Long Branch, New Jersey: A Community Study

RationaleLearning about one's community is very important. America has always been a very culturally diverse land and as such has produced many culturally diverse communities. Long Branch is no exception. Also, Long Branch, NJ holds another pride for its railroad system and its shoreline. Long Branch beaches have been the summer home for seven presidents as well as many other influential people, such as Mrs. Abraham Lincoln, actress Lillie Langtry, and painter Winslow Homer. Long Branch was also where President Garfield came to die. Long Branch is rich in historical background. 's education. This community study fulfills many of the 1996 Core Curriculum Content Standards. This curriculum unit involves greatly standard 6.5, which states "all students will acquire historical understanding of varying cultures throughout the history of New Jersey..." Through this unit, following this standard, students will be able to "describe ways that family members, teachers, and community groups influence students' daily life."; "identify common elements found in different cultures"; and "describe the customs of people from different geographic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds."'t the only president who vacationed annually at Long Branch. Presidents Arthur, Hayes, Harrison, McKinley, Wilson and Garfield became frequent visitors of the town every summer. President Garfield, after an attempt on his life, asked to be brought to Long Branch, believing the sea air would help him recovery and wanting to spend the rest of his time in a place he loved. He died in his tutor-style cottage in Long Branch, New Jersey in 1881.'s reputation. The mid-1980s marker the true fall of Long Branch, however, when its beloved pier was lost completely in a horrific fire.'s glory-days remain today. Of them is the St. James Episcopal Church, where Long Branch's seven presidents went to worship. It is now referred to as the Church of the presidents and is kept by the Long Branch Historical Society. It boasts many memories of yesteryears relating to Long Branch's national historical role, the original altar, transept and part of the nave, when the city was at the height of her splendor.'s earliest and most glamorous resort's longest pier's City Hall. With their previous knowledge from previous classes as well as new information gained from the field trip, students will fill in a graphic organizer with the structure of Long Branched government. Types of learners: Linguistic, Visual-Spatial, Logical-Mathematical

Students will create a cultural kit reflecting their own culture. They will select six items to go in their box. On a sheet of paper students will list the six items and explain why it is important to their culture. They will then give a short speech to their classmates showing each item and explaining why it is important. Students may also decorate the outside of their box. Types of learners: Linguistic, Visual-Spatial, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal

Students will create a creative catalog. The catalog will contain items used in Long Branch separate according to time period. The students will draw a simply picture and write the name of the item. They will also write a short description of their item and a price. Types of learners: Linguistic, Visual-Spatial, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Logical-Mathematical

Questions to Encourage Thinking and Decision Making

Why did people travel to Long Branch to go on vacation?

What was there to do in Long Branch when people vacationed there in the summer?

What does the mayor do?

What ocean does Long Branch run along?

Who were some important people who vacationed in Long Branch?

How was Long Branch different in the 1800s then it is now?

Name three things that started the decline of Long Branch.

Assessment Strategies

Looking at the incorporation of things seen in the picture will assess student's narratives. The teacher will look for ideas that were formed from observation as well as class discussion as well as for rationale application of these ideas to what everyday life may have been.

Teacher will look at student's picture journals and listen to their presentation. The use of details that were seen in the field trips as well as adequate portrayal of the places visited will be looked for.

Teacher will look at graphic organizer to check for accuracy and understanding.

Students will be graded on the creativity and reasoning they have for each item in their culture kit. Students will also be assessed on their attention to other student's presentations.

Students' catalogs will be graded according to the accuracy of sorting items into proper time periods. Teacher may also look for an adequate description of the items listed.

Teachers Resources for Content Knowledge
Press, J., & Weiss, K. All around town: exploring your community through craft fun. 2002. Williamson Publishing

Shaffer, Carolyn & Fielder, Erica. City Safaris. 1987.Sierra Club Books

Herr, Judy. Creative Resources for the classroom. 2000. Thomason Learning

Student Resources for LearningNew Jersey Central. The next station will be. -- : an album of photographs of railroad depots on the New York & Long Branch Railroad.New Jersey Midland Railroad Historical SocietyKalman, B., & Walkie, N. Community Helpers from A to Z. 1997. Crabtree Publishers

Learning a community study is an imperative part of any student

Also, this curriculum unit also greatly concerns itself with Standard 6.9, which states "all students will acquire geographical understanding by studying the environments and society."

Several themes are also included in this curriculum unit. Students will be learning about cultures (Theme 1), as Long Branch is extremely culturally diverse forming a fusion of them all into one culture. Students will also be learning about their environment, within Long Branch, as well as with New Jersey in general (Theme 3). Thi will allow students to create their own spatial views and geographic perspectives. City government as well as other community helpers will also be addressed within this unit (Themes 5 & 6).

Students will expand on their knowledge of history and culture, geography, Government structure and Social institutions. The concepts of justice, equality, responsibility, freedom, diversity, and privacy will also be emphasized. The goal of this curriculum is to strengthen thinking skill such as reading and computation, as well a sstrengthen those skills that help assure rationale, appropriate behavior in social settings. Students will be expected to work in an effective manner in group settings and practice patience.

Content Knowledge

The city of Long Branch, in Monmouth County, eastern New Jersey, is located on the Atlantic Ocean and the Shrewsbury River. It was settles in 1668 and incorporated in 1904. Long Branch currently features Monmouth University, Monmouth Park racetrack, many beaches and electronics and clothing manufactures. As of 2000, it was home to almost 30,000 people.

Long Branch is one of the largest cities on the Jersey Shore. From 1860 to the beginning of World War I, it was one of the first and most exclusive resorts in the country, earning Long Branch the nickname "the summer capital of the nation." Many famous people such as Mrs. Lincoln, Lillian Russell, and general Winfield Scott, vacationed at the Long Branch resorts every summer.

In 1869, President Grant visit Long Branch for the first time and decided to come back every summer there after. Grant wasn

Thirty-eight acres of the Long Branch beach was named Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park and beach in dedication and memory of the seven late presidents who loved the city so much they spent their summers there. Currently this park is open all year long and has an activity center, boating launch, fishing area, beach volleyball courts, pavilion, snack bar and restrooms.

In 1870, the racetrack opened and the casinos were short to follow. Throughout the 1880s and 1890s, Long Branch was considered a very fashionable place. In 1902, the longest pier on the New Jersey shore was built. The pier was the home to casinos, arcades, restaurants a fishing area and even an amusement park.

A gradual, but steady decline of the seaside resorts began in the 1920s. Laws against gambling as well as prohibitions closed the casinos. Massive storms eroded beached, making other shorefront communities much more attractive to summer visitors.

By the 1960s, organized crime settled in Long Branch and murders within the city tarnished the resorts image. Buildings were becoming run-down and were being border up. Streets became shabby and problems associated with the vast number of people on welfare further hurt the city

Few sites from Long Branch

Long Branch is currently experiencing a rebirth. The boardwalk, beachfront, huge high-rise hotels and condominiums are now drawing back the summer crowd. Downtown Broadway is busy renovate the architecturally beautiful, old building and has adder a theatre. There are also plans for the old pier to be rebuilt complete with a sports complex, which will include an ice-skating rink.

Important Events in then City of Long Branch

1668

1860

1869

1870s

1879

1880-1890s

1881

1890-

1890

1902

1920

1920

1960

1965

mid1980s

Activities for Achieving Goals

Sniffen, Paul. Long Branch, NJ. 1996. Arcadia Tempus

Publishing Group, Inc.

Gabrielan, Randall. Long Branch, NJ: Peoples and Places.

1998. Arcadia Tempus Publishing Group, Inc.

Wood, D., Rosenbaum, J., Gallo, T. The Unique New York and Long Branch. 1985. Audio Visual Designs

Balkwill, R. The best book of trains. 1999. Larousse Kingfisher Chambers

Cowan, C., Paz, O., & Buehner, M. My life with the wave. 1997. Lothrop Lee & Shepard

Grimes, N., C is for City. 2002. Boyds Mill Pr.

Ostro, Ernest. 1970. What your mayor does. IPD Publishing Co.

Schick, E. 1969. City in the Summer. The Macmillan Company

Keeping, Charles. Through the Window. 1970. Franklin Watts Inc.

Schwartz, Alvin. The City and its People. 1967. Irwin & Company Limited

Lenski, Lois. City Poems. 1956. Henry Z. Walck
Students will read a photograph (see attached sheets). They will describe the picture as a class and tell what is going on in the picture. The students will then write narratives from the perspective of someone who is in the picture. Types of learners: Linguistic, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal

Students will take a field trip around town. Places that maybe visited may include: the beach, railroad station, post office, firehouse, police station, lighthouse, city hall, etc. Students will then be asked to make a picture book report of their trips and present them to the class. Types of learners: Linguistic, Visual-Spatial, Body-Kinesthetic, Naturalistic, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal

Students will visit Long Branch- Fire destroys the Long Branch Pier- Pleasure Bay Bridge construction is completed (Gabrielan 1998)- Settlement of organized crime and gangs within the city- Presence of the Ku Klux Klan causes a decline in population of Jewish and Catholic communities. (Gabrielan 1998)- Start of the decline of Long Branch - Construction of the New Jersey Shore- Oliver Byron Engine Company Number 5 opens (Gabrielan 1998) The Pleasure Bays streamliner is acquired by Thomas Patten and used in the Shrewsbury River on the Patten Line (Gabrielan 1998)- President Garfield dies in Long Branch after being fatal attacked- Height of Long Branch as a summer beach resort- Construction of St. James Episcopal Church also know as The Church of the Presidents- The racetracks and casinos open- President Grant becomes the first president to visit the shore town- Long Branch beaches become the country- Long Branch is settled