In preparation for working with Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and visiting Esopus Meadows Environmental Center, students read A River Ran Wild. They study how the Industrial Revolution brought about change in the Nashua River Valley and how it affected the Nashua River. Parallels to the Hudson River are then discussed.
Students learn about the ecology and geography of the Hudson River through a site visit to Esopus Meadows Environmental Center. Information about the site experience and follow-up activities are provided.
Students participate in a simulated archaeological dig in their schoolyard to learn more about the different time periods they will be studying throughout the school year.
Through their visit to Philipsburg Manor, students will gain an understanding of what life was like for the Philipses, the tenant farmers, and a community of enslaved Africans. They will also learn about the different types of commodities that were traded during the mid 18th century.