 Adirondack
Curriculum
Project - www.adkcurriculumproject.org
NYS Content Area Standard
Social Studies
Standard 1: History of the United States and New York
Students will demonstrate skills by researching a probable
experience and writing about it from that person’s point of view
Standard 3: Geography
- Investigate how people depend upon and modify the physical
environment.
- Describe the relationships between people and environments and the
connections between people and places.
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Title: An
Adirondack Journal of Discovery
Grade Level: 7th Grade
Author: Cindy Ryan
Whitesboro Central School
Email: cryan2@wboro.org
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Adirondack Curriculum Content Area
_X_ Natural History
_X_ Human History
___ Culture & the Arts
___ Government & Civics
___ Economy
___ Health, Recreation &
Life Skills |
Investigative Question or Issue: What were some of the
experiences of the first European people to explore the
Adirondacks?
Challenge:
Context
for this Challenge: This challenge is designed to encourage students to
empathize with the early white explorers who first investigated remote
areas in North America like the Adirondacks. The journals of Lewis and
Clark are here used to both inspire curiousity and act as a model
illustrating the kinds of observations explorers made as they ventured
into new territory.
To prepare students for this challenge, we suggest the following
activities:
1) Share selected excerpts from the journals of Lewis and Clark with
the students. Make sure the excerpts include detailed descriptions of
the geography, weather, plant and animal species, and peoples that they
encountered on their journey. Help students to recognize the
characteristics of this kind of journal writing - particularly the
concern for factual accuracy and the focus on specific details
sometimes accompanied by illustrations. The teacher will have to decide
how much to emphasize the elements of literary style as a determinant
of journal quality. Ask students to help you write up a set of Criteria
for a Quality Explorer's Journal. Post these criteria for future
reference.
2) Arrange students in small "explorer teams" of 2 or 3 and show them a
film or DVD that provides an overview of the natural characteristics
and native history of the Adirondacks. If it is possible, take a real
field trip into the Adirondacks. Ask students to look at the
video (or the real environment) as if they were early white explorers
first seeing this
territory. What do they notice? What arouses their curiousity and
inspires them to want to look closer to learn more?
3) Help students to organize their observations by brainstorming a list
of their responses as a class. Filter this list with them. How might
this list be arranged into categories that will facilitate further
research and study? Some useful categories might be climate/seasons,
plant life, animal life, native peoples, geography, unique
characterisitics, etc.
Give students the challenge that follows and assist them as they do
further research into the categories above to flesh out the details for
their own journal of discovery.
Student
Handout
The Challenge: In
explorer teams of 2 or 3 arranged with the help of your teacher, create
A Journal of Discovery that reflects your detailed observations as an
early European explorer of the Adirondack region in North America.
As you create your journal, please make sure to consider the following:
1) Your journal should meet all the Criteria for a Quality Explorer's
Journal as posted in class.
2) Your journal should have an illustrated title page that includes the
names of the authors, fictitious date of publication, and other
creative touches that will lend an air of authenticity to the document
2) The journal should provide the reader with detailed and
accurate information regarding ____ (insert number) of the categories
we've researched regarding the Adirondacks.
3) The journal should include illustrations that are interesting,
accurate, and will help the reader visualize and better understand the
observations of the authors.
All authors should be prepared to interpret their journal for the class
and answer any questions about its contents.
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Quality Standards:
Journal
- Jounal meets all the Criteria for a Quality
Explorer's Journal as posted in class
- Journal has an illustrated title page that
includes the names of the authors, fictitious date of publication, and
creative touches that make the journal appear authentic
- Journal contains detailed and accurate
information about ____ of the categories researchd about the Adirondacks
- Journal includes illustrations that are
interesting, accurate, and help the reader visualize and better
understand the observations of the author
- All journal authors are able to answer
questions about the contents of the journal
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Adapted for the Adirondack
Curriculum Project from
the work of Education By Design TM and Leading EDGE, LLC
©ACP 2002
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Produced
at the 2008 Adirondack Geography Institute