Visiting in April were bright and eager fourth graders
from the South Seventeenth Street School in Newark, New Jersey.

Discover Drumthwacket combines the excitement of an on-site tour of the New Jersey governor’s mansion with pre- and post-visit classroom activities. It is a very memorable experience to visit a working governor’s residence. The house, itself, is sited on land that witnessed the struggle for American independence. The program aims to promote an understanding of New Jersey history, pride in the heritage of our state, and an awareness of leadership and good citizenship.

Since fourth grade is the first year New Jersey history is taught, it is the most appropriate year for Discover Drumthwacket. Aligned with the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Social Studies, the Discover Drumthwacket program provides a classroom educational packet with pre- and post-visit activities designed for fourth grade teachers to use as preparation for their field trip and to reinforce learning following the trip. The classroom packet, which can be downloaded from this page, includes:

• Program goals and objectives
• Overview of your day at Drumthwacket
• Rules for visiting Drumthwacket
• Preparing for your visit, including pre-visit activities and the following reproducible worksheets:
  • A History of Drumthwacket and Glossary (pages 7-8)
  • Drumthwacket Timeline (page 9)
  • A Day in the Life of New Jersey’s Governor (pages 11-12)
  • New Jersey State Seal (page 14)
  • New Jersey State Symbols Fact Sheet (page 16)
  • Geography Worksheet (page 18)
  • A Bird’s Eye View of Drumthwacket (page 21)
• Post-visit activities and a room-by-room review of your tour

Discover Drumthwacket has been in existence since 1998 and is under the leadership of the Executive Director of the Drumthwacket Foundation. Experienced docents have been trained in the curriculum and conduct the tours. All schools are welcome; however, fourth grade classes from Abbott school districts are eligible for free bus transportation and complimentary bagged lunches provided by Mercer County World Class ShopRites. This program is also partially funded by generous grants from PNC and Wachovia.

Meet Robert Castillo, Human Resources Manager of ShopRite in Lawrenceville, who personally delivers nutritious individual lunches every Wednesday for the schoolchildren from Abbott districts who participate in our Discover Drumthwacket field trip program. ShopRite is an incredibly generous partner in this program.

Discover Drumthwacket tours are scheduled on Wednesday mornings throughout the school year with the exception of December. To reserve your Discover Drumthwacket tour, please call our tour line at (609) 683-0591 or email us at .