TAH June 2009

1. TAHJune 2009 Three Portrayals of the Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad Susan Schemmel Email: sschemmel@usa.net http://www.evesun.com/galleries/edition/2007-06-13/railroad%20tracks%202.jpg

2. Habits Lesson Planner

3. From Transcontinental Railroad Unit • http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/tcrr/timeline/index.html Timeline • http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/treasures_of_congress/text/page15_text.html Basic info • http://history.howstuffworks.com/american-history/railroad-expansion2.htm more detailed info • http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/tcrr/tguide/index.html Unit ideas and links • http://cprr.org/Museum/index.html great pictures and links, definite bias in some articles • http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/consrv:@field%28DOCID+@lit%28amrvgvg32div9%29%29 Test of book written by Samuel Bowles about the railroad - pages 45-74 discuss the railroad in general, 400-401 detail Chinese workers on railroad. • http://www.learningthroughhistory.com/newsletter/archives/42005.php Unit Plan From learning Through History • http://www.tcrr.com/ Basic review of planning and building the railroad • http://www.shmoop.com/intro/history/us/transcontinental-railroad.html Good links • http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/goldenspike.htm Great excerpt from eyewitness report • http://www.understandingrace.com/history/society/trans_railroad_west_indian_wars.html Discusses effects of race on the railroad • http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/china1.cfm info specifically about Chinese workers • http://www.umesd.k12.or.us/tcr_irish web quest on Irish Americans and the railroad • http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1162286/the_transcontinental_railroad_conflict.html?cat=37 article about effect on Native Americans • http://www.umsl.edu/~umslhistory/PsiPsi/8Dundon%20on%20Transcontinental%20Railroad.pdf essay by high school student about race and the railroad Background Information Not all these sites are historical or educational references. Students and teachers should analyze the value and slant of the information found on these sites.

4. Basic lesson Plan Day 1 • Use PowerPoint presentation to introduce assignment and guide discussions. • Students discuss the pictures in small groups. • 20 minutes before the class ends have whole class discussion still using the PowerPoint. • Assign a compare/contrast essay.

5. Basic lesson Plan Day 2 • Use PowerPoint presentation to introduce assignment for day 2. • Students read and discuss their essays in small groups. • After 20 minutes the group project will be introduced using the PowerPoint • Students will work on project for 1-3 days.

6. Simple Written Work Rubric

7. Analyzing a Primary Source Rubric

8. For the Students Day 1

9. The Transcontinental Railroad Completed

10. Labor: The Celebration of the Meeting of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads at Promontory Point, Utah, May 10, 1869.

11. A. J. Russell, “Chinese at Laying Last Rail UPRR,” stereoview

12. The Last Spike (1881) by Thomas Hill

13. Another Possible Picture Photographer Alfred Hart

14. The Assignment part 1 • Get into groups • Get one copy of each print per group • Discuss the pictures • How are they alike? • Is there a common theme? • How are they different?

15. Theme and Habits of the Mind Theme and History’s Habits of the Mind Theme:Patterns of social and political interaction: Change and continuity of class, ethnic, racial, and gender structure and relations; Migration, immigration, forces for social mobility and immobility; the conditions and aspirations of common people, and those of elites, and their effects upon political power and institutions. Habits of the Mind: Perceive past events and issues as people experienced them at the time, to develop historical empathy as opposed to present-mindedness. Acquire at the same time a comprehension of diverse cultures and shared humanity.

16. Questions Are these pictures staged? Are certain groups or people included in all the pictures? Are certain groups or people not included in some of the pictures? What is the focus of the picture? Are there any groupings or sections that create their own scene or picture? Is the photographer/artist creating this for a particular audience? Does that affect how the picture is staged?

17. Review Discussion Perceive past events and issues as people experienced them at the time, to develop historical empathy as opposed to present-mindedness. Acquire at the same time a comprehension of diverse cultures and shared humanity. Habit What do these pictures have to do with our Habit?

18. The Last Spike (1881) by Thomas Hill

19. A. J. Russell, “Chinese at Laying Last Rail UPRR,” stereoview

20. Labor: The Celebration of the Meeting of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads at Promontory Point, Utah, May 10, 1869.

21. The Assignment part 2 • Get a copy of the prints for yourself • Write a compare and contrast essay with a focus on Habits of the Mind • Tomorrow, you will discuss your essays with your group then prepare a presentation about these three pictures.

22. The Assignment part 3 • Take turns reading your essays to your group • Discuss the essays. How are they alike? Can you find a common theme or idea among all the essays. • Be prepared to share at least one common idea with the class.

23. The Assignment part 4 • Create a presentation discussing the three pictures. • You can do a group compare and contrast of the three • Or you can use the pictures as support for an expansion of the theme your group cam up with.

24. Presentations • Presentations can be computerized or low tech. • If you use the computer, I recommend using Smart Notebook to create a circle on the part of the picture you want to focus on. • The presentation should be at least 5 minutes and no more than 30 minutes.