomas. I’m sure they would both think I had taken leave of my senses and ask me to follow them back to their respective print shops – the Boston Gazette and the Massachusetts Spy – so I might help set type by hand so everyone could learn the news “as quickly as possible” about the events that took place in Boston on December 16, 1773. Well, I digress…back to the present day. It was a rainy night in Boston on Sunday but that didn’t prevent a large crowd from gathering at Old South. This “meeting of the people of Boston and the neighboring towns” was completely Sold Out with over 600 in attendance including some 70 reenactors. (At the original meeting over 5,000 people, 1/3 of Boston’s population, gathered both inside Old South and in the area surrounding the building.) The performance by Old South’s Tea Party Players was outstanding. The reenactors, dressed in correct period attire, were mixed in with audience members throughout the meeting house and each and every one had a particular role to play.

The reenactment of the meeting was called to order by Mr. Samuel Savage, a gentleman of the Town of Weston, who was chosen as moderator. The first of the three tea ships, the Dartmouth, had been in Boston since late November and its cargo still remained on board. A tax had to be paid the moment the tea was landed and if the duty was not paid within 20 days of the ship’s arrival, it would be seized by British customs officials. For weeks, the colonists held mass meetings and tried to prevent the tea from being unloaded, even stationing guards around the ships. They sought a peaceful resolution – have the tea ships return to England with their cargo. Up to this point, all their requests had been denied. The meeting’s moderator asked Mr. Francis Rotch, owner of the Dartmouth, to seek a pass from Governor Hutchinson so his ship might return to England with its cargo. Mr. Rotch left for Governor Hutchinson’s country home in Milton and as the crowd awaited his return and the governor’s reply, a debate ensued and I began my work as a Twitter correspondent.

Audience members were given the opportunity to participate in the debate. In the program for the evening, everyone received a slip of paper, color-coded for either a patriot or a loyalist, and containing words that people attending the original meeting and supporting that particular side of the debate might have spoken. People of all ages stepped up to microphones placed throughout the hall as Mr. Samuel Savage moderated the debate. Here are a few of the 24 tweets I sent during the event: “Doctor Joseph Warren speaks out against the tea tax.”; “Loyalists speak out – 3 pence a pound is a paltry sum to pay.”; “William Health says patriots are traitors to the crown.”; “Patriot – the tea tax is an insult to the citizens of Boston.”; “Loyalist – we must pay for the French and Indian War debt.”; “Patriot – I will continue to wear only homespun clothes and drink Liberty tea, huzzah!”; “Loyalist – we might be speaking French if not for the King. Fi!”; “Patriot – we should have the right to tax ourselves and keep it in the colonies.” A motion was made from the chair that the tea not be landed and a short time later, Mr. Francis Rotch returned with Governor Hutchinson’s answer. The Governor would not grant a pass for the Dartmouth, the tea must be landed and the tax paid. At that very moment, patriot leader Samuel Adams stood up and said “This meeting can do nothing more to save the country.” It was a secret signal for the Sons of Liberty to act.

The lights dimmed in Old South Meeting House and the “destruction of the tea” was played out in fine theatrical fashion. Men thinly disguised as “Mohawks” or “Indians” resembled their period counterparts who at the actual event were covered with blankets or ragged clothing with their faces smeared with lampblack or soot. The reenactors depicted how the tea was dumped into the sea, while a narrator filled the audience in on all the details including an interesting tale of an individual who tried to pocket some of the loose tea and how he was dealt with by the patriots. On the evening of December 16, 1773, in less than four hours, a party of patriots dumped 342 chest of East India Company tea into Boston Harbor in a protest against British taxation that John Adams called “so bold, so daring, so firm, intrepid and inflexible, and it must have so important Consequences, and so lasting, that I can’t but consider it an Epocha in History.” As the lights came back up in the Old South Meeting House and the audience expressed its appreciation for a wonderful production, I thought of one individual likely in attendance at the original meeting 236 years ago – my ancestor Alexander Edwards a member of the Sons of Liberty. Old South’s Tea Party Players truly helped me picture what his experience might have been like.

The 236th Anniversary Boston Tea Party Annual Reenactment was sponsored by Salada Tea – offering some exciting new flavors of green tea – and The Liberty Hotel located in the Beacon Hill section of Boston. Teachers: Visit the Old South Meeting House website to learn more about the Boston Tea Party and their great school programs including the very popular Tea is Brewing.

Filed under: Colonial Newspapers, Primary Sources, Technology In The Classroom, Tours
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Idea Starter: Sign the Declaration of Independence

November 12, 2009 by Ben Edwards · Leave a Comment 

Declaration

© iStockphoto.com/MB Photo

Teachers are always looking for great idea starters that can help them formulate better and more interesting lesson plans. Today’s idea starter uses modern technology to do the impossible – it enables your students to sign the Declaration of Independence. Before they actually sign and print their own personal copy of the document, it is important that students understand more about its history and the risks the original 56 signers took when they affixed their own signatures. All of this is possible thanks to the Charters of Freedom Exhibit online at the National Archives website. Here you can download high resolution versions of the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and The Bill of Rights and get a better understanding of these all important American documents. There is a wonderful link called The Declaration of Independence: A History that contains information on where the document has traveled over the course of its lifetime, how it was copied and how it is preserved today. Also, be sure to visit the Declaration Timeline. You can learn more about the signers of the Declaration at the Signers Gallery and while you’re there, don’t miss the Signers Fact Sheet (PDF). There is also an excellent Declaration Facts link and not surprisingly, with the popularity of the movie National Treasure, the first question asked and answered there is “Is anything written on the back of the Declaration of Independence?” The answer to that question is Yes – more on that below.

In order for your students to sign the Declaration, have them click on the “sign the Declaration of Independence” link above. They will need to choose a printer type (color or black and white), and after a brief on screen introduction students can select the quill pen they prefer (each produces a different style of writing). Then have each student type their name into the box provided and click the Submit button. Now the most important part of all – up on the screen comes the following message: “Are you sure you want to sign the Declaration of Independence? If you had been a member of the Second Continental Congress in 1776, you were a rebel and considered a traitor by the King. You knew that a reward had been posted for the capture of certain prominent rebel leaders and the largest British armada ever assembled was just outside New York harbor. Affixing your name to the document meant that you pledged your life, your fortune, and your sacred honor to the cause of freedom.” In order for your students to get a better feel for the pressure the members of the Second Continental Congress were feeling, view the video below called John Adams – Declaration of Independence from the HBO miniseries John Adams.

If your students elect to sign, each will view their own signature along with all the other signers on the Declaration of Independence. When they print the document, the following will appear along the bottom: “This image comes from William J. Stone’s 1823 copper plate engraving produced by direct impression from the original Declaration itself.” To learn more about the Stone engraving of the Declaration and see an original copy from 1823 view the video below called The Declaration of Independence – July 4, 1776. The video features author, public speaker, and historic document and manuscript collector Stan Klos and items from his Rebels with a Vision exhibit. In this excellent video you will learn how the Stone engraving was produced and how long it took William J. Stone to engrave the copper plate. Your students will be stunned by the answer. Before I wrap up this post, let’s return to the back of the Declaration of Independence. The National Archives website tells us what is on the back – the words “Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th July 1776”. I still cling to the hope that there is an invisible treasure map though – how about you? With that hope in mind, a link to the National Treasure trailer is listed below.

Video link: John Adams – Declaration of Independence (embedded above)

Video link: The Declaration of Independence – July 4, 1776

Video link: National Treasure Trailer

Filed under: Primary Sources, Technology In The Classroom, Video
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Technology and the Role of School Administrators

October 30, 2009 by Ben Edwards · Leave a Comment 

My previous post focused on motivating teachers to take the initiative and embrace the use of technology in the classroom. To be fair to my teaching friends, the responsibility for embracing and integrating technology into K-12 classrooms is certainly more than yours alone, it is shared equally by your school’s administration. In a recent tech article on the Education World website, technology consultant Cathy Chamberlain explains what a difference it makes when the principal and other school administrators are on board. Cathy notes, “In my experience, technology integration is highest in buildings in which the principal is involved and excited about technology and its possibilities and is lowest in buildings in which the principal doesn’t demonstrate technology use while encouraging others to use it too. Modeling technology usage is key if administrators want teachers to play an active role in technology integration.” This concept of modeling technology is outlined further in the article.

Many of you may be familiar with author, educator and consultant Will Richardson. Will was a classroom teacher for over 20 years who integrated blogs, RSS and Internet based technologies into his courses for over four years. For the past three years he has spoken to and worked with thousands of educators around the world on the benefits of “The Read/Write Web” (Web 2.0). In the video below called Challenges for Educational Administrators, Will discusses the role of school administrators in Twenty-first Century education. He explains that educational administrators’ active participation in the very technology they seek to integrate into their schools is important, as is developing a collected vision / long term plan with the input of teachers, parents and other vital members of the community. This will enable organized systemic change as schools make the shift from a traditional “teaching culture” to a more collaborative “learning culture”.

Will Richardson is the author of the highly praised Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. The book’s companion DVD will be released soon and, when it is, Teach History will feature a post on this much awaited product.

Filed under: Books, Technology In The Classroom, Video
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