INTRODUCTION
Come one, come all to the Jim Thorpe Social Reform convention! Bring your curiosity, your questions, your hopes and dreams for a better America!
The years between 1820 and 1860 were a period of great idealism in the United States. Countless reform movements sprang up to cure the nation’s ills. Reformers worked to end slavery, win equal rights for women and ensure kind treatment of prisoners and the mentally ill. They battled the evils of alcohol and fought to improve education for the nation’s children. By the time this age of reform was over, Americans had worked to change every aspect of society.
The town of Jim Thorpe is honored to be the host of the national social reform convention. After attending this convention, it is hoped that all in attendance will walk away knowledge from some of the most important reformers of the time period. While in attendance, you will be able to meet and greet the nation’s best reformers. You will also get to relive a part of history by listening to some of their famous ideas and contributions that will forever change U.S. History!
TASK
Choose a reformer from the list provided that you would like to portray at our convention. You will be given one class period to research and choose a person from the list provided to see who intrigues you.
While attending the convention students will be required to interview and get autographs from 10 reformers. This will happen during the meet and greet part of the convention on days 1 and 2 of the convention. Students should keep their interviews short and sweet so they have a chance to mingle with most in attendance. Students will take the information from the interviews and compile a chart for submission. The chart should have the following information in it.
* Create a chart in Microsoft Word and in the chart present the following information *
1.) Find a picture of this person from the Internet (Hint: Google images)
2.) Identify the area of reform this person is associated within the chart
3.) Explain to me in 1-2 sentences what this person was trying to achieve in their area of reform.
4.) Explain to me in 2-3 sentences what did this person accomplish and how did the U.S. become a better
place.
After Day 1 and 2 of the convention are over you will take center stage. You will be speaking to all members in attendance; since you didn’t get to meet everyone at the convention. You will be speaking to the class on behalf of the person you have chosen to represent stating their contributions to society or what they advocated.
The Oral presentation should be 3-5 minutes; you should be alive and animated as you present your area of reform. You may dress the part if you like; it is not mandatory. However, you will be rewarded if you choose to do so.
You may also present via PowerPoint, with this option, you have endless opportunities to bring history to life for all in attendance by incorporating sounds and images.
Picture: Harriet Tubman (far left) with former slaves
PROCESS
Students will choose only one person from the following list of reformers for their project. We will do a lottery to see who has the first pick, so it will be wise to create a top 20 list. If while researching you come across a reformer not on my list and you desire to use this person for your project, you may, as long as the teacher approves it.
List of Reformers:
Dorothea Dix
Harriet Tubman
Frederick Douglass
William Whipper
John Greenleaf
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Henry David Thoreau
Samuel Cornish
John Russman
David Walker
William Lloyd Garrison
Charles Grandison Finney
Angleina and Sarah Grimke
Theodore Weld
Henry Highland Garnet
Lucriretia Mott
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Sojourner Truth
Susan B. Anthony
Elizabeth Blackwell
Emma Willard
Mary Lyon
Horace Mann
Thomas Gadulet
Samuel Gridley Howe
Timothy Shay Arthur
· After choosing you reformer, students will be given 3 class periods to conduct research on their chosen person to prepare for the convention. Students will use suggested resources offered by the teacher in their research. You should attempt to find speeches, sound bytes and famous quotes to help deliver your point.
· On Day 1 and 2 of the Convention students will interact with one another by interviewing each other to gather data on other people at the convention. Students will then take this information and put it into a chart while also providing a picture of each of the reformers they were interviewing. (Reference the task section for details)
· On day 3 and 4 of the convention you will take center stage and present to the entire class a brief presentation on who you are, what area you are trying to reform, why this area needs to be reformed and how you are going about accomplishing your mission. The presentation should be a short 3-5 minute speech. You may use PowerPoint to dress up your presentation or you may even dress up yourself to get into character.
RESOURCES
Library of Congress - http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trr040.html
Roads From Seneca Falls - http://www.roadsfromsenecafalls.org/
Woman and Social Reform - http://womhist.alexanderstreet.com
Dorothea Dix - http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/dorotheadix.html
Hudson River School of Art - http://www.pbs.org/wnet/ihas/icon/hudson.html
Abolitionist Movement - http://students.missouri.edu/~sa-en-ra/abolitionists.html
William Lloyd Garrison - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1561.html
Harriet Beecher Stowe - http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA97/riedy/hbs.html
Underground Railroad - http://education.ucdavis.edu/NEW/STC/lesson/socstud/railroad/contents.htm
Encyclopedia of Slavery - http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAslavery.htm
School House Pioneers - http://www.pbs.org/onlyateacher/horace.html
William Whipper - http://www.millersville.edu/~ugrr/resources/columbia/whipper.html
Transcendentalists - http://www.transcendentalists.com/
Grimke Sisters - http://www.edwardsly.com/grimkes.htm
Image Resources
www.quakerbooks.org/the_road_to_seneca_falls.php
www.humboldt1.com/~history/ rogerson/dorthea.htm
http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-104491/William-Lloyd-Garrison
http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Sojourner-Truth-Posters_i1253081_.htm
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/jb_date.cgi?day=05&month=06
drbeardmoose.com/ _wsn/page4.html
http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Harriet-Tubman-Posters_i1253082_.htm
http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/emerson/
www.lib.unc.edu/.../ jan2006/thismonthimage1.html
http://www2.gol.com/users/quakers/frederick_douglas__the_quakers.htm
EVALUATION
Student InteractionInterview Process
Class Participation / Students Interviewed ALL 10 reformers and were actively engaged in whole process.
(4 points) / Students interviewed 7-9 reformers, engaged in process, but distracted at times.
(3 points) / Students interviewed 4-6 reformers. Somewhat engaged in process. More time spent off task.
(2 Points) / Students interviewed 0-3 reformers. Demonstrated little involvement in process. Spent more time being disruptive than constructive.
(1 point)
Research Process / Students’ research was very well done. Highlighted all key facts and used information that demonstrated good understanding of reformer.
(4 points) / Students’ research was adequately done. Highlighted some of the key facts, could have used more details to demonstrate understanding of reformer.
(3 points) / Student’s research was haphazardly done. Minimal facts to support reformer. Lacked demonstration of understanding content.
(2 points) / Students’ research barely attempted. Minimal to no effort set forth. No demonstration of understanding content.
(1 point)
Chart Information / Students gathered and applied all interview data completely and accurately.
(4 points) / Students gathered information and used data in a constructive manner; displaying a few errors.
(3 points) / Students gathered some data and reported most finding erroneously. Omitting key information frequently.
(2 points) / Students barley applied interview data. Did not completely answer questions and were missing most key facts.
(1 point)
Presentation / Students presented in an organized and detailed manner meeting time requirements. Great eye contact.
(4 points) / Students presented in an orderly manner. Omission of a few details and met required time. Good eye contact.
(3 points) / Students presented in a disorganized manner. Omitting key information. Did not meet required time. Adequate eye contact.
(2 points) / Students made a poor attempt at presenting. Demonstrated poor eye organization and preparedness. Little to no eye contact.
(1 point)
Creativity and Enthusiasm of Presentation / Students totally re-lived history and brought the reformer to life. Made a huge impact on audience.
(4 points) / Students made a good impression on audience. Needed to be more persuasive and lively.
(3 points) / Students made minimal efforts in role-playing reformer. Spoke in a monotone voice with little emotion.
(2 points) / Students made no effort to re-create reformer. Little to no emotion shown. No life brought to reformer.
(1 point)
______Total points
Final Score = Total points x 5 ______/100
CONCLUSION
After researching the necessary information about social reformers living during the 1820-1860 time period and listening to the following people at our convention how influential were these social reformers to U.S. History? How might have our history been different if it wasn’t for the work of these people? If you were alive during this time period, what area of reform would you have held dear to your heart? How can you relate what have you seen from the project to what we experience today? Are there similarities or differences? What can be done today to better our living conditions in the United States? What area of reform would you chose to make the lives of people living in the United States better today?
Self reflect on the following questions posed and be prepared to discuss the following in class.
“Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world's estimation, and publicly and privately, in season and out, avow their sympathy with despised and persecuted ideas and their advocates, and bear the consequences.” – Susan B. Anthony
CREDITS PAGE
A special thanks goes out to the following that have made this webquest possible:
Professor: George Smith – Fresno Pacific University for all his help and feedback during the WebQuest process
http://www.fresno.edu/cpd/
Advanced Placement U.S. History Class – Bishop Verdot High School
http://www.historymentor.com/
Bernie Dodge – For his ideas on the layout and design of the WebQuest
http://webquest.org/index.php
To all the people who created the web pages used in the “resources” and “image resources” part of this project; many thanks to all your hard work and dedication to the educational process.
TEACHER’S PAGE
WebQuest Title: Social Reform Convention 1820’s-1860’s
Author: Chris Walkowiak – Jim Thorpe Area High School
Grade Level: Intended for a 9th grade level setting
WebQuest Introduction: Students in my classroom are about to embark onto a chapter in their history book that deals with the importance of social reformers during the 1820’s -1860’s and their impact on the United States. To teach this unit; I have created the following WebQuest to bring history to life in the classroom by holding a mock social reform convention where the students can re-create a reformer of their choice and present their findings to the class. Students will be responsible for researching the reformer, interviewing other reformers from the time period, creating a chart to document their findings from their interviews and finally making an oral presentation in front of the audience at the convention.
The intention of the WebQuest is to bring history alive in the classroom by having the students actively participate in the learning process and by the students teaching others about the person they have researched through the interview part of the project. Teachers should encourage students to dress and act the part during the presentation and convention. Furthermore, students should be encourage to obtain information or evidence from primary sources to help get their point across during the oral presentation part of the project.
Teachers may use this WebQuest or modify this Webquest with permission from the author so that it meets to their level and standards in their classrooms.
Picture: Dorothea Dix Hospital – January 1849
ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS PAGE
Title: Re-living U.S. History: A Social Reform Convention 1820’s-1860’s
Grade Level: 9th
Lesson Plan: This lesson is designed to engage students in the people involved in the area of social reform during the time period form 1820’s to 1860’s in the United States. The lesson is intended for 9th grade students in American History and meets the following objectives in the state of Pennsylvania.
Objectives: To relive the Social Reform movement during the 1820’s and 1860’s by creating a chart identifying the areas of reform being tackled and how these people made significant contributions to the U.S.
To relive the reform movement by replicating a social reform through oral presentation and interviews based on people who lived during this time period.
PA State Standards: For U.S. History
STANDARD: 8.3.9 A Identify and analyze the political and cultural contributions of individuals and groups to U.S. History from 1787 to 1914
STANDARD: 8.3.9 C Analyze how continuity and change has influenced U.S. History from 1787-1914
Materials needed: Internet, Encyclopedia, Microsoft Word
Time Period: 1 period to explain project and allow students to compile “draft order”; 3 research days; 4 days of class time for convention
Assessment: See “Evaluation Section” for rubric and scoring of WebQuest
Procedure: Explain the project to the students and hold a “lottery” to determine the order of how the students will pick their desired reformer. Each student will pick one person and they will be the only person to research the person. (Hint: advise students to come up with a top 15 or Top 20 list when doing the draft; making sure they cross out their choices as they are picked. This eliminates a lot of frustration of having the same person picked over and over again. Students will get one class period to research and compile their “Draft” order
Day 2 of the project will be holding the draft and starting on the “research” component of the project. Students will need at least 3 days to research to compile their data and arrange their data into meaningful information.
After completion of the research and analysis phase of the project, students will hold a mock convention where they will meet and greet other reformers in attendance. Students need to meet 10 reformers and interview them based on the “task” component of the WebQuest.