Louisiana Studies in Historic Preservation Site Tour

This Site Tour will introduce you to the newly redesigned web site for Louisiana Studies in Historic Preservation.

In 1989 Louisiana became the first state in the nation to produce a statewide architectural heritage curriculum. Its goal is to provide children with a sense of appreciation, pride, and stewardship for Louisiana's historic buildings. Louisiana Studies in Historic Preservation is an expanded version of that curriculum packaged in a new, user-friendly format.

The site examines the types of historic buildings found within the state and how these buildings reflect Louisiana's history and culture. Although it is intended primarily for educators, the site will also be useful to all persons interested in Louisiana.

Content:

The web site contains ten units. These include:

French Creole Heritage
The Acadians
Plantation Life
Pioneer Settlement
Victorian Era
Age of Mechanization
20^th Century
Downtown Louisiana
African American Life
Caring for Our Heritage

Each unit is organized into four parts: a background narrative, a content document (known as the EZ Content Blueprint), a lesson plan (containing a PowerPoint presentation) and classroom activities. Each unit also has access to the following:

Glossary: Definitions of pertinent terms can be found in the illustrated glossary.
Images & Photos: Photographs and drawings illustrating the different types of structures and building parts are linked to appropriate places in the text.
National Register: A link to the Division of Historic Preservation's National Register of Historic Places Web Site provides information on Register properties in each Louisiana parish.

For the General Public:

Each unit opens with an introductory page summarizing its content for the general public. This page connects to the unit's table of contents page, from which one can link to the unit's four components. Although the background narrative and EZ Content Blueprint will be of most interest to the general public, the lesson plan and activities sections can also be reached from the table of contents page.

For Educators:

Educators can use the units as resources to supplement their Louisiana history textbooks. They can also design their own lessons or blocks of lessons or use small portions of the site to enhance lessons with real life applications.

A special Educator Area has been included to assist teachers striving to meet the state's curriculum and testing standards. This area contains links to a chart listing the Strands and Standards addressed by Louisiana Studies in Historic Preservation. It also contains links to documents listing the Louisiana Social Studies Strands and Content Standards. Finally, a link to the Content Standards Component of the Making Connections area of the Department of Education’s web site is also provided. Teachers may enter the individual units through the Educator Area as well as from the Home Page.

The web site is also an excellent source of materials for those who home school their children.

To Access a Unit:
1. Click on the unit's name within the banner on the Home Page.
2. After reading the unit introduction, click on the unit's name below the banner at the top of the page.
3. On the unit's Table of contents page, click thename of the component (Background,EZ Content Blueprint, Lesson Plan, or Activities) you wish to see.
4. You can easily reach any unit or supporting document (glossary, images, etc.) from almost every page within the site. Just click the appropriate link at the top (below the banner) or bottom of each page.
5. Educators can access the Educator Area by clicking on links at the bottom of most pages. For the sake of convenience, the pages also have Educator Area links near the top just below the banner.
6. Individual units can be reached from within the Educator Area by clicking on the unit's name below the banner at the top of the page.
7. Units may also be reached by clicking on the appropriate link within the list at the center of the page.