As I write, my students are finishing their last day at internship. In fact, today is the last day of school for Pownal Independent School students. These last three weeks have been a whirlwind of wrap-ups, field trips, testing, and portfolio completion. I have really enjoyed this school year, and I think I can say that the kids did too. I want to thank Carol Cyr for always being a good support and for her delicious lunches that she served every day.
As a final, fun project, the students completed a letterboxing project that we hid at Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth. They chose a history theme, and they came up with the questions and answers by themselves. They carved stamps for each box, and they also wrote explanatory text for each correct answer. For those of you not familiar with letterboxing, this won't make much sense. Perhaps if you give it a try, you'll find that it's quite fun. I am going to post the instructions here, on this site; I will also be posting them on the national letterboxing site, letterboxing.org. Enjoy!
START: Enter the main gate at Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth. Park in the lower parking lot. Start by standing between the two swing sets with your back to the ocean. [NOTE: Incorrect answers will lead you to places where there are no boxes!]
YOUR FIRST QUESTION: Who was the great leader of the Myrmidons who now has a body part named after him?
IF YOUR ANSWER IS ACHILLES: Turn 45 degrees to your right and walk to the hill that you see across the field. From the base of the hill, walk 23 paces up the hill. You should have a large oak on your left and a hollow stump in front of you. Take a right at the stump and walk 10 paces. Turn to your left. There will be a rock formation in front of you with deep crevices. Box 1 is hidden in one of the crevices.
IF YOUR ANSWER IS ODYSSEUS: Turn 45 degrees to your left. You will see a small hill with a maple tree at its base. Walk to the maple tree. Turn right. Walk 20 paces. You will see a large, flat stone. Box 1 is hidden under the stone.
YOUR SECOND QUESTION: Which three species of Homo Sapiens lived at the same time?
IF YOUR ANSWER IS HOMO SAPIENS SAPIENS, HOMO SAPIENS PATHODENSIS, HOMO SAPIENS URITRICHENSIS: From the flat rock, face the ocean and cross the road in front of you. Approach the ruins of a building near the shore. Stand in front of the center door. You will see a barred window to your left. Reach between the bars and angle your hand to the left. You will feel Box 2 on a ledge to the left.
IF YOUR ANSWER IS HOMO SAPIENS SAPIENS, HOMO SAPIENS HEIDELBERGENSIS, HOMO SAPIENS NEANDERTHALENSIS: Look at the stone wall at the top of the hill. Follow the path at the top of the wall toward the ocean. Walk to the Goddard Mansion plaque. Take the path and follow the off-shoot to the right. Walk to the fence. Turn left and find Box 2 in a wall crevice.
YOUR THIRD QUESTION: King Tut was the son of which very strange pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty?
IF YOUR ANSWER IS AHKENATEN: Walk back to the parking lot and go to the first handicap sign. Follow the gravel path to your left up the hill. Walk to the triplet birches growing out of the rocks. Climb up the slate mound and over the triangular rocks. Turn right. Go through two maples. Look to the left. Box 3 is in the crack that splits the rock.
IF YOUR ANSWER IS RAMESES II: Turn around and you will see a tarred path that goes to the left and up a slight hill. Follow that path. You will see a large boulder to your left. Walk past the boulder, heading toward the ocean. There will be a dirt path that branches to your left around a building ruin. Walk around the path to the back of the ruin. Two dead trees are on the ground and are in the shape of an "X". Box 3 is buried at the intersection of these trees.
YOUR FOURTH QUESTION: Which empire introduced the horse and iron weaponry to war?
IF YOUR ANSWER IS THE HITTITES: Walk back to the parking lot and look up the hill on the other side of the park. Walk to the flag pole on the far hill. Go over the hill and toward the Battery Memorial. Climb to the top of the memorial and walk to the right. There are four hollow pipes buried in the roof of the battery. Box 4 is inside one of them.
IF YOUR ANSWER IS THE BABYLONIANS: Walk back to the large boulder. Continue up and over the hill to the flag pole. From the flag pole, you will see the lighthouse. Walk down the hill, toward the lighthouse, until you get to a wooden fence. Follow the fence to the left until it enters the bushes. Turn 45 degrees and walk 10 paces. There will be a rock outcrop with three large stones on top. Box 4 is hidden within these stones.
YOUR FIFTH QUESTION: What does the name "Mesopotamia" literally mean?
IF YOUR ANSWER IS "WITHIN THE DRY LANDS": Walk back to where you can see the lighthouse. Approach the lighthouse and cross the road. Turn to your right and follow the path that leads you alongside the field. You will see two park benches. Walk to the second park bench. Turn to your right. The bench should be in front of you. You will see a stone wall. Box 5 is hidden within that stone wall.
IF YOUR ANSWER IS "LAND BETWEEN TWO RIVERS": Follow the path just beyond the pipes. The path will go through some trees and lead you to another concrete roof. Walk to the end of the concrete. You will see two paths. Take the path to the right. Walk down the hill until the brush doesn't allow you to walk any further. Turn around. Take 6 steps back up the path. Look to your right. You will see a dead lilac with many branches and rocks at its base. Box 5 is hidden within those rocks.
THAT'S IT! For those of you giving this a try, please remember to bring your own ink pad or marker to stamp your books. There are hand carved stamps in each box, and they each refer to the correct answer to the individual question. In addition, there is a little book for your comments in each box. Let us know what you thought! See you next year...
