The Hudson River in the 19th Century & the Modernization of America

“The Hudson River in the 19th Century and the Modernization of America was a
very rich experience. I believe the directors did a good job of encompassing all the
disciplines. I felt they provided us links to many sources of primary sources to take
back to the classroom and include in our lesson plans.”

“5 stars for this Hudson River immersion. There are so many connections with
what I teach; I know I can bring this week’s experience in to enrich my curriculum
in many ways. I already use the Hudson River as an organizing tool in my
Exploration and Revolution units – but now I will continue that into the 19th
century.”

“Ramapo College is beautiful. The staff is hospitable and professional and the
study facilities were well air conditioned, clean, and accessible.”

“This was a fabulous opportunity to see and experience a waterway that was
crucial to the development of commerce and has long captured the imagination of
artists and writers. The workshop provided me with a more detailed understanding
of the significance of the Hudson in the Revolutionary War, the development of
NYC, and the expansion of trade and commerce through the Erie Canal.”

“Overall, would rate this workshop as a 10 out of 10. I hit upon an idea that I think
will transform the way in which my students review older material and the ways
in which they grapple with larger course themes. The Hudson River provides
an opportunity to integrate a very broad variety of course themes through the
incorporation of primary source material ranging from Hudson River paintings to
train schedules and commercial advertisements.”

“The directors of the program were superb. They strove to be helpful in all aspects
of the program. They engaged with us in practical matters as well as assisting us
in finding answers to our questions. I have never met such engaged and friendly
professors as those two.”

“I have walked away from this week with one fundamental new understanding of
an entire time period, half a dozen new lesson plan ideas that I intend on using in
the coming school year and a rich two week unit that connects two existing content
points in my curriculum with a local history study of the impact of the Hudson
River and the Industrial Revolution on my student’s community.”

“The experience was full of intellectual and hands-on experiences that challenged
me to learn about a landmark I had passed all my life. I think this experience
not only provided time for me to learn and enrich myself, but will enhance my
teaching in two ways: 1) it has reminded me what it means to be a learner and a
student, something I often forget during the school year and 2) it has allowed me to
become more expert in an era and an area about which I teach. I’ve collected great
resources and ideas that will definitely inform my teaching.”

Directors were A+++ …. they could not have done a better job in my opinion.
Visiting faculty was varied and presented many different but all excellent views on
the river. The colleagues were all enthusiastic and engaged. It was organized and
run beautifully. I am very happy with the overall experience.”

“This experience was academically invigorating for me. I have wanted to bring
more connections about the Hudson River to my students, and this workshop has
filled every nook and cranny of my available brain space with information. I have
begun making connections between this information and the places where I can
actually insert real lessons into both 4th and 5th grade curriculum; this spans across
all curricular areas – reading, writing, literature, math, social studies, science, art,
music and research skills. I am excited to take this back to my own classroom and
plan to share with the other 4th and 5th grade teachers in my school and the other 2
elementary schools in the area.”

“This was a very exciting and worthwhile experience. Being a social studies
teacher, it was wonderful to broaden my understanding of art, literature, science
and writing. I was challenged intellectually and stimulated as an educator to find

new ways to incorporate the content learned into my curriculum, as well as find
ways to broaden my use of art and literature in my writing.”

“This experience was very life changing. Visiting the actual Hudson River and
seeing the Hudson River painters’ artwork in person was so enriching and will
vitalize my Drawing and Painting curriculum as well as my AP Art History
curriculum.”

“A fabulous week. Great sites and information. I have a much deeper
understanding of the Hudson River School of art and the Valley’s importance in the
growth of New York.”

“This experiential workshop was tremendous. The interdisciplinary approach
provided me with information on all facets of the Hudson River during the 19th
century. The readings that were made available prior to the workshop allowed
insight into the main themes. The facilitators were knowledgeable, helpful, and
clear in all their presentations. A large amount of resource materials were made
available to assist in preparing curriculum materials at our home schools.”

“This was a great workshop. The sites we visited were excellent choices; the
speakers were experts and we enjoyed the knowledge they imparted. I think this
workshop can only enhance my ability as a teacher to help my students gain real
world knowledge by studying history. The exchange between colleagues was the
best way to get ideas to bring what we learned home to our students.”

“It was a world class experience in every way! I’m sure that the knowledge and
insights I gained at this workshop will be used to the good advantage of my
students for years to come!”

“This workshop was amazing! It was the first NEH program that I have ever
attended and it far exceeded my expectations. I teach Math, Social Studies and

Science and I have found enough material to plan lessons in each of these subjects
areas. Better yet, I plan to integrate lessons using an interdisciplinary theme. From
math problem solving (salinity %, tide tables, mapping distances using the Hudson
River map etc) to Social Studies to Science, what I learned in the past week will
complement my current curriculum tremendously.”

“This was a completely rejuvenating experience in every sense. I came away from
the workshop with new ways of constructing units (even classes) with the theory
of “place based” learning. The workshop used different methods of teaching that
could be easily extracted and utilized in the classroom. The knowledge gleaned
from lectures may prove most valuable, requiring students to examine topics from
new paradigms. Most importantly, teachers could attend the workshop and rehash
the zest for teaching that is often lost after years in the professions.”