The Catskills: A Sense of Place - 2011 Revised Edition

A series of curriculum guides on the Catskill Mountain Region, this five module resource helps teachers enliven and enrich their lessons, and instill a sense of Catskill Mountain regional pride in their students.

Our emphasis of hands-on learning and process skills makes the guides useful for any teacher who would like to address NYS Learning Standards, listed with each activity. The lessons are designed to fit school curricula. The modules span grade levels 3-12, so students can benefit from these engaging, place-based studies over a period of years.

The Catskill Mountain Region is home to a magnificent state forest preserve and a wealth of important resources. Our communities offer a distinctive rural character that is fast disappearing from surrounding areas. The Catskills: A Sense of Place (CSP) is designed to give children a better awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the distinctive features of our area. By showing young people what makes our region beautiful and unique, you can help promote active citizenship and a better future for the Catskill Mountain Region.

The Catskills: A Sense of Place is available on this web site, free of charge. Simply download the module you want using the links below. If you prefer, you can order a printed copy of the module. We sell them at cost for $15 each plus $4 shipping and handling. You can have all six modules for $90 plus $12 S&H. Call 845-586-2611 or mail your order to The Catskill Center, Route 28, Arkville NY 12406.

Module I: Water Resources (7.68 Mb .pdf)
Module II: Geography & Geology (4.41 Mb .pdf)
Module III: Ecosystems (8.68 Mb .pdf)
Module IV: Human History (5.42 Mb .pdf)
Module V: Culture & Arts (9.53 Mb .pdf)

ModuleVI: Sustainable Catskills (10.3 Mb .pdf)

The files are in PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader if you don't already have it. Each module takes a long time to download, but your patience will be rewarded with a 200-page curriculum guide that you can save on your hard drive or print out and put in a three-ring binder. You can also preview Module 1 (year 2000 version) in HTML format.

Some items could not be included in the online version of the modules. For Module 2, you will need a Catskill Region Map, available from our online store. Some lessons in Module 5 require a publication called the Building Improvement File. This very useful resource can be purchased from the National Main Street Center.

Teacher Trainings

Our goal is to support The Catskills: A Sense of Place curriculum by helping teachers incorporate regional studies into their existing curricula. We feel that state requirements can be met through place-based studies, and taking time out for Catskills studies only moves students closer to being able to perform on state exams. Since 2002, we have worked with over 50 science, social studies, English, art, music, math, and special education teachers at Fallsburg, Margaretville, and Onteora districts, and the Otsego-Northern Catskills BOCES. This work is on-going during an entire school year, typically involving daylong sessions in September and June, and half-day visits between.

Additionally we have partnered with Elementary Education staff at SUNY Oneonta to train their soon-to-be Catskill region teachers in Sense of Place. It is our belief that by introducing the future educators in the Catskills to Catskills: A Sense of Place prior to their student teaching, they will then incorporate it into their curriculum when they are hired by local districts.

If your school district is interested in receiving training, please contact Director of Programs, Katie Palm at (845) 586-2611 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .