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
- Intro: "The questions are all here"
- Historical Markers: Events & Values
- Maps: Culture, Environment & Industry
- Cemeteries: Veterans & World History
- Experiencing "Things": Local & Global
- Black, Native, & Other "Hidden History"
- Newspapers, Local Docs & Oral History
- Technology: Local Patents
- Historic Places & Structures
- Images: Photography & Art
- USA 250 and Your Town
- Sources for Sample Lesson Plans
- Connecting to experts & HELP FORM
EXPLORING HISTORICAL MAPS
In conjunction with historical markers and current maps, old maps of your town can be explored to find history that connects to curriculum:
- Place names
- Person names
- Transportation corridors
- Terrain & Natural Resources
- Older structures
QUESTIONS:
- Who lived here?
- What businesses were here?
- SCIENCE: What can I guess about the environment, or impacts on the environment?
- Are there any place names that are derived from Munsee Lenape or other Native American words?
- Causality: Can you see anything that affected how our community is today?
Selected Mid-Hudson Historical Maps
These are a few of the many scanned historical maps available; also look for just the name of your community.
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Orange County Atlas, 1875Atlas showing historical maps of towns in Orange County with property owner names, etc.
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Atlas of the Hudson River Valley from David Rumsey Coll. 1891Scanned historical maps of towns along the Hudson showing property owner names, features, etc.
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Dutchess County Historical Maps GuideLinks from the LDS.
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Ulster County Historical Maps GuideFrom the LDS.
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Historic Sites of Orange County (Composite)Map created in 1935
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Sanborn Fire Insurance MapsIf you live in a village or heavily populated area, chances are the Sanborn company drew maps that show what buildings and industries were where, as a way to assess fire risk. Lots of details! STEM: Technology & Environment.
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Native American Groups of the Hudson ValleyDrawn by Native American educator Evan Pritchard. Accessed at: https://www.vizettes.com/kt/upstateny-history/ny-na/upstate-local-sites.htm
ACTIVITIES & LESSONS
- Last Updated: Nov 6, 2023 10:08 AM
- URL: https://guides.rcls.org/local
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