Day 1
When each group has outlined the assigned cemeteries, a discussion would ensue about patterns or deductions about the locations of these cemeteries.
- General discussion about burial customs in their own families.
- Short introduction about cemeteries in general
- Give out maps and phone books to students in groups of 4-5
- Students are to locate six cemeteries given on a list by outlining the area of each cemetery (on map, aerial view)
- St. Louis #1
- St. Louis #2
- St. Patrick #1
- Metairie Cemetery
- Lafayette Cemetery
- Odd Fellows Rest
Day 2
- Using the Internet Web sites provided by the teacher, each group would be assigned one cemetery to research. Items that need to be covered would be:
- Date of founding
- ethnic background of area of location
- types of tombs
- general design of the cemetery
- and a listing of famous or interesting people buried within and short biographies.
- Students in each group would summarize their findings and prepare a handout for the other groups.
Day 3
- Students view documentary on St. Louis #1 (20 min)
- Students view documentary on Metairie Cemetery (23 min)
- Brief discussion about comparisons and contrasts
Day 4
- Introduction or recall of architectural styles unit
- Explanation of these styles as applied to funeral art
- Exploration of the use of symbolism in funeral art
- Worksheet on specific styles of tombs (included with lesson)
- Discussion of types of tombs (mausoleums, tumulus, cenotaphs)
Day 5
- Speaker from “Save Our Cemeteries” foundation (in other areas experts in this field can be found)
- Discussion of stewardship in preserving sacred places
- Suggestions of practical roles that can be played by young people in helping to preserve cemeteries and other such areas
Field Trip to St. Louis #1
- Students will be divided into groups of approximately 15 to better view the cemetery
- Cameras, either digital or regular, will be distributed to each group and a selected student will photograph while another student records the data that is pertinent to each picture.
- Other students in the groups must keep track of the route taken in the cemetery and make brief notes on the information discussed by the tour guide.
Day 6 (7 if field trip is taken)
Students will be assigned a Power Point presentation to summarize all they have learned in the process of this study. At least two weeks will be given before the due date to allow them to organize their work, get film developed, if not digital, and to prepare themselves for their oral and visual presentation to the class.
Two additional class periods may need to be used to complete this assignment.
Reproducible Materials
Pictures of tombs in Metairie Cemetery were taken from the book, Louisiana COD (Cities of the Dead) by Gaspar J. “Buddy” Stall pp. 75-82.
Assessment Procedures
- Participation in group activities
- Graded Architectural Styles worksheet
- Notes and photos from field trip
- Final project – Power Point preparation
- Presentation to class
Exploration and Extension
- Actual stewardship program participation (Save Our Cemeteries has a volunteer clean-up program in which students as young as Junior High can help)
- Later in the year there will be a trip to tour Metairie Cemetery and we will visit
- Lafayette Cemetery more briefly as we tour the Garden District
Resources
Florence, Robert. City of the Dead A Journey Through St.Louis Cemetery #1 The Center for Louisiana Studies, University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, 1996
Florence, Robert. New Orleans Cemeteries Life in the Cities of the Dead Batture Press, New Orleans, 1997.
Gandolfi, Henri. Metairie Cemetery: An Historical Memoir Stewart Enterprises, New Orleans. 1981
Huber, Leonard, et al. New Orleans Architecture: The Cemeteries,
Pelican Publishing, Gretna,1989.
Stall, Gaspar. Louisiana COD (Cities of the Dead) Buddy Stall Publishers,
Metairie, LA 2000.
Starr, S. Frederick. Southern Comfort: The Garden District of New Orleans 1800-1900 Cambridge, Massachusetts 18989.
New Orleans Magazine, “Julia Street” letter concerning Odd Fellows Rest Cemetery, May, 1996.