Preboom!

SPRING, 2011-2012

 

What was it about the Genesee River that drew people to settle here?  What challenges

did they face journeying to and settling in this area?  What were the first settlements like? 

Third graders will be exploring what the river and the surrounding land were like at the arrival of the first settlers. They will learn about the first seven settlements along the Genesee, including what made each one unique.   Each crew will concentrate on one settlement, visiting the area where it was located, using historic and present day maps, and working with a local historian and historic texts to piece together the history of that settlement.  Each child will create and take on the role of a community member unique t o their settlement.  They will use primary source documents, including a city directory, letters, and journal entries, along with information gleaned from historians and guest speakers to create a profile that accurately depicts what their “character’s” life could have been like (realistic historical fiction).  Characters might include a mother, a young child, a miller, a ferryman, innkeeper, etc.   From their character’s perspective, they will be writing journal entries and letters.  In addition, they will be compiling a variety of artifacts that represent their character’s experience moving from Connecticut, journeying to their new settlement, arriving, and living there.   Throughout the process third graders will build on their knowledge of the role of climate/land in determining how people live, map skills, note taking, and public speaking.