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Housatonic River Unit

 

Journal Assignments

 

Purpose:

The purpose of the journal assignments is for you to keep a record of the various activities you accomplish during the interdisciplinary Housatonic River Unit. Some of these journal entries will be completed in class, some will be completed on field trips, and others will be assigned as homework. The journal will receive an overall product grade that will count in all four major classes. You are responsible for your journal, so do not misplace it.

 

Expectations:

You are expected to complete all the journal assignments to the best of your ability. You should do your best work. Since this is a journal assignment, you will not be graded harshly on spelling and grammar. You also do not have to rewrite any of the work you complete in class in your journal. All written work needs to be in complete sentences, unless otherwise specified.

 

Journal Format:

Your journal entry should start with the following information:

Date:

Activity:

Number of Entry: (Example: 4.a.)

This information should be at the top left hand corner of the page.

 

Journal Assignments/Prompts:

Read each prompt and answer all the questions or directions in complete sentences.

 

1. Introductory Writing Piece (2 pages long)

Write a brief response to each of the following questions:

  • What are your initial reactions to this project?
  • What questions do you have about the unit or activities associated with the unit?
  • Is there any piece of the project that remains unclear to you?
  • What prior knowledge of the Housatonic River, or any river, do you possess?
  • What do you hope to learn from this unit?
  • What are you looking forward to in this unit?
  • Any other related comments.

 

2. Settler Expectations (2 pages)

Before setting out on the river, you need to imagine yourself as a new settler to the area just arrived from Boston. The year is 1733, and you are viewing the river and the surrounding environment for the first time. Write your initial reaction to viewing this scene, while considering the following:

 

  • What does the river and the environment look like? Use your five senses in your description as much as possible.
  • How does this environment compare to Boston?
  • What is your initial reaction to the beauty of the river?
  • What would you need to do to learn more about the river and its resources?
  • What types of wildlife are visible? What kinds of resources are visible?
  • Any other related comments or reactions to this new environment.

 

3. Reaction to Canoeing Experience (2 pages)

After participating in the canoe activity, you will need to write a one-page response to your experience. You should record the different sights, sounds, and visuals that you noticed. Some things to consider are:

 

  • How did you feel in the canoe? Was this your first time on the river?
  • Did you feel confident or frightened? Why?
  • Was the canoeing challenging for you? Why or why not?
  • What did you find exciting about the trip?
  • What interesting things did you witness?
  • Do you have a different opinion of the river now that you have been on it?
  • Any other ideas or comments.

 

You also need to compose a short poem (at least 10 lines) about your experience on the river or on the natural beauty of the river.

 

  • Your poem should be written on one page of your journal and have no other journal requirements on that page.
  • Your poems should be grammatically correct, and you should not have any spelling errors.
  • Your poem should freeform, although invented forms of poetry can be used.
  • Your poems should have some elements of poetry included (stanza structure, figurative language, sounds of poetry).

 

4. Bartholomew's Cobble Stations (2 pages per station)

For each station you visited on the Cobble trip, you need to complete two pages in your journal. One page will include your notes that you take while on the trip, and the other page will answer the questions, directions, and/or prompts you will receive at each station on the day you go to the Cobble. You are responsible for copying the prompts down at the Cobble so that you can write the responses at home that night. You will be required to write two pages worth of information about each of the following stations:

 

a. Living History:

•   How did the Europeans’ attitudes about the environment affect how the settlers treated the land and its resources?

•   How have our attitudes today changed or remained the same?

 

b. Water Quality:

Based on the water quality data we took of the Housatonic River at the Cobble answer the following questions. Be sure to support your statements with qualitative and quantitative data/observations.

  • How suitable is the water for aquatic life? 
  • How is the water quality different at the two sites? 

 

c. Ecosystems/Soils:

How are the three different ecosystems you observed today at the Housatonic River alike and different? (Include both biotic and abiotic factors in your explanation.)

Which ecosystem did you like the best and why?

 

·                                 

·                          d. Art/Math:

·        Art Prompt: Take one of your best sketches, and to the best of your ability draw, color and describe that "Shape in Nature.”

·        Math Prompt: In your own words, how is nature kaleidoscope of shapes with many variations on a few basic themes?

 

5. Concluding Journal Entry (2 pages)

Write your reaction to each of the following questions:

 

  • How has your opinion of the Housatonic River changed since the beginning of this unit?
  • What have you learned from this unit?
  • What was your most memorable experience during the unit? Why?
  • How do you think you could help the river and its maintenance in the future?
  • How are you getting along in your group?
  • Do you have any concerns about finishing the project? (Please explain all concerns.)
  • Any other closing remarks.