The Orphan Train
Names: Margaret Baugh () and Tracey Till ()
Learning Goals
Students will be able to answer these questions.
1. What is/was the Orphan Train?
2. Why were Orphan Trains sent west?
3. Why would pioneers/farmers want a child?
4. How were children chosen to be part of Orphan Trains? Why were children sent west? What was life like in New York City for these children?
5. What experiences did orphans have after being adopted? What was life like for the children?
6. What was farm life like during the 1870's to 1910's?
7. Where (specifically) did the Orphan Trains go?
8. What is the Jackson County Iowa connection to the Orphan Trains?
Key Terms
orphan
adoption
trains (locomotive)
farm labor (manual Labor)
tenement housing
immigration /emigration
Orphan Train
Children's Aid Society
Reverend Charles Loring Brace
1854-1929
Maquoketa, Iowa (1919)
Dubuque, Iowa (1854, 1888, 1889)
History Standards and Benchmarks Alignment
Tracey Till (grades 5-6) and Margaret Baugh (grades 7-8)
United States History Standard and Benchmarks (3rd Ed.)Era 6 - The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
Standard 17: / Understands massive immigration after 1870 and how new social patterns, conflicts, and ideas of national unity developed amid growing cultural diversity
Level II (Grade 5-6)
1. / Understands patterns of immigrant life after 1870 (e.g., where people came from and where they settled; how immigrants formed a new American culture; the challenges, opportunities, and contributions of different immigrant groups; ways in which immigrants learned to live and work in a new country)
Level III (Grade 7-8)
1. / Understands the background and experiences of immigrants of the late 19th century (e.g., how the immigrants differed from those of the early 19th century in numbers, motives, origins, ethnicity, religion and language;; attitudes toward immigrants)
United States History Standard and Benchmarks (3rd Ed.)
Era 4 - Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
Standard 10: / Understands how the industrial revolution, increasing immigration, the rapid expansion of slavery, and the westward movement changed American lives and led to regional tensions
Level II (Grade 5-6)
2. / Understands the major technological developments that influenced land and water transportation, the economy, international markets, and the environment between 1801 and 1860 (e.g., the importance of the steam locomotive,; the development of the railroad system after 1860)
3. / Understands social and economic elements of urban and rural life in the early and mid-19th centuries (e.g., the daily life of men, women, and children; factors that caused rapid urbanization; city life in the 1840s; differences in urban and rural children’s lives,)
6. / Understands elements of early western migration (e.g., the lure of the West and the reality of life on the frontier; motivations of various settlers)
Level III (Grade 7-8)
4. / Understands influences on urban life in the early and late 19th century (e.g., how rapid urbanization, immigration, and industrialization affected the social fabric of cities;)
6. / Understands characteristics of life on the western frontier in the 19th century
7. / Understands how major technological and economic developments influenced various groups (e.g., business owners, farmers, workers in different regions)
Orphan Train Learning Activities
Activity 1 Pre-assessment
Students use Key Words to write a narrative.
Objectives: Introduce terms and evaluate students’ prior knowledge
Materials: List of Key Words and notebook paper and pencil or Key Words worksheet
Procedures: Give students a list of the Orphan Train Key Words and ask them to write a narrative using all of the words. This narrative should show what they know about the Orphan Trains before the unit begins.
Assessment: Teacher reads the narratives and assigns points as follows:
1 point for each word used
2 points for each word used/explained accurately
5 bonus points for trying
Use the following terms to write a story about the Orphan Train. You must use all of the terms.
orphanadoption
trains (locomotive)farm labor (manual labor)
tenement housingOrphan Train
Children's Aid Society1854-1929
Reverend Charles Loring BraceMaquoketa, Iowa (1919)
Dubuque, Iowa (1854, 1888, 1889)immigration/emigration
______
______
Activity 2 St. CharlesPower Point Show
Objective: To introduce this event in American History and give students background knowledge and help them find answers to Key Questions.
Materials: website
Procedure: Show this power point presentation using LCD panel.
Assessment: Students view attentively and participate in discussion elicited from the Power Point presentation.
Activity 3 Riding the Orphan Trains
Students will begin this lesson with an oral introduction by the teacher. This activity includes the oral sharing of a story about the Orphan Train Children and an activity in which the students assume the roles of children on an Orphan Train.
Objectives:
**With teacher guidance, the students will be able to recognize how the physical environment in NewYork affected the (orphan) children's lives during the 1850's-1920's along the Atlantic Coast.
**Students will also learn the impact of geography on the orphan train children during their travels.
**Students will explore the railroad routes in Iowa during 1870-1929 period and how that influenced where the Orphan Train children were adopted.
Materials: Book: Train to Somewhere by E.Bunting (Clarion, 1996)
Websites:
(pioneer framing, students, Life as a pioneer, Why move west?, traveling west)
Iowa maps
Procedures/Activities:
Step 1:
Introduce the word orphan used in the book, Train to Somewhere. Do a K-W-L chart about orphans. Discuss how orphans live, i.e. in children'shomes with other orphans or on the streets (as in story).
Step 2:
The teacher will read the story, Train to Somewhere by E.Bunting (Clarion, 1996) to students.
Step 3:
The teacher willexplain to the students that they will assume the role of an Orphan Train rider. The Orphan Train riders want toknow more about the families that are adopting them. Each studentmust make a list of no more than fivequestions to give to their 'adoptive families'. These questions should tell them moreabout their new family.
Step 4:
Students will picka date andtwo or three possible cities that the train stopped in. (possible sites to find locations are or (go to pioneer farming, students, Life as a pioneer, Why move west?, traveling west) Students will need to find where the railroad lines ran between 1854 and 1929. Students will put these selected locations on an Iowa map.
Step 5:Students will share their work orally. Information will be charted to show consensus of what children and adoptive families were looking for.
Step 6:
After finishing the activity the teacher will ask the students to retell her why the trains werecalled the Orphan Trains and why children were adopted out at certain locations.. (The desired answer would be that the trains took homelesschildren to their new homes.The children provided needed labor for farm families.)
Assessment:
The teacher will assess the students through observation on the correct representationoftheir selected cities and towns and railroad company that they traveled.
Work will be evaluatedfor content accuracy and
Possible Points / 8 / 6 / 4 / 0Used complete sentences / Used complete sentences / Some evidence of sentence completion / Little evidence of sentence completion / No complete sentences
Capitalization / Used correct capitalization / Some evidence of correct capitalization / Little evidence of correct capitalization / Did not use capital letters
Punctuation / Used correct punctuation / Some evidence of correct punctuation / Little evidence of correct punctuation / Did not use correct punctuation
Included details / Included at least three details / Included two details / Included one detail / Did not include details
Total Possible Points = 32
Name______
Points Earned______
Activity 4 Using CampSilo
Objectives: Students will learn what farm life was like during pioneer days in Iowa. They will learn how it was different and how it was similar to life today.
Materials: website:
Procedures/Activities:
1. Open the Internet. Go to
Choose Pioneer Farming,
Students
Life as a Pioneer
Why Move West?
2. Read this text.
3. Click Traveling west
You will find the routes of railroads across Iowa in 1860, 1870, 1880 and the major railroad routes of 1895. Read and observe the maps.
Give students the worksheet:
In your WP, answer these questions?
- Which part of Iowa was settled first? When? Why?
- How many major railroad lines crossed Iowa in 1895? Which directions did they primarily run?
- What was the average distance to the railroad in Iowa in 1895?
- The Orphan Train ran between 1854 and 1929. How did the development of railroad lines in Iowa affect the placement of children?
4. Click on Building towns
Then on the link, farms
5. Read about two activities that the teacher will assign and two of your choice
- 1850 Baking
- 1850 Butter Churning
- 1850 Cross-Cut Sawing
- 1850 Gardening
- 1850 Household Chores
- 1850 Ironing
- 1850 Laundry
- 1850 Sewing
- 1850 Soap Making
- 1850 Wedding
- Build a Split Rail Fence
- Cultivate Fields with Hand Tools
- Daub a Log Home
- Decorate for an 1850 Wedding
- Dip Candles
- Embroidering
- Flail and Winnow Wheat
- Harvest Grain
- Groom Cattle
- Knitting
- Mow with a Scythe
- Pioneer Games
- Quilting
- Spin Wool
- Split Rails
- Work with Hand Tools and Shaving Horses
- Wash Wool
- Pioneer Home Schooling
- Card Wool
- Grind Corn
- 1850 Daily Chores
6. In your WP, tell how the four activities assigned to you were accomplished in 1850 and today.
Answer the following questions about each activity: How was it done in 1850? How long do you think each of these activities would take in 1850? If you were to do these things today, describe how they would be done. How long would each task take? How often would someone do it in 1850 and today? What is different? What has remained the same?
You should write at least two paragraphs about each activity. (One about 1850 and one about now.)
7. Make an Assumption: Why were Orphan Train children welcomed by pioneers/farmers between 1850’s and 1920’s? Write a paragraph answer in your WP.
8. Be sure you have proof read and run spell check your document.
9. Save your work.
10. Chart the data provided by each student about how long each of their activities took in 1850 and today and how often it was done. Draw conclusions.
Assessment: Teacher observation of student work time and evaluation of their WP using rubric.
Word Processing Rubric
4 Railroad questions- up to 5 points for each answer based on accuracy and details given
Activity Items completed 4 = 20 points
3 = 15 points
2 = 10 points
1 = 5 points
0 = 0 points
Possible Points / 8 / 6 / 4 / 0Used complete sentences / Used complete sentences / Some evidence of sentence completion / Little evidence of sentence completion / No complete sentences
Capitalization/spelling / Capitalization/spelling / Some evidence of correct capitalization/spelling / Little evidence of correct capitalization/spelling / Did not use capital letters. Many words misspelled
Punctuation and Grammar / Used correct punctuation/ Grammar / Some evidence of correct punctuation/grammar / Little evidence of correct punctuation/grammar / Did not use correct punctuation/grammar
WP Format (Included details) / Format is easy to understand. It looks good / Format is ok. All information can be found. / Format is jumbled/compressed/cluttered / Format is messy, not consistent
Activity 5 Orphan Train Research
Title: The Orphan Train Collection
Objectives: Students will use the collection to continue their Learning Goal research. They will recognize further reasons why the children were orphaned or sent on the Orphan Train. Students will understand the feelings of those who went west on the Orphan Train by reading accounts of their experiences. The class will discover facts related to the locations and number of orphans sent to Iowa.
Materials: iBooks to research the following websites: Microsoft Word application, atlas, large US map, push pins, string, T-chart, research worksheet from:
Procedures: Working in partners, students enter the website and click on The Orphan Train Story. This will take them to a menu of choices. Students will be directed to complete directed research activities before exploring the remaining menu choices freely.
Part One: They will begin by visiting “Frequently Asked Questions,” “How Did It Feel,” and “The Child I Left Behind.” Students will create a Word document to keep research notes in. This document will include the learning goals to guide students research. They will cut and paste at least 10 interesting or important facts into the Word document.
Part Two: “Orphan Train in Iowa” Students will use both websites listed above to research the impact of the Orphan Train in Iowa. They will begin at the Orphan Train Riders website and will complete the worksheet. They will then go to the Maquoketa website and complete the mapping activity. In small groups, students will map out one city from each letter of the alphabet on a basic map of Iowa. They will be directed to choose a city they are familiar with whenever possible. For cities they are unfamiliar with, the students will use an atlas.
Part Three: The students will select “Individual Rider Stories” from the Orphan Train Riders menu. They will be assigned to research 2 men and 2 women from the Rider menu. Students will work in partners to complete the Orphan Research worksheet. When their research is completed, they will complete a T-chart showing positive and negative experiences from the rider’s stories ultimately leading to a discussion between students to decide if the Orphan Train was a good or bad thing. T-charts will have a minimum of 10 items listed. While groups wait for everyone to be finished, they will use string and push pins to mark where in the United States orphans ended up.
Assessment: Part One:Students will print a copy of their Word document and turn in to the teacher. The assignment is worth 10 points. This assignment will be assessed for effort (teacher observation) and following of directions.
Part Two: Orphan Train Riders and Mapping worksheets will be graded for accuracy by teacher. They will find 21 cities on their map and the Riders worksheet is worth 11 points for a total score of 32 points.
Part Three: Completion of Orphan Research pages will be worth 60 awarded accuracy and effort. The T-chart will be worth 20 points. One point will be given for each example and one point will be awarded for each complete explanation. Mapping the locations on the US map will be worth 10 points for marking all 4 cities correctly.
Children’s Aid Society
Orphan Locations by States
Use the orphantrainriders.com website (or another reliable source) to answer the following. Put your answers in a WP called C.A.S.— Your name in your folder on XSERVEONE.
Be sure to number your answers to the questions and answer in complete sentences.
You may use this website or a research site of your choice.
Website: orphantrianriders.com
Orphan train story
CAS Orphan Locations by State
- What is the C. A. S.?
- What was Iowa’s total number of children sent by C.A.S. in the year 1910? ______
- What is the total number of children sent by C.A.S. to Middle West states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin? ______
- How many states had taken C.A.S. children by 1910? ______
- Use a calculator. What is the total number of children sent by C.A.S. in the year 1910? ______
- Name the states that had more children arrive in 1910 than Iowa. ______
- Name the state that had the fewest children sent in the year 1910. ______
Activity 6 Literature Circles
Objectives: Students will experience life as an Orphan Train child through literature
Materials:: Book: The Family Apart (Orphan Train Quartet, Book 1) by Joan Lowery Nixon Bantam 1987, computers
Literature Circle notebooks and blank job sheets
Procedures: The class will spend part of each class period meeting in Literature Circle groups, reading the assigned pages, and completing assigned job sheets. They will also complete the coordinating activity in the Webquest.
Assessment: Job sheets are turned in daily and evaluated by the teacher. Groups are evaluated once a week by the teacher using a checklist to monitor quality and effort. The groups are evaluated once a week by the students using a performance rubric. Journal and Challenge Activity portfolios will be evaluated according to rubric set in Webquest.
:
Activity 7 Webquest
Journey on the Orphan Train with the Novel "A Family Apart" (Grade 5-8) by A.M. Knust
Objectives:
Materials:
Procedures:
Assessment:
Activity 8 Post-assessment
Objectives: To show what knowledge students have gained. Students use key words to write a narrative showing the understanding that they have gained.Students use Key Words to write a narrative.