Artifact+Bag

Artifact Bag

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1. St. Johns River in Jacksonville: This is a photograph collection of pictures of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, which is the located in the lower basin of the St. Johns River. Downtown Jacksonville is located right near the mouth of the St. Johns River and is now between the crossroads of two interstate highways. Jacksonville’s nickname is “The River City” and the culture and industry has been centered around the river. The economy of Jacksonville depends on the river because of the goods that are shipped in and out of Jacksonville using the St. Johns River. Jacksonville has become famous for its bridges and there are seven bridges total today that cross over the St. Johns River. ======

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 The first photograph shows the Jacksonville Bridge Company, which began in 1888 to build the first bridge over the St. Johns River. It was opened in 1890. The next photo shows a ferry service that was started in Arlington, Jacksonville to Fairfield in 1914, that was by Ford. These docks were called the Municipal Docks. The last picture is of the St. Johns River today in Jacksonville, which is home to one of the most famous bridges in America. I liked these photographs because they show the change in technology over 100 years. For my lesson plan I am discussing the three basins of the St. Johns River and the cities and history around the basins. These would work well for discussing the history around the lower basin of the St. Johns River. ======



2. Lake George: Lake George is part of the St. Johns River and located in the Middle Basin of the River. It is the second largest lake in Florida. The area around Lake George has been inhabitated for thousands of years, first by the Timucauan Indians. Since WWII, there has been a U.S. Military bombing range named the Pine Castle Bombing Range in the Ocala National Forest just outside of Lake George. The U.S. Military even has a designated bombing area in the lake. During WWII, the Navy had built bomb targets in Lake George and had military in the area to search for drowned pilots. The first photograph shows a house that was once located on St. George. You could use this photograph to talk about lake houses and the architecture of them. The second photograph is the Lake George today. I could use this to show the students the types of plants that grow in this marshy lake. The last photograph is a picture taken in the Ocala National Forest, close to where the U.S. military bombing area once was during WWII. I would use these photographs when discussing the Middle Basin of the St. Johns River. 







3. Farm 13 and Stick Marsh: As part of the Upper St. John’s River restoration project, the St. Johns River Water Management District created a 6,500 acre reservoir of the river. It was to help to filter runoff and provide irrigation water to agricultural areas close to the St. Johns River. This area became known as the Stick Marsh and Farm 13. It later became open to the public for fishing in 1991. At one time this area was farmland until the drainage canals were plugged to help restore the river and wetlands in this area. These canals were originally built to help as a flood protection for the areas around this part of the St. Johns River. They are continuing to expand the project in Fellsmere to create more marshland.

==The first photograph shows where the canals have been reopened to expand the wetlands of the St. Johns River, where before it was all farmland. The next photograph is one of the Stick Marsh and Farm 13 to show what the river know looks like, having been open to the public to fish. I would use these photographs when discussing the Upper Basin of the St. Johns River. ==

4. Transportation on the St. Johns River has changed significantly throughout the years. In the times of the Native Americans and the colonization of Florida, ships contained sails that would utilize the wind to move the ships along the water. Other types of boats were row boats, which would transport one or two people down the river. In the late 1700s, as technology progressed, the steamboat became the next mode of transportation. These ships were utilized to ship goods, supplies and even people up and down the river. Steamboats served as room and board for people when they traveled down the river, much like cruise ships today. Today, the river is used for recreation purposes. Families can rent house boats and vacation up the river. Airboats are an extremely popular mode of transportation along the river, and there are many locations along the river that offer airboat ride tours.

The first photograph is a 1890 painting created by Winlow Homer titled “The White Rowboat, St. Johns River” and is on display at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens in Jacksonville Florida. The second photograph is of boats that are docked on the banks of the St. Johns River. The next three photographs are of “steamers” (steamboats) traveling along the St. Johns. Photograph six is of a house boat traveling along the river and the last photograph is of an airboat. I hope that through the use of these photographs I am able to build a better understanding of how ships have changed and transformed throughout the years. I especially like the third photograph of the steamboat because the students are able to also see the differences in the style of dress from this time period in relation to now.



5. Cities along the river have changed dramatically over the years. The port in Jacksonville used to be the gateway to the river, the opening that allowed explorers access to the unsettled land. Today, it is a major port in Florida utilized for international use of importing and exporting goods, provides cruise passenger services and a local ferry service. These two photographs are pictures of the port of Jacksonville. The first is of what the port looked like during the colonization period. The later is of the port of Jacksonville in modern day. With the use of these photographs, I hope that my students will be able to visualize how different the world is today from the past.

6. The following documents are original documents of correspondence in regards to the operation of Hart's steamboat company. Hubbard L. Hart owned his own stagecoach line that carried U.S. Mail in Savannah, Georgia. He later moved to Palatka, Florida and opened a line similar to that in Savannah. He then bought a steamboat that carried supplies during the Civil War for the Confederate soldiers. After the war, he purchased more vessels that provided transport for goods and passengers along the river.

The first document is a request from a Baltimore steamboat company to provide prices for an Ocklawaha cruise. The second document is a letter discussing the operations of his steamboat line and possible sale of one or more boats. (floridamemory.com) With these documents I plan to incorporate letter writing into our unit plan. We will analyze the differences between writing letters of personal interest to a friend or family member versus professional letter writing. I hope that by seeing these documents the students will gain an interest in a lost art form, letter writing.

7. Silver Springs is one of Florida's oldest theme park attractions. In the mid 1800s, people flocked to the Ocala area to experience the crystal clear waters. In the late 1800s, the glass bottom boat was developed by Hullam Jones that would bring tourists up the silver river. He dug out a canoe and installed a glass viewing box on the flat bottom. The glass bottom boat has changed with the growth of technology and is still in use today all over the state. The following YouTube video is a recording of an glass bottom boat excursion. I would utilize snippets of the video to take the students on a “virtual” field trip and let them experience a glass bottom boat tour. I know from experience, had my parents not taken me to the Keys on a summer vacation, I would never have gained a real life connection to what riding on a glass bottom boat is like. By using this video, I hope to give my students a genuine experience of how clear the water is in silver springs and how easily the underwater animals can been seen through the glass on the boat. YouTube Video

8. The Alligator Princess: These photographs are all take from the Michelle Thatcher website [|www.alligatorprincess.com]. The photo graphic collection that I included here are all from her journey across the St. Johns River. The one to the very left shows her filming her adventure as she observers the water from her kayak. We think that this picture would be great to talk about with my students. We could talk about how brave she was for kayaking the St. Johns River by herself. How scary it might have been going alone. We could ask our students how they might have felt being under the huge ship in the picture on the very right. We could talk about how beautiful nature must have looked in the picture in the middle. We are hoping that through these pictures, we could have a visual to show to our students as we tell them the story of the alligator princess and her journey through the St. Johns River.

9. The Alligator Princess Preview: This video is from Michelle Thatcher’s Website the Alligator Princess. Michelle Thatcher videos show her journey across the St. Johns River and talk about her experiences as she goes. In this preview, she talks about her reason for Kayaking the St. Johns River, the animals, the flora, the length of the river, the waterways, how she used a map instead of a compass, the dangers that she encountered, who she met on the river, what she saw, and what she learned. We would use this video from Michel Thatcher to discuss her journey. We can talk about how she might have felt on the river. What she learned on her journey. What she found on her journey. Why she used a map instead of a GPS. This video will hopefully gain the interest of the students with the St. Johns River. Alligartor Princess Video



10. Timucua Totem of the Owl Clan: This picture was from the website [|www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org/river_History.asp]. The picture is of a [|Timucua] [|totem] of the owl clan. With this picture, we can talk about the history of the St. Johns River going as far back as the Pre Columbian people. We can talk about tribes, hunters, and the history behind the totem pole in the picture. We can also talk about what totem poles are, what they represent, and why people made them.