Activities by Grade Level
Middle School

Climb Every Mountain
You Are There!

Social Studies: Geography – Curriculum Standard 10, Students will demonstrate the ability to use maps, mental maps, globes, and other graphic tools and technologies to acquire, process, report and analyze geographic information.

A friendly rivalry existed between the Cornish and Dublin colonies in the 19 th century. Both boasted beautiful scenery as inspiration to its artists. Dublin had Mount Monadnock and Cornish, Mount Ascutney.

Students should pinpoint the location of each of the mountains on a map. Have your students make a chart with two columns, one for each mountain, compare and contrast the characteristics and history of each. Which was higher? How much higher? How did the artists refer to the mountains? Where is each located? What notable details can you list about each? What does the word ‘Monadnock’ mean?

The year is 1898. You are a painter and you have been invited by a friend to spend a month at Cornish Colony. You will keep a diary and write in it each day. Write several diary entries that describe your time at Cornish. Describe your daily routine, your surroundings, the place you are staying, where you eat, how you feel, and how your painting has been affected by your stay. You might wish to include sketches of your surroundings in your diary entries.