subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Tue, Nov 24 2009 
Breaking News:  Cooperstown-area P&C to close; 47 jobs to be lost  November 24, 2009 07:33 pm

Published: January 29, 2008 11:00 pm    print this story  

On The Bright Side: Catskill teachers learn to connect students, history

By Patricia Breakey
Delhi News Bureau

ARKVILLE _ A group of teachers gathered at the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development on Tuesday to learn how to connect their students with the land and heritage of the Catskills.

Teachers from Roxbury, Margaretville, Hunter and Windham/Ashland/Jewett schools participated in exercises incorporated in "The Catskills: A Sense of Place."

The curriculum consisted of five modules: water resources, geography and geology, ecosystems, human history and culture and arts of the Catskills.

The theory behind the program, organizers said Tuesday, is to give children a better understanding and appreciation of the distinctive features of the Catskill area, which can help promote active citizenship and a better future for the area.

To explore the geography of the Catskills, the teachers were divided into teams to search maps to find answers to a "Names on the Land" challenge.

To be considered part of the Catskills, a place must be within Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Ulster or southwestern Albany county. For the "Names on the Land" segment, the teachers searched for places with names that contained compass directions, landforms, animals, an industry, colors or people's names.

Names that reflected activities or industry included Tannersville and Sawville. Names related to geology included Rockland and Grand Gorge. The Bluestone Wild Forest contains a color and Prattsville was named after a man.

Aaron Bennett, CCCD education director, said, "It's all about kids learning about where they live and what's around them."

Julia Goren, regional educator, took the group on a tour of watersheds using topographical maps.

Goren said defining a watershed can be challenging.

"A watershed is definitely not a shed that holds water," Goren said. "But you wouldn't believe how often I have heard that."

Goren told the teachers to work with their students so they can learn how water moves.

"I heard a contractor say once that you have to learn to think like water," one of the teachers said.

The group struggled to figure out the contours of the land around Echo Lake by studying a two-dimensional map, but soon they were sharing methods to make the maps make sense to children.

Bennett had the group listen to a taped interview with Eleanor Arold in which she talked about the loss of her family's home when the Ashokan Reservoir was built. It was part of the "Forced to Leave Home" lesson.

Bennett suggested that the teachers write down or draw their feelings as they listened to Arold talk about her mother's connection to the family home.

"My mother grew to love the beauty of the reservoir, but she never really got over the hurt," Arold said.

Bob Gildersleeve of the Mountaintop Historical Society said, "We remember by looking back to our youth, but when the past is gone, how do you replace it? There is a melancholy there."

Karen Bramley, who teaches second grade in Roxbury, talked about her sadness at the memories being lost.

"I was absolutely amazed when no one in my class knew there were towns under the reservoir," Bramley said. "I'm from Margaretville and I always knew _ it was ingrained that people had lost their homes, so it never occurred to me that the students wouldn't know."

Finally, watershed educator Ben Murdock guided the group through a bucket of bugs. He explained that the type of insects living in water indicate the cleanliness of the water.

The teams were given paper cups filled with cutouts of bugs that they had to identify to determine how dirty their water was. The exercise is usually done with students identifying real insects they find in area streams and lakes.

Dan Cohen, who teaches fifth grade in Margaretville, said "the kids absolutely love it" when they take part in the stream-watch activities. He added that he was at the daylong seminar to find out how to incorporate additional activities into English, history and science lessons.

"The Catskill Center does so many things, and the kids get so turned on that they just absorb the information," Cohen said. "I feel so lucky that Margaretville is so close to this resource."

For information, call The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development at (845) 586-2611 or visit www.catskillcenter.org.

print this story  



autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Featured Jobs

Immediate Opening for Pizza Maker. Nights & Weekend's.
Immediate Opening for Pizza Maker. Nights & Weekend's. Apply Within Danny's Restaurant Walton. 865-8496 Ask for Wilma ...>MORE

NEED A JOB?
Visit one of several areas on our website for the latest job opportunities. Visit our Monster Jobs section where you ca...>MORE

Advertising Director
The Daily Star, a six-day per week 16,000 circulation newspaper that services a four-county area in beautiful upstate Ne...>MORE

See all ads

Featured Autos

New, Used, Dealer or Individual
If you have a new or used car that you want to sell, advertise here on our Premium Auto section of our website. Whether...>MORE

Selling your car?
If you are looking for another way to advertise that you are selling your new or used vehicle, call The Daily Star Class...>MORE

08 Carry on 6x12 Landscape Trailer
08 Carry on 6x12 Landscape Trailer with Rear Ramp Gate $1,000 607-278-5076...>MORE

LOOKING FOR A CAR OR TRUCK?
Then check out our Auto ConX section online where you find inventory from local card dealerships and beyond! Visit www....>MORE

06 Mini Cooper S Excellent Condition.
06 Mini Cooper S Excellent Condition. Pepper White Paint with Black Bonnet Stripes. Check Mate Package, Cold Weather P...>MORE

See all ads

Featured Real Estate

Lg. 2 bedroom + den, Oneonta
Lg. 2 bedroom + den, Oneonta, off st parking, no pets/smoke. $750 includes heat. 607-988-0049...>MORE

1, 2, & 3 bedroom apt.'s available for Spring 2010
1, 2, & 3 bedroom apt.'s available for Spring 2010. Also Renting for 10/11 school year. 432-1025 unitedstudentrentals.c...>MORE

Commercial Office/ Business Space Rt. 23 W. Oneonta
Commercial Office/ Business Space Rt. 23 W. Oneonta. $375/mo All Util. included. 607-434-8453...>MORE

2 bedroom, East End Oneonta
2 bedroom, East End Oneonta, $725 mo., Care Taker on Premises 646-872-8338....>MORE

Super Nice 2 Bedroom in Quiet Area Near Hospital
Super Nice 2 Bedroom in Quiet Area Near Hospital, w/d parking. Avail. 12/1 at Special Price of $700 + util. No Pets. 432...>MORE

See all ads

thedailystar.com
Home
Local News
Local Sports
Obituaries
Weather
Community
Police Blotter
Lifestyles
Letters to the Editor
Editorials
Columns
Community News
Forums
Contests
AP Headlines
Street Talk
Special sections
Web Extras
Archive
Photos
Video
Births
Step Back in Time
Support Groups
What's Going On
Communtiy Calendar

Columnists
Emily Popek
Sam Pollak
Tanya Shalor
Tom Sears
Tom Grace
Lisa Miller
Cary Brunswick
Mark Simonson
My Turn
Additional Resources
Business Card Index
Real Estate Professionals
Stay Tuned - TV Guide
Social Networks
WUOW Radio
SUNY Oneonta Weather Cam
Breaking News Alerts

Market Place
Jobs
Cars
Classifieds
Free Coupons
Yellow Pages
Place an ad
Employment Opportunties
Cafe Press: The Daily Star Store
The Best Little Coupon Book
Text Alerts
Circulation
Subscriptions
Renew Subscription
Use EZ Pay
Vacation Stop
Delivery Feedback
Address Change
Weekly Star Locations

Services
Report a website issue
Contact Information
Advertise with us
Photo Reprints
Can't find an article
Full Page Reprint

Reader Submissions
Birth Announcement
Community Event Announcement
Wedding / Engagement Announcement
News Tip or Story Idea
Photos
Letter to the Editor
Closing, Delay or Cancellation






Partners
Prom dresses Fundraisers kids bedding
Concert Tickets Payday Loan Wireless broadband Cash Advance Car Rental Avis - Hertz - Europcar
Casinos Canda Online Gambling News Online Casino Place Your Link Here!
Geld

 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
Advertiser index