Local History in the Classroom: Connecting Community & Curriculum
A brief guide to linking local history & community heritage to curriculum topics.,focusing on the Mid-Hudson area of New York State, by S. Gardner 2023
Your local historical society usually can give you a short list of structures and sites they consider "historic." Often those that have been preserved have documentation, even if never put on the National Register.
Digitized documents for National Register listings. Search string example: "national register of historic places" "new york" "orange county". Or use your town name instead of Orange County.
The Mid-Hudson Region is contained in the Hudson River Valley National Historic Area. Their website features links and resources to publicly owned major historic sites; it focuses on a narrow corridor near the river. There are topical maps, as well, such as Revolutionary War.
ACTIVITIES & LESSONS
Using scanned historical and current maps, and "street view" exploration, have students explore & suggest houses and places they think are "historic."
Discussion: Why is something considered "historic?"
Write an opinion piece about a place in town that you think is historic, and why.
Does the designation as "historic" rely on a valuing written recorded information? Does oral tradition play a role? Where is the line between "legend" and "history"? (The Pomeroy Foundation now has a program offering grants for "legends" markers.)
What do the structures and places considered by the community as historic in your town say about values?
Lesson plans from Marist's Hudson River Valley Institute, that can often be "localized" for your community:
