Parks+&+Recreation

= Group Name: Parks and Recreation =


 * Adult Leader/s: Emily Oliapuram and Sandra Fritz**


 * Student Members:**
 * Elizabeth Salas, Catherine Alvear, Nahian Choudhury, Mary Degante, Kimberly Guevara, Valerie Nasso, Karol Vergara, Caitlin DeJesus, Yolanda Ramos, Laura Buritica, Alondra Caceres, Russell Chan, Rafael Cordero, Paola Novel **

GOALS - Parks & Recreation: What is the importance of greenery to our physical health & mental health? HOW CAN STUDENTS RE-ENVISION THEIR OWN COMMUNAL SPACES? Make comparison Before and After the week's activities. Investigate 1) public art in parks, 2) High Line - why is this important? 3) Travers Park - envisioning a communal space. STUDENT OBSERVATION - How is Greenwood Cemetary designed? How is Manhattan's Central Park designed? (use your 5 senses: how is this space inviting?)
 * Goals and Objectives: **

Connections - each morning we will do different activities to help students connect into the space. Examples - Recipe Card Mix Up, Talking Stick, Birth Order, North/South/East/West.

Icebreaker - morning routine: Recipe Card Mix-up. Pair/Share: - List what you like about parks, plazas/ communal spaces. Gallery Walk with questions: - 1) Why do you think they are important? 2) What are your favorite parks or hangout spaces?
 * Activities:**
 * Monday, October 21 - **
 * Created groundrules for respectful group interaction.
 * Start group focus on parks and communal spaces.
 * We started the morning with an icebreaker so our group could celebrate who they are and get to know more about each other.
 * They wrote recipes describing their personalities and presented it to the rest of the group.
 * We then described what our ideal parks space were and what the attributes were for these communal spaces.



Research and create slide show of parks and communal spaces. Criteria: What do you notice?
 * Formulate questions about parks and communal spaces.

12:15 - Trip to Greenwood Cemetary for trolley tour.
 * Notice - Using 5 senses: how does the space look & feel?
 * Why was Central Park modeled after this space?
 * Students will find out about the historical background of the cemetary & its role in designing Central Park. History of Greenwood: What did you learn?



Icebreaker - morning routine: Birthdays activity. AM - Pair-Share: brainstorm interview questions for Councilman Danny Dromm; meet councilman at PlayStreet, Travers Park for interview.
 * Tuesday, October 22 - **
 * Focus questions: 1) Why is there a need in Jackson Heights for more communal spaces? 2) How has the community pro-actively organized around this issue?
 * Create Interview questions for Danny Dromm's office? Note-taking during interview.



PM: Review video of Danny Dromm; compare and contrast Greenwood Cemetary with Travers Park/Playstreet.
 * NY 1 video on Daniel Dromm's greening focus of Jackson Heights;
 * Article - Green Spaces Then and Now; Green Environments Essential for Human Health, Research Shows.
 * Paragraph; relate interview to articles, provide evidence for POV

AM: Read Aloud NY Times article re walking in the park. Jigsaw activity - "How Cities Use Parks to..."
 * Wednesday, October 23 - **
 * Student pairs read & report about the advantages to living near parks.
 * Consider community revitalization; community engagement; economic development; safer neighborhoods.
 * “Easing Brain Fatigue with a Walk in the Park”, by Gretchen Reynold, (NY Times)



PM: Trip to the High Line, Manhattan.
 * Focus: 1) Reclaiming Urban Space for a Communal Space/Park. 2) Arts in the Parks:
 * Explore sculptures in the High Line [[image:parksrecHL3.JPG]]
 * Scavenger Hunt - find artwork
 * photos of highline

AM-PM: Work on Project. Late PM: Question/Answer about Parks and Recreation; Beachball activity/closing - Questions about Parks & Rec
 * Thursday, October 24 - **[[image:rensizzle/parksrecHL1 (1).JPG]] [[image:parksrecHL1 (2).JPG]]
 * Each student will be actively engaged in finishing their final projects.
 * Work on power-points, physical landscape designs, etc.
 * During the final project: Why did you create this, using the topics we've learned this week in class?



Each student will be actively engaged in finishing their final projects. Late PM: Beachball activity/closing - Questions about Parks & Rec
 * Friday, October 25 - **LIVE PRESENTATION in Auditorium
 * During the final project answer: Why did you create this, using the topics we've learned this week in class?
 * Work on power-points, physical landscape designs, etc.


 * Photos/Pics/Blogs:**