Presque Isle

1. Presque Isle Meghan Corbett, Jenna Conrad, and Julie Hersey

2. Noticings: Hear • Crashing Water • People • Wildlife • Seagulls • Breeze • Sand

3. Noticings: Smell • Water • Sand • Sun tan lotion • Trees • Wet Dog • Pollen • Grass

4. Noticings: See • Water • Wildlife • Trees • Sand • People • Trails • Lighthouse • Clouds • Boats • Sun • Snow • Ice

5. Noticings: Feel • Sand • Sun • Sticks • Water • Rocks • Calmness • Breeze

6. Questions • Do you have to pay? • Is the water safe? • Where does the funding come from for the recreational activities that are available? • Who takes care of the upkeep? • Life guards? • What makes the sunset so unique from any other sunset? • What kind of wildlife can be found at Presque Isle? • Can the wildlife be found anywhere else? • What kind of plants can be found at Presque Isle? • How long has Presque Isle been open? • What seasonal activities are available?

7. Contextual Information • French for “almost an island” • The US Government chose this location to build a fleet of ships during the war of 1812 because it formed the only protected harbor on Lake Erie.  • In 1813, during the battle of Lake Erie, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry successfully defended Lake Erie against the British with ships that were built on Presque Isle Bay • Habitats on Presque Isle include beaches, dunes, grasslands, savannas, mature forests, marshes, swamps, ponds, and lagoons. • 320 bird species, 47 mammal species, and 30 amphibian and reptile species. 

8. Context of Work: • Social YouTube • Four million visitors are drawn every year to Presque Isle State Park's beaches, natural beauty and bountiful recreational opportunities. • 21 miles of recreational and hiking trails. • Presque Isle's beaches are open from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and see their heaviest use from late June through August. • Most of these visitors come to the park for swimming and sunbathing at its seven miles of guarded, sandy beaches, which have earned the park a place in the nation's "Top 100 Swimming Holes" listed by Condé Nast Traveler magazine.

9. Activities in the Summer • Hiking • Biking • Boat Tours • Marina • Water-skiing • Scuba Diving • Picnicking • Swimming • Boating • Fishing • Hunting • Wildlife Watching

10. Activities in the Winter • Cross-country Skiing  • Snowmobiling  • Sledding • Ice Fishing  • Ice Skating  • Iceboating

11. Seasonal Natural Attractions • January to February: Ice dunes form on Lake Erie; skiing and snowshoeing • April to May: Early spring migrants and shorebirds, osprey and bald eagle sighted during migration (May) Peak of warbler migration • June to July: Summer wildflowers, shorebird migration begins, aquatic wildflowers in bloom • August: Summer wildflowers in great abundance; young herons seen in lagoons • September: Fall warbler migration through month; bird banding; osprey and bald eagle often sighted • October: Waterfowl migration; monarch butterfly migration, foliage best in second week • December: Christmas Bird Count within 10 days of Christmas

12. Context of Work: • Historical • The Eriez Indians lived along the southern shores of Lake Erie and were the early inhabitants of the area. • According to legend, the Eriez ventured far into the Lake to find the place where the sun sank into the waters. The spirits of the lake caused a great storm to arise, so the Great Spirit stretched out his left arm into the lake to protect the Eriez from the storm. • Where the sheltering arm of the Great Spirit had lain in the lake, a great sandbar in the shape of an arm-like peninsula was formed to act for all ages as a shelter and harbor of refuge for the Great Spirit's favorite children, the Eriez. • It was not until the French occupied this part of the new world in the 1700s that it became known as Presque Isle, which translated means "almost an Island.”

13. Historical continued • The peninsula became a state park in 1921 • Since then large amounts of money have been spent to make visiting the park a better and more pleasant experience. • Three years after becoming a park the project of lying paved roads around the park began. Today the road network creates a 13-mile loop around the outer edge of peninsula. • Before the roads were built the only visitor to the park were primarily boaters. Many years later the roads were destroyed by storms, and they were rebuilt further away from the shore. • The peninsula has a great environment for exercising.

14. Historical Context Continued… • In 1984, a multi-purpose blacktop trail was built for bike riding, running, and inline skating. • In 1992, 55 break walls were constructed off the shore to slow down the waves thus slowing down the amount erosion that would take place on beaches. • These break walls save the park over a million dollars a year that would be spent on replenishing sand on the beaches. • The project took 4 years and cost over $23 million. In the summer of 2005, the Tom Ridge Environmental Center opened to the public to learn about the unique the environment and wildlife that Presque Isle has. • The center cost $31 million to be built.

15. Access for People with Disabilities • The Tom Ridge Environmental Center is ADA accessible. Accessible picnic tables and parking spaces have been designated throughout the park. All restrooms at Presque Isle State Park are accessible. The 13.5-mile Multi-purpose National Recreational Trail consists entirely of a paved surface and provides access throughout the park. Access to surf-type swimming is provided via a ramp and mats at Waterworks Beach (Beach 7). There are accessible fishing piers, picnic pavilions, picnic tables and grills at the East Pier and West Pier areas, which also provide spectacular views of Presque Isle Bay and the skyline of Erie. The Stull Interpretive Center is accessible.

16. Context of Work: • Cultural • Presque Isle State Park is a 3,200-acre sandy peninsula that arches into Lake Erie. As Pennsylvania's only "seashore,” • A National Natural Landmark, Presque Isle is a favorite spot for migrating birds. Because of the many unique habitats, Presque Isle contains a greater number of the state's endangered, threatened and rare species than any other area of comparable size in Pennsylvania. • It has 13 miles (21 km) of roads, 21 miles (34 km) of recreational trails, 13 beaches for swimming, and a marina. Popular activities at the park include swimming, boating, hiking, biking, and bird watching.

17. Context of work continued… • Cultural • Over 320 species of birds have been recorded on Presque Isle; at least 39 of these are listed as species of special concern. • There are different ecological zones within Presque Isle State Park, each with a different plant and animal community. • These zones are: Lake Erie; the bay and shoreline; sandy plain and new ponds; sand dunes and ridges; marshes and old ponds; thicket and sub-climax forest; and climax forest. • Lake Erie, which surrounds the park, is the first zone and is home to 80 species of fish and at least six species of crustaceans

18. Personal Connections • I think Presque is a great place. I have a cabin on the lake so it brings back many positive connotations and memories. Presque Isle is a place that I always go to with my friends, so it is always a good time. Every night my family has a dinner on our deck and we watch the sun go down. It is so beautiful and the colors are amazing to look at. When we went and watched the sun set at Presque Isle I thought it was really cool to see the same beauty of a sunset, but from a completely different part of the world. It really made me think of the consistency of beauty, and that no matter where you are, some things never change, but the experience is unique.

19. Personal Connections • I remember during my recruiting process to come to this school someone told me about Presque Isle. I did not know what it was until I went for a visit to check it out. One of the reasons why I felt comfortable and excited about coming to school in Erie was because of how pretty Presque Isle was and how many things it had to offer! Since I have lived here, Presque Isle has become more of a natural art location and a place I like to visit often because of how aesthetically pleasing it is.

20. Personal Connections • As a kid I can remember coming up to visit my cousin who also went to Mercyhurst. I remember coming up in the summer and winter and going to visit the beach. It was a great part of my childhood memories with my family. When I decided to come to Mercyhurst I was excited because I would once again be able to live the memories of my childhood summers and winters visiting Presque Isle.

21. Curriculum Connections • What forms of wildlife can be found at the different times of year? • What kinds of plants can be found at the different times of year?

22. Curricular Connections • Perception/ experiences – everyone has a different perception of art, with this picture of the sunset we all altered it using Photoshop Express. We changed the photo according to how we imagined the sunset in an artistic way.

23. Curricular Connections • Awareness- throughout this class we have discussed how important art awareness is. We noticed that for many people, Presque Isle is such a huge and everyday part of Erie that most people are not aware of its artistic beauty. To raise awareness to keep Presque Isle’s natural beauty the city can help residents keep the beaches and the walk ways clean and filled with beautiful plants.

25. Children’s Literature

26. Possible Lines of Inquiry/key ideas • How does Presque Isle and the sunset provide an aesthetic experience? • Is Presque Isle and/or the sunset at Presque Isle a major symbol of Erie, Pennsylvania? • Does Presque Isle give Erie a certain appearance and is that appearance a misconception? • Do Erie residents and tourist have the same views of Presque Isle or are they different? • How do the experiences differ when in different seasons, whether, and at different times of the day? • What is the importance of Presque Isle and it’s well known sunset for Erie the city?

27. Line of Inquiry • Aesthetic: • How does Presque Isle use size, space, and proportion to create an awareness of multiple historical events such as the War of 1812 and the Battle of Lake Erie, and the many pollution issues that impact not only the city of Erie but the conceptions of tourists? • Pedagogical: • How does the sunset at Presque Isle and Presque Isle as a State Park have an impact on the life of Erie citizens and tourists from the 1700’s to present day to those who experience and see what Presque Isle has to offer?

28. Line of Inquiry Activities • Activity one – students will create a sculpture of an animal or plant they find unique after a visit to Presque Isle. The sculpture should incorporate size, texture, color, shape, and creativity. The students should use their imaginations to create a background setting for their sculpture and use various materials to add texture and life to their piece of art.

29. Line of Inquiry Activities • Activity two – the students will interview two or three people who have lived in Erie for over ten years. During the interview the students will ask questions like: when was the first time you went to Presque isle? What do you like to do while you are there? How much has the park changed since you have first visited it? What do you think is unique and special about the park? What do you think Erie would be like without Presque Isle? After the interview is complete the students will compare their answers with one another during a classroom discussion.