Take a look at this historic map of New Orleans: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/new_orleans_1798.jpg

Questions for map:
How many years ago was this map made?

What is a cypress?

Watch the video clip on Fresh Water Communities located at this link:

http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwep.htm

Pay close attention to the section on wetlands.

What has happened to most of the world’s wetland areas?

If wetlands act like “giant sponges that keep areas from flooding” what do suppose happens when cities are built on wetland areas?

What animals live in the cypress swamp?

Do any of these animals live where you live?

Click on the link to read more about a white tailed deer.
http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/whitetaileddeer.htm

Read this poem by George Oppen
http://unix.cc.wmich.edu/~cooneys/poems/oppen.poem.html

Questions/Activities

What is a psalm?
Why do you think the poet named this poem “Psalm”?
What is the feeling expressed in this poem for the wild deer?
What are the deer doing? Where? How are they described? What are the most interesting images in the poem? What are the words you like?

Make a list the most interesting and unusual animals that live near you. Be specific—for instance, instead of listing “birds” say which ones: herons, crows, hummingbirds…

How do you feel when you meet a wild animal? What do you think about?

When and where did you and this animal encounter each other? Can you tell a story about it or write a poem like George Oppen’s poem that starts by describing what the animal is doing and what they look like?

What is a bayou?
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/bayou

What is the original language(s) of the word?

You can see the bayou system clearly on this map: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/united_states/gulfport_1982.jpg
(remember to click on the page and use the zoom box.)

When was this map made?

Does this map give you an idea of the amount of water and wetlands in the New Orleans area in recent times ?

Find and name 10 bayous in the New Orleans area.

THE FRENCH QUARTER
Examine this historical map of the Plan de la Nouvelle Orleans Capitale de Louisiana: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/new_orleans_plan_1728.jpg

This is the map of the first European settlement in the area we now know as Southern Louisiana.

Which European nation built this settlement?

Can you recognize any of the words on the map?

What is the name of the river on this map?

What is this river’s name today?

The settlement has a church at its center. Read about the history of this church here:
http://stlouiscathedral.org/historye.htm

	For what person was the cathedral named? You can find recent photos of the cathedral here: http://www.neworleanschurches.com/stlouiscath/stlouiscath.htm What religion does this cathedral represent?

Who built the first churches of California?

What were these churches called? Is there one near you? Have you ever visited one of these places?

Is there a church at the center of your community today? What do you know about it?
Can you find its history on the internet? When was it built? By whom? What religion does the church represent? What did the community look like when the church was new?

What other buildings and/or services are at the center of your community today?

Writing exercise:Write two detailed paragraphs based on the following questions:

If you could create your own town or city, what would be the first thing you would build?
Where would your city be located? Why? What would you name it? What would the people like to do? Where would they work?