The Wild, Wild West
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Jennifer Ritchason
Kingsley Junior High School
Summer 2008
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Fred Hultstrand History in Pictures Collection, NDIRS-NDSU, Fargo.
Life in the “Wild, Wild West” was very interesting and challenging for thousands of Americans who wanted a new start on life. Through this week long activity you will be able to use primary sources to touch America’s wild past on the western frontier. The following activities and assessments will be completed: A photo analysis activity, view & discuss a power point while taking notes, take a quiz over the power point, complete the “How the West has Influenced us Today” project, and participate in a culminating activity – The Cattle Drive.
Overview/ Materials/Historical Background/LOC Resources/Standards/ Procedures/Evaluation/Rubric/Handouts/Extension
Overview Back to Navigation BarObjectives / Students will:
· make observations and hypothesize, using a photo analysis sheet, about what they think life was like in the Wild, Wild, West.
· choose two pictures to analyze and interpret what was actually happening in the photograph using the photo analysis sheet.
· participate in a power point demonstration about the Wild, Wild West.
· demonstrate their knowledge of the material learned in the power point by taking a quiz.
· reevaluate the two pictures they have chosen on the photo analysis activity using the information they gained in the power point and make connections.
· participate in a simulated cattle drive so they can get the feel of what life was like for a cowboy/vaquero.
· self reflect on what they have learned by participating in the cattle drive simulation.
· demonstrate their knowledge and make connections of how the Wild West has influenced our lives today by completing a short assignment.
Recommended time frame / 7 days
Grade level / 7th Grade
Curriculum fit / Social Studies/American History
Materials / o 32 Photos to analyze
o Copy and paste the pictures in the sources table into a word document. Resize the pictures to each fit half a page (two pictures per page) and print.
o Construction paper or card stock to mount the pictures
o Photo analysis forms
o ESL modifications for Advanced, Intermediate, Beginning, and Basic levels
o Power Point presentation
o Smartboard or boxlight, cart, and laptop needed
o Power Point quizzes
o ESL modifications for Advanced, Intermediate, Beginning, and Basic levels
o “How the West has Influenced Us Today” assignment
o Cattle Drive handouts & Cattle Drive Simulation
o A basketball court, a bus lane, or a large empty parking lot
o Brooms (what you herd the cattle with)
· Permanent marker and masking tape to write the name of the student on each broom
o Chalk (draw the lines if you can’t use a basketball court)
o 1,000 paper balls (The 1,000 cattle you must get to market)
o Garbage Bag (to put the cattle in so they do not blow away)
o Stop watch (5-7 minutes to get the cattle from TX or AR)
o Whistle (start and stop the groups)
o A nice sunny day outside at the end of the school year J
**Forms, handout, and assignments are located at the end of this document including any ESL modifications. ESL modifications can also be changed and used for special education modifications as well.
**The power point link is located in the Historical Background section.
Illinois State Learning Standards Back to Navigation Bar
Social Studies Standards for Middle/Junior High School:
GOAL 15: Understand economy, systems, with an emphasis on the U.S.
· 15.B. Understand that scarcity necessitates choices by consumers.
o 15.B.3b Explain the effects of choice and competition on individuals and the economy as a whole.
GOAL 16: Understand events, trends, individuals, and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States, and other nations.
o 16.A. Apply the skills of historical analysis and interpretation.
o 16.A.3b Make inferences about historical events and eras using historical maps and other historical sources.
· 16.C. Understand the development of economic systems.
o 16.C.3b (US) Explain relationships among the American economy and slavery, immigration, industrialization, labor and urbanization, 1700-present.
· 16.D. Understand Illinois, United States and world social history.
o 16.D.3a (US) Describe characteristics of different kinds of communities in various sections of America during the colonial/frontier periods and the 19th century.
· 16.E. Understand Illinois, United States and world environmental history.
o 16.E.3c (US) Describe the impact of urbanization and suburbanization, 1850 - present, on the environment.
GOAL 17: Understand world geography and the effects of geography on society, with an emphasis on the Untied States.
· 17.C. Understand relationships between geographic factors and society.
o 17.C.3a Explain how human activity is affected by geographic factors.
o 17.C.3b Explain how patterns of resources are used through the world.
o 17.C.3c Analyze how human processes influence settlement patterns including migration and population growth.
· 17.D. Understand the historical significance of geography.
o 17.D.3a Explain how and why spatial patterns of settlement change over time.
o 17.D.3b Explain how interactions of geographic factors have shaped present conditions.
GOAL 18: Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States.
· 18.A. Compare characteristics of culture as reflected in language, literature, the arts, traditions and institutions.
o 18.A.3 Explain how language, literature, the arts, architecture and traditions contribute to the development and transmission of culture.
· 18.B. Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.
o 18.B.3a Analyze how individuals and groups interact with and within institutions (e.g., educational, military).
o 18.B.3b Explain how social institutions contribute to the development and transmission of culture.
· 18.C. Understand how social systems form and develop over time.
o 18.C.3a Describe ways in which a diverse U.S. population has developed and maintained common beliefs (e.g., life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; the Constitution and the Bill of Rights).
Procedures Back to Navigation Bar
Day One:
· Pass out the “Wild, Wild West” Evaluation Handout. Review the expectations listed on the handout for this unit as a class.
· Pass out the Photo Analysis Sheet to the class & review the Photo Analysis Sheet. Students are to complete Step 1 on the Photo Analysis sheet by observing the thirty-two pictures that are posted around the classroom.
· Host a short class discussion about the initial observations the students have made about the thirty-two photos in the room. Address the two questions:
o 1. What do you think life might have been like for the people on the new frontier?
o Why do you think these pictures represent the nickname “Wild, Wild West”?
· Students will continue to use the Photo Analysis Sheet and choose 2 pictures they want to interpret. Then complete Step 2 on the Photo Analysis Sheet.
Day Two:
· Start class by discussing Step 2 on the Photo Analysis Sheet. Have students share what they hypothesize is happening in the pictures.
· Pass out a copy of the PowerPoint to each student so they can take notes. Give the PowerPoint demonstration on the “Wild, Wild West”.
· Host a short discussion to answer any questions the students may have.
· Remind the students they will be taking a quiz on the PowerPoint tomorrow.
Day Three:
· Start class with a two minute review over the highlights in the PowerPoint.
· Students will take the quiz on the power point & turn it in when finished.
· When students are finished taking the quiz, they need to take out the Photo Analysis Sheets and complete Step 3 and Step 4.
· (Depending on time) Host a class discussion about how their interpretations may have changed about the photographs after viewing the power point. (this discussion may have to continue into Day 4) Address these three questions:
o What part of the power point relates to this picture?
o What might be the function of the people/objects in the photo?
o What can you conclude about the time period of the “Wild, Wild West”?
· Collect any completed Photo Analysis Sheets. If students need to finish the Photo Analysis Sheets, they can be turned in tomorrow for full credit.
Day Four:
· Start class by continuing the discussion that ended Day 3. Get as many students as possible to share their interpretations of their photo analysis.
· Collect any remaining Photo Analysis Sheets.
· Pass out the “How the West has Influenced us Today” assignment and review it with the students. Remind the students this assignment is due tomorrow.
· Have students brainstorm some items they could bring in for their assignment in a Think-Pair-Share (a list provided in the power point for a starting point).
· Have students recycle old papers in their binder but crumpling them up into little balls. Have the students keep a count of the paper balls as they are placed into a garbage bag. 1,000 paper balls are needed.
· Ask the students to bring in a broom for 3 points extra credit toward their Social Studies grade. Brooms are needed for Day 6.
Day Five:
· Ask for any brooms that have been brought in for extra credit. Mark the names on the broom with a permanent marker and masking tape.
· Share the “How the West has Influenced us Today” assignment. Try to get all students to share the item they brought in and the paragraph they have written.
· Collect the “How the West has Influenced us Today” assignment.
· Pass out the cattle drive simulation and review it with the class.
o Finish having students go through their binders to get old papers to crumble into paper balls. Remember 1,000 paper balls are needed in a garbage bag.
o Ask students what job(s) they would like to have in the cattle drive: a rustler, a Native American, a stray, a cowboy, or nature.
o Put students into groups for the next day and post the groups inside and outside of the classroom.
Day Six:
· CATTLE DRIVE DAY!!! Before school if a basketball court cannot be used, draw out the court according to the diagram on the cattle drive handout. Label where the cowboys start & finish, where the rustlers, Native Americans, strays, and nature will be standing.
· Review the expectations with the students for the cattle drive.
· Remind students to complete their paragraph on the cattle drive handout. The paragraph is due tomorrow.
· Have students take home their brooms today.
Day Seven:
· Share the paragraphs the students have written about the cattle drive. Also get any other feedback from the students about the cattle drive.
· Collect the cattle drive paragraphs.
· Have students fill out the self evaluation form they received on Day 1 of the unit. They must complete each section of the self evaluation form. Collect the sheets and write in the scores the students received for each activity.
Evaluation Back to Navigation Bar
Students will be evaluated in several different ways. They will be evaluated by completing the photo analysis sheet, completing a quiz over the power point, and writing two sets of paragraphs. One paragraph in the “How the West has Influenced Us” assignment and the second paragraph after the Cattle Drive has been completed. Students will also need to complete the self evaluation portion of the handout they received on Day 1. They will evaluate themselves on how they participated in each of the activities of the unit.
**The rubrics are located on each assessment for the writing portion as well as in the Rubric & Assessment section.
Extension Back to Navigation Bar
For an extension activity students can choose a topic from the power point they would like to learn more about and research. They can choose a product they would like to turn in such as a postcard, diary entry, poster, mobile, diorama, pamphlet, scrapbook, etc. They will choose the product that best fits their topic and present it to the class.
The following links are available through my school district’s IMC websites. These links can help the students do more research:
KJHS – link to World Book Encyclopedia
http://www.unit5.org/kjhs/imc/
PJHS - Hotlists
http://www.unit5.org/pjhs/reference.htm
CJHS - Hotlists
http://www.unit5.org/cjhsimc/hotlists/hotlists.htm
KJHS – Hotlists
http://www.unit5.org/kjhs/imc/Curriculum_Hotlists.htm
Historical Background
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This is a power point that gives the historical background of the time period from after Reconstruction to just before the turn of the century. The power point covers challenges and struggles the pioneers faced while trying to create a new life out West. Some of the topics in the power point include are: housing challenges, weather concerns, women out west, the growth of towns, mining, influences of the railroads, cattle drives, issues with how the Native Americans were treated, the Homestead Act, the Dawes Act, assimilation, Indian Reservations, etc. The power point ends with a slide on how the West has influenced us today and popular slang in the Wild, Wild West.
The Wild, Wild West Power Point
Primary Resources from the Library of Congress
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SOURCES TABLE – LESSON 7 (CHAPTER 19 PPT UNIT)
Image / Info About Picture / Description / Citation / URLSod house with snow on the ground. Door, two windows, and stovepipe visible. Blankets (?) on the ground and two wooden poles supporting exterior wall of the sod house.
SOD HOUSES - PPT (PIC #1) / The First home of the early pioneer : on a homestead near Meadow, South Dakota. / Fred Hultstrand History in Pictures Collection, NDIRS-NDSU, Fargo. / http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/ngp:@field(NUMBER+@band(ndfahult+b041))
Informal, full-length portrait of five men in frontier dress posed standing next to each other in a fenced area with a teepee and other people in the background at the Madison Street Carnival. The carnival was held on West Madison Street between Western Avenue and Pulaski Road (formerly 40th Avenue) in the East Garfield Park community area of Chicago, Illinois.
FRONTIER CLOTHING – PPT (PIC #2) / Five men in frontier dress posed standing next to each other in a fenced area with teepee and other people in the background at the Madison Street Carnival / DN-0002046, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society. / http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/cdn:@field(NUMBER+@band(ichicdn+n002046))