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Contact: Deb Wade, 207-288-8802
Passamaquoddy History and Culture: A Traveling Teaching Kit for Grades 5-8 has won third place in the curriculum category of the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) annual media award competition. The competition is designed to promote excellence in the delivery of natural, cultural, and historical nonpersonal interpretive services. Nominations include submissions from federal agencies, such as the National Park Service, Forest Service, and Fish and Wildlife Service; state and local parks; private parks; and nature centers. The award was announced at the National Interpreters Workshop in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in November. The Passamaquoddy Kit was created in response to a suggestion by Passamaquoddy Elder Joseph Nicholas to provide additional Passamaquoddy content in the interpretation of Saint Croix Island International Historic Site. Supervisory Park Ranger Marc Neidig of Acadia National Park and Program Coordinator Marie Yarborough of the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, Maine, created the kit in consultation with Passamaquoddy elders and community members. Special thanks go to the staff at the Waponahki Museum at Pleasant Point (especially Dolly Dana and David Francis), Martin Dana, Jeremy Frey, Alison Lewey, Elizabeth Neptune, Donald Soctomah, Madonna Soctomah, and Robert M. Leavitt, co-editor-in-chief of the Maliseet-Passamaquoddy dictionary. The Passamaquoddy Kit, which is designed for fifth through eighth grade students, uses student-centered activities and tactile elements to explore Passamaquoddy culture and history from 12,000 years ago to the present. A downloadable version of the kit, designed by Acadia National Park Graphics Ranger Todd Edgar, allows educators to build a Passamaquoddy Kit for their classrooms. Educators can download kit contents from the Acadia National Park website at www.nps.gov/acad/forteachers/passkit.htm. The kit is also available for loan to educators though Saint Croix Island International Historical Site, Acadia National Park, and the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor. On Friday, March 9, the National Park Service will present a teacher workshop at the Abbe Museum on the use of the Passamaquoddy Kit in the classroom. For workshop details, contact the Abbe Museum at 207-288-3519. For more information about the kit, contact Acadia National Park at 207-288-3338 or via e-mail, or the Abbe Museum at 207-288-3519 or via e-mail. |
Last updated: February 26, 2015