We have created this checklist to help you identify which
components of The Catskills: A Sense of Place will support your curriculum
and help your students succeed. Getting the young people of our region interested
in the environment, culture, and history of their own area is a great way
to motivate learning, achieve state learning standards, and build stronger
communities here in the Catskills. The lesson summaries here should help you
decide which modules to download or purchase and which sections to use at
different times of the year. Since the lessons are interdisciplinary, it is
worth your time to read the summaries for all five modules.
If you would please send us a copy of the completed checklist, that will help us better adapt our programs to your needs. Our address is The Catskill Center, Route 28, Arkville NY 12406, or you can e-mail it to cccd@catskillcenter.org. Any other suggestions are also welcome. Thank you!
Name ______________________________
Grade and Subject ___________________________
School _________________________
E Mail _________________________
Based on the summaries provided, please rate each lesson
on a scale from 1 to 4:
1 – does not support your curriculum.
2 – addresses your curriculum slightly.
3 – all or some components address your curriculum fairly well.
4 – all or some components perfectly support your curriculum!
Each “lesson” actually has several components that can be used independently. If only some of the components seem relevant, please underline. Most lessons can be adapted to other grade levels if needed.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
1: Introduction to Water (grades 4-7)
Students gain a greater appreciation for water resources. They learn where their tap water comes from. They learn about the water cycle, what a watershed is, and how pollution can be transported by water. Using maps and diagrams.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
2: Streamwatch (grades 3-12)
Students measure physical and chemical characteristics of streams using the metric system. They learn that insects have three body segments, six legs, etc. and they learn to distinguish various types of invertebrates and insects based on their characteristics and they will learn about the ecology of these organisms. They collect and use data to draw conclusions about the health of the stream.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
3: Taking Care of Our Watershed (grades 4-12)
Students will be able to name major pollution sources, describe why they are a problem, and describe how they can be controlled. Hands-on investigation challenges students to remove pollution from water. Students create skits about different pollution types. Household pollution sources. Home water consumption. Wetlands, groundwater, parts and operation of wastewater treatment systems. Students develop recommendations for pollution control on a farm based on hypothetical data, using maps and diagrams.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
4: New York City Water Supply (grades 6-12)
Students will appreciate the size, layout, history, and workings of the NYC water supply system. They learn the history of towns affected by reservoir construction. They will examine points of view of people in the city and upstate residents who made sacrifices for the water supply system to be built through a role playing and conflict resolution activity. They carry out an opinion survey. They learn about regulations that affect building a house and choose among several house lots based on various factors. Students use maps and diagrams.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
1: Introduction to Geology (grades 4-7)
Students develop greater communication and perceptual skills and take interest in physical science. They draw a map and use diagrams. Students will be introduced to the rock cycle, the three types of rocks, and how they form. Quantities are used in understanding the age of the Earth and past geologic events. Hands on experiment shows how fossils form and what we can learn from them.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
2: Introduction to Geography (grades 4-9)
Different components cover basic to advanced map skills. Compass directions, latitude and longitude coordinates, making a map, interpreting map symbols and topographic maps, finding watershed boundaries on a topographic map. All use local examples that are tangible to students.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
3: Physical Geography of the Catskill Mountians (grades 4-9)
The ice age in NYS. Students develop written communication skills. They learn how glaciers form, how they affect landforms through erosion and deposition, with reference to local sites. Students become familiar with the unique geology of the Catskills by studying five places of geologic interest in the Catskills.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
4: How Do the Catskills Stand Out? (grades 4-12)
History, environment, and demographics. Place names are used as a link to NYS history. Students communicate about unique regional features with students in another part of the country. Concepts of county, township, watershed, and village boundaries are explored using layered maps. Learn how geology effects where we live, what crops can grow, and what resources are available. Reading and making graphs, population history, movement of people, and population pyramids. Students collect, interpret, and report data, conduct interviews.
1 2 3 4 Lesson 1:
Biodiversity in the Catskills (grades 3-8)
Students gather and report data. Identify different species of maple tree and other plants. Students develop observation skills and appreciation for trees by examining one closely over time. Students observe differences among ecological communities and what lives there. Use inquiry skills to determine what a seed needs to grow. Become familiar with local meadow plants. Native and introduced plants. Birds and mammals of our area.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
2: Organism Functions (grades 3-12)
Plant and animal adaptations. Inquiry skills. Engineering Design. Models and simulation. Students study seed dispersal mechanisms and design their own. Tradeoffs organisms must make to survive, basic survival needs. Animal tracks, life cycles, habitat, natural selection, similarities and differences among species and how they change over time. Some taxonomy. Birds and bears.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
3: Ecosystem Functions (grades 4-12)
This unit uses a lot of simulation games, from which students collect and interpret data. How environmental stressors affect organisms. Deer and trout population. Wildflowers compete for habitat space, are affected by changes in environment. Composting. In-depth soil studies. The carbon cycle, global warming. Observing ecological interactions outside.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
4: Living in an Ecosystem (grades 3-12)
This is about local natural resources and how they are “tapped”. Students learn about the history of maple sugaring in NYS, photosynthesis, seasonal changes in trees, related vocabulary. Make their own syrup. Fly fishing and stream ecology. Accumulation of toxins at higher levels of the food chain. Communication skills: children write and present reports on NYS endangered species. Promotion and management of a mock forest preserve. Importance of the visual environment.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
1: Native People (grades 4-7)
Learn where native groups of NYS and the Catskills lived. Describe differences between native, colonial, and modern material culture. Drawings and maps are used. Students create stories relating the displacement of Native Americans to that of settlers forced to move when reservoirs were built. Mock debate / role play.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
2: European Settlement (grades 4-12)
Language arts, NYS history. Compare and contrast modern life in the Catskills with that in the 1800s. Primary source documents are used to study local history such as the Anti-Rent War. Students research and create a booklet on their own town’s history. Conduct interviews and report results. Students read literature about the Catskills to learn about history and change.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
3: Industry (grades 4-12)
The industrial period of Catskills history: tanning, bluestone, railroads via document-based questions. Tree rings serve as a link to local history research by students. Visit to Hanford Mills Museum: supporting classroom activities use primary source documents, engineering design project. Students learn about simple machines, tools, and energy. Students stage a puppet show about the D&H Canal. Worksheets acquaint students with the history of several other villages in the Catskills.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
4: Hotels and Recreation (grades 4-12)
The resort industry of the Catskills from the 1800s to the present. Students develop language skills and investigate history and economics of Catskills hotels by reading a selection and answering questions. They design their own hotel and develop an activities schedule, menu, newspaper, etc. suitable to the 1800s.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
1: Native Traditions (grades 4-7)
Students examine storytelling as a way of transmitting knowledge from one generation to the next. Students learn about Native American agriculture methods. They make cornhusk dolls in connection with a Native American legend.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
2: Art and Literature of the Romantic Period (grades 4-12)
Students will be able to describe the role of the Catskills in the development of American art and attitudes toward nature. Students answer document-based questions on Hudson River School paintings and Catskills naturalist John Burroughs. Create and interpret works of art and literature. Observe nature and express emotions through art. Examine ads to deduce attitudes about nature. Collect, interpret, and present data.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
3: Art Colonies (grades 4-12)
Students will learn to respond to document-based questions. They use primary sources to examine the history of the Byrdcliffe arts colony. They learn about arts materials and resources and community life by planning a mock arts colony. Infer past events from artifacts. Students can exchange letters with a local artist.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
4: Appreciating Folk Traditions (grades 4-12)
Students study and participate in traditional craft activities. They make a class quilt depicting local history or personal feelings about the Catskills, thus learning how quilting played a role as vehicle for local culture. Students will study and respond to folk stories and folk songs of the Catskills. Document-based questions on a folk preservation project.
1 2 3 4 Lesson
5: Building Catskills Communities (grades 4-12)
Students will be able to identify architecture styles and terms. They conduct research to find out how their village has changed over time and present their results visually. Students build a model village to learn how maintaining historic character can enhance business and aesthetics. Students develop a stronger commitment to appearance and function of community and learn to take an active role in their community.
We hope you enjoy
using Catskills studies in your classroom!