Find three written primary sources (e.g, journals, diaries, autobiographies) and three secondary sources (i.e., accounts written later about historical events) about life in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin in the 1600s, 1700s, 1800s or 1900s. Include stories or vignettes from each source, depicting an event that you find interesting.
Interview three people who depend on the lake for a living, e.g., a fisher who depends directly on the lake; a bait shop owner who provides a service to those using the lake; a person working at a seafood restaurant whose business depends on a supply of seafood from the Basin. Tape the interview and transcribe the segment you find most interesting.
Find or make replicas of two artifacts used by people living in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin for three of the following centuries: 1600s, 1700s ,1800s, or 1900s.
Find five to ten photographs depicting life around the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. Include photographs from as many different time periods as possible, including recent days. Include various aspects of life: leisure, recreation, business, home life, etc. Look in pictorial history books of the regions within the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. Check out the local historical societies. Ask neighbors and family members.
People from many different cultures have made The Lake Pontchartrain Basin their home over the years. Construct a map depicting the location of two groups of people. Use the library to find sources of information on the culture. If possible interview members of the cultures.
Collect three to five recipes which use ingredients obtained from Lake Pontchartrain. Try to find a wide assortment of foods. Include contemporary recipes as well as those from other time periods.
Collect photographs showing the changes of fashion through the ages, including swim wear, formal wear, work clothes, Mardi Gras costumes, etc.