Country Heritage
Community (CHC) is an affiliate America's Agricultural Heritage
Partnership (AAHP). AAHP is a federally designated National Heritage
Area known popularly as Silos and Smokestacks and covers a 37-county
area in northeast Iowa.
In 1997, a grassroots volunteer organization
calling itself the "Turkey River Valley Tourism Group"
representing the four most northeast counties (Allamakee, Clayton,
Fayette and Winneshiek) met with Silos and Smokestacks. Active work
commenced to put together a program plan, an organization, leadership
and funding. The aims were to create and launch collaborative activities
focused on promoting the agricultural and natural heritage of the
four-county region. The outcome of these meetings was the creation
of the CHC organization as Silos and Smokestacks' first strategic
investment area.
The goals of CHC are:
-
educating youth and adults about
America’s agricultural and natural heritage and its significance
to the nation and the world;
-
increasing visitor
participation—solid economic impact—as a result of program
enhancements, tours and marketing;
-
Building the capacity of the area to
further develop and sustain agricultural and natural heritage
tourism through new sites, attractions and events.
The Country Heritage Community organization sponsored a number of
major educational initiatives in northeast Iowa including a Tour Task
Force, Heritage Grant and Loan Program, the Maize Maze, and the book you
are reading, the CHC Field Trip Guide. It continues operations as
an affiliate of Silos and Smokestacks.
For more information about Silos and Smokestacks and Country Heritage
Community, visit their websites: www.silosandsmokestacks.org
and www.silosandsmokestacks.org/chc.
Phone Silos and Smokestacks at their main office in Waterloo at
319-234-4567.
The purpose
of this guide is to provide Iowa teachers with easy access to background
information and lesson ideas that link the many natural and historic
resources of northeast Iowa with sound exemplary teaching practices.
In helping to web the material in this book to the classroom, the
introduction provides Pre-Field Trip Administrative, Logistical and
Instructional Checklists. In addition, suggestions are provided to
help enhance student experiences during and after field trips.
This material is consistent with a hands-on philosophy of learning that
recognizes the importance of authentic learning where students engage
actively in problem solving and where abstract thinking is welcomed and
encouraged.
To assist the
teacher in building this kind of classroom climate, a sample selection
of teaching and learning tools were placed in the Introduction.
These tools, including the Fish Bone, Building a Conceptual Web, the
Decision Wheel, the KWL Chart, the Matrix Sheet and Shopping Bag History
Project, provide concrete methods by which teachers can assist students
in organizing and presenting new information in ways that are
meaningful. These tools also help teachers present content but not
at the expense of skills. All this can be done while singing the
Field Trip Song!
This guide
also includes important background information on the Mississippi River
as well as lesson ideas applied specifically to a sample of historic and
cultural sites within the four-county area of northeast Iowa.
On
to General Field Trip Guidelines...