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Episode 19: Nessmuk and the Sairy Gamp
George Washington Sears; better known as Nessmuk, paddled the Sairy Gamp through the Adirondack wilderness in the 1880s. His Rough Notes from the Woods; printed in the magazine Field & Stream, promoted backwoods travel as enjoyable and accessible to all.
Canoe, “Sairy Gamp” (Photo from the Smithsonian Institution)
George Washington Sears, aka Nessmuk ca1880. (P013330)
Connecting To Curriculum
Read-aloud. Students can follow along while listening. Download a copy of the transcripts here.
Vocabulary. Explore new words. Students will be listening to high level vocabulary in context. Have them identify the definition. Click here for the vocabulary page.
Math. Use our Travel Light worksheet to figure out how much weight a canoe can carry
Questions
Higher grade level students may want to explore some topics in more depth.
- Having the time and money to have a vacation was an advantage available only to the wealthy. When did time off and vacations become common for the average person?
- Nessmuk believed in travelling light, very light. What is the absolute minimum you would need for a three week vacation? Could you carry all of it for a mile?
A man and dog in a Rushton canoe. This model is eighteen inches longer than the Sairy Gamp. ca1920 (P042118)
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