suggested learning activities

NO RBNSPast and Future

linda S. Beckham, Ed.D.Author & Educational Consultant

Charles KeirnMarketing & Production Manager

© 1995 All rights reserved.Innovative Educational Products, L.L.C.

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Introduction .iLesson Overview .ii-x

Suggested Learning Activities

Background LessonsA Presidential Proclamation An American Drama 1

The Oklahoma Opening - A Proclamation (Student Text A) 3Extra! Extra! Read All About It.. 4

New York Times - The Oklahoma Situation (Student Text B) 6Oklahoma Standard - Oklahoma Territory News (Student Text C) 7

Historical Photograph LessonsBoomer or Bust. 8Geographer's View of the Past.. 10Diverse Faces From All Kinds of Places 13Pack Him Light For Flight.. 16The Race For Life and Land 18Train Tracks to Land Tracts 21Land, Lottery, and the Line 23Tent Cities 25

Haste Makes Waste (Student Text D) 28Counting the Cost of Free Land 29Home Is Where the Heart Is 32

Pa's Hopes and Dreams (Student Text E) 34

Historical Photograph PostcardsReading Historical Photographs 35

Suggested Reading List. 36

Appendix

Introduction

It has been said that unless we know and understand the events of history, we are destined asa nation and as humanity to repeat the mistakes of the past. American history is filled withmoments of intrigue and adventure. As students investigate the history of their nation, theimages developed in the "minds' eye" is critical to a complete understanding of the circumstancessurrounding the event. Land Runs Past and Future places each learner in the position of usingauthentic photographs of historical events in order to fully realize the tantalizing significance ofone important period in history. Viewing events from a unique primary source, students will beencouraged to view the future with renewed enthusiasm. The future will be real because the pastwill be alive in ways the traditional study of history was unable to recreate.

Land Runs Past and Future is an interdisciplinary unit designed to be used one day or a nineweek unit. Teachers have the latitude to organize and design the best program for their students.

Lesson Plans For Each 11" x 14" PhotographLand Runs Past and Future has been created for busy teachers in search of student-centered,

activity-based teaching strategies. Each lesson plan begins with an overview of the concept fromthe photograph to be examined. Each 11" x 14" historical photograph has a multi-level lessonplan adaptable to the lower grades and higher grades, as well as students with a range of abilitylevels. Teachers may use one level of activities or design new lessons using a combination ofactivities taken from the two levels.

Analyzing the Historical Photograph discusses interesting aspects of the scene captured inthe 11" x 14" photograph. The section provides background information to assist the teacher incapturing the students' imagination and interest with the details represented in the photograph.

Suggested Learning Activities assist teachers with a variety of cooperative learning andactivity-based lesson plans that can be used with students at lower and higher levels of learning.The learning experiences suggested can be used in combination enabling the teacher tostreamline the activities for individual student groups.

Postcards With Individual Reading LessonsThe Postcards are suggested for individual study by students. The class set of 30 postcards

was designed to increase student interest and provide additiqnal historical information in a minilesson format. Each postcard can be read, individually examined and reflected upon with theopportunity to write a reaction paper for each scene.

Land Runs Past and Future provide opportunities for individual student reflection, teaminvestigation, map skill development, as well as an interdisciplinary approach to learning.Consequently, students will have the opportunity to dream about future explorations andchallenged to avail themselves to the opportunities in the future. Ask students to think aboutwhere we have been as a nation. Dare them to dream about the adventures and opportunities thatstill lie ahead.

Linda S. Beckham, Ed.D.

Lesson Overview

Lesson 1: A Presidential ProclamationLower Level

Students will define and discuss differences in a law and presidential proclamation.Examples will be determined by students for city, state, and federal laws. Students will developa perspective of their location relative to the 1889 Land Run on the Unassigned Lands in IndianTerritory. Map skills will be developed through the use of an outline map of Oklahoma todiscover the physical features found in the land run area. The extended lesson encouragesstudents to compose a school law as a proclamation to give direction to the principal.

Pages: 1-3Length of Lesson: One 45 Minute PeriodMaterials:

- Outline Map of U.S. for Students (Appendix A)- Transparency Outline Map of U.S. for Teacher (Made from Appendix A)- Map Pencils or Markers- Outline Map of Oklahoma for Students (Appendix B)- Transparency Map of Oklahoma for Teacher (Made from Appendix B)

Resources:- Atlas

Interdisciplinary Areas: Map Skills, Research, Reading, Art, and History

Higher LevelAn atlas will be used to locate and label physical features in the 1889 Land Run area of

Oklahoma. Students will read and interpret the Presidential Proclamation issued by BenjaminHarrison, to indicate the land run area to be opened in the Indian Territory. An imaginaryproclamation will be written by students to open a selected state in the United States.

Pages: 1-3Length of Lesson: Two 45 Minute PeriodsMaterials:

- Outline Map of Oklahoma (Appendix B)- Map Pencils or Markers

Resources:- Atlas- Presidential Proclamation (Student Text A)

Interdisciplinary Areas: Map Skills, Reading, Writing, and History

Lesson 2: Extra! Extra! ReadAllAbout ItLower Level

Students will learn from a primary source the perspective of one segment of Americansociety regarding the opening for settlement of the Unassigned Lands in Indian Territory. Groupresearch will provide information on the Boomer Movement that was instrumental in pressuring

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the government into opening the land to homesteaders. Student research will be organized andillustrated in a book. An advertisement or commercial will be created to entice others to theUnassigned Lands for the first chance at a homestead.

Pages: 4-6Length of Lesson: Five 45 Minute PeriodsMaterials:

- New York Times article entitled The Oklahoma Situation (Student Text B)Resources:

- Library BooksInterdisciplinary Areas: Research, Reading, Writing, and History

Higher LevelThis lesson investigates the role of reporter bias in influencing a reader. An 1889 article

from the New York Times and one article from the 1889 Oklahoma Standard allow students tocompare bias and perspective along with writing styles to newspapers oftoday. The studentswill gain experience using the writing styles exhibited in the 1889 articles to write a newspaperstory for a contemporary issue.

Pages: 4-8Length of Lesson: Two 45 Minute PeriodsResources:

- Current Newspaper- New York Times article entitled "The Oklahoma Situation"(Student Text B)- Oklahoma Standard article entitled "Oklahoma Territory News"

(Student Text C)Interdisciplinary Areas: Reading, Writing, and History

Lesson 3: Boomer or BustLower Level

Students will consider the agricultural crops produced in their state and at least oneother state in the United States. Thematic maps will be used to determine precipitation, averagetemperature, and soil types of the researched areas. Library research will help students determinethe major crops of their assigned state. An outline map ofthe U.S. will be drawn by students toillustrate the collected data.

Pages: 9-10Length of Lesson: Two to Three 45 Minute PeriodsMaterials:

- Outline Map of the U.S. for StudentsResources: AtlasInterdisciplinary Areas: Map Skills, Research, Reading, Art, and History

Higher LevelStudents will make judgments concerning the use of an abundant U.S. food supply in

conducting foreign policy. Student groups will produce an outline map of one assigned state.

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An atlas of thematic maps will be used to include within the state drawing the followinginformation: physical features, soil types, precipitation, and natural vegetation. The states majorcrop will be identified and illustrated. The state's history will be researched for informationregarding the crops produced in the l880s and l890s. If the assigned area was not a state duringthat period, information about the general area will be collected. The extended lesson offers theopportunity to produce a timeline representing advances made with specific pieces of farmingequipment.

Pages: 9-10Length of Lesson: Three to Five 45 Minute PeriodsMaterials:

- Posterboard- Map Pencils or Markers

Resources:- Atlas ofD.S. Thematic Maps- Historical Photograph No.1

Interdisciplinary Areas: Map Skills, Research, Art, and History

Lesson 4: The Geographers' View of the PastLower Level

Students will examine the significance of an areas' environment on impacting thelifestyle of the inhabitants. An outline map of the U.S. will be drawn by groups with the focuson one assigned region. The means for people to live and work will be determined for theregion. Similarities and differences between environments, economic activities, and lifestyleswill be evaluated.

Pages: 11-13Length of Lesson: Three 45 Minute PeriodsMaterials:

- Historical Photograph No.2- Wall Map of the U.S.- Posterboard- Map Pencils or Markers- Atlas

Resources:- Encyclopedia

Interdisciplinary Areas: Map Skills, Research, Reading, Writing, Art, Math,and History

Higher LevelTaking the role of the geographer, students will identify the physical or human

characteristics that may be associated with the identification of their home town. Student groupswill research the physical environment and human characteristics for one of the new town sitesfrom the 1889 Land Run (Example: Kingfisher, Oklahoma City, or Guthrie). The extendedlesson challenges students to create maps that illustrate their home town's growth at 10 yearintervals. Trends in growth will be cited.

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Pages: 11-13Length of Lesson: Three to Five 45 Minute PeriodsMaterials:

- Map Pencils or MarkersResources:

- Historical Photograph No.2- Historical Reference Materials (Example: Newspaper articles, personaldiaries, historical atlas)

- Current Reference MaterialsInterdisciplinary Areas: Map Skills, Research, Reading, Art, and History

Lesson 5: Diverse Faces From All Kinds ofPlaces"'

Lower LevelStudents will use their knowledge of clothing worn by members of various types of

jobs/careers in the community to speculate the profession of selected people in the historicalphotograph. A collage will be created ofAmericans At Work. Students will recommend changesfor uniforms.

Pages: 14-16Length of Lesson: Two 45 Minute PeriodsMaterials:

- Historical Photograph No.3- Posterboard- Variety of Magazines and Newspapers

Interdisciplinary Areas: Research, Art, and History

Higher LevelUsing Historical Photograph No.3, students will identify differences in clothing styles.

Student teams will select a region of the United States to research clothing styles of the 1880sand 1890s. Taking the role of the American Indian, students will speculate the thoughts of theIndians as they observed the intruding homesteaders. Students will write a position paper as oneof the settlers in the photograph.



Resources:- Historical Photograph No.3

Interdisciplinary Areas: Map Skills, Research, Writing, Art, and History

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Lesson 6: Pack Him Light For FlightLower Level

Students are asked to consider farming as a career choice. An investigation of organicfarming vs. farming with fertilizers and pesticides encourages students to make judgments basedupon the results of their research.

Pages: 17-18Length of Lesson: One 45 Minute PeriodInterdisciplinary Areas: Research, Reading, Science, and History

Higher LevelStudents will interview grandparents or other older relative, friend, or neighbor about

individual experiences during interesting periods in American history. The interview will berecorded with a recorder, video camera, or in written form to use in a presentation to the class.Similarities and differences in emotions and experiences among the individuals interviewed willbe discussed.

Pages: 17-18Length of Lesson: Two to Three 45 Minute PeriodsMaterials:

- Recorder, Video Camera, or written means to record a personal interviewResources:

- Grandparents or an older relative, friend or neighborInterdisciplinary Areas: Research, Presentation, and History

Lesson 7: The Race For Life and LandLower Level

Students will design a new form of transportation for a future land run to an area at thebottom of the ocean. A small model will be built from clay, wood, paper, or tinker toys.Students will take the role of a participant in the ocean land run. An autobiography will bewritten to reveal emotions and experiences.


- Building Materials (Example: Clay, wood, paper, Tinker Toys, glue)

Resources:- Atlas

Interdisciplinary Areas: Map Skills, Reading, Writing, Art, and History

Higher LevelStudents will use census data to speculate future events if population growth continues

to escalate at previous trends. Students will be asked to speculate what person or groups ofpeople would be most likely to favor a land run to the bottom of the ocean floor. Newspaperswill be used to search for examples of political cartoons for a discussion of unwritten messagesimplied in the cartoons. Students will be challenged to create original political cartoons, one to

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support and one to condemn, an ocean floor land run. A song may be composed to reveal thepossible attitude and mood of the country before the beginning of the ocean floor land run.

Pages: 19-21Length of Lesson: Three to Five 45 Minute PeriodsResources:

- Data from the U.S. Census BureauInterdisciplinary Areas: Research, Reading, Writing, and History

Lesson 8: Train Tracks To Land TractsLower Level

Students will discover the contribution of the railroad to the growth of towns in theopening of the Unassigned Lands in Indian Territory. Students will read and report to classmatesinteresting facts and stories about trains.

Pages: 22-23Length of Lesson: Two 45 Minute Periods if library book on railroads are read

as an outside activity.Materials:


Resources:- Library books on Trains

Interdisciplinary Areas: Map Skills, Research, Reading, Art, and History

Higher LevelStudents should begin with the lower level activities on the role of trains during the

1889 Land Run. Then expand the role of the train in modem day with the activities in the higherlevel lessons. Information will be collected and organized into a Train Vacation Book. Maps,cost, booking information, interesting cities along the route will be identified with highlights onthe important activities to see and do while visiting the location. Students will research thetechnological advances made in modem trains within the United States and overseas.

Pages: 22-23Length of Lesson: Three 45 Minute PeriodResources

- Library Books- Train Travel Brochures

Interdisciplinary Areas: Map Skills, Research, Reading, Writing, Art, andHistory

Lesson 9: Land, Lottery, and the LineLower Level

Students will work in a team to represent the role of a homesteader and claim jumper.The view of each person will be portrayed in poetry. Music can be composed by students thatwill allow the students to sing each poem. Optimistic and pessimistic views will be considered.

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Pages: 24-25Length of Lesson: Three 45 Minute PeriodsResources:

- Library BooksInterdisciplinary Areas: Research, Reading, Writing, and History

Higher LevelThe focus of this lesson is on survey instruments of the past and present. Team research

will be conducted to create drawings of 1800 and modem day survey instruments. A discussionof how the land was marked, claimed, and filed in the 1889 and 1893 Land Runs will bediscussed.



Resources:- Library Books

Interdisciplinary Areas: Research, Reading, Art, and History

Lesson 10: Tent CitiesLower Level

Students will assume the role of a city planner. An outline map will be drawn of thestudent's home town indicating physical features inside and around the city limits. One cityservice will be selected with recommendations for planning. Students will write letters tohomeowners explaining the need for them to relocate.


- Paper for drawing an outline map- Map Pencils or Markers

Resources:- City Map

Interdisciplinary Areas: Map Skills, Writing, Art, and History

Higher LevelStudents will read Haste Makes Waste (Student Text D) and speculate the possible

problems that could have resulted from establishing a city without a design plan. Groups willdesign a city plan for a new city in the Oklahoma Territory. Students will take the role of a cityplanner, government official, or settler and participate in a panel discussion. The city plannerand government officials will have to convince the settler to release part of his claim to makeroom for city services (Example: Streets) and public buildings (Example: Post Office). Thelesson can be extended to include a study of the student's city or town. A bulletin board and

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timeline can be created. Students can assume the role of a settler and design postcards to sendthe family "back home."

Pages: 26-29Length of Lesson: Three to Four 45 Minute PeriodsMaterials:

- Posterboard for cutting into postcards- Map Pencils or Markers

Resources:- Haste Makes Waste (Student Text D)- Historical Photograph No.8

Interdisciplinary Areas: Map Skills, Research, Reading, Writing, Art, andHistory

Lesson 11: Counting the Cost of Free LandLower Level

The focus of this lesson is on the significance of the environment in determining thelivelihood of inhabitants. A comparison between the student's state and the American GreatPlains will be discussed. Students will learn about sod grass and how it was used in the land runareas to build shelter. Student groups will produce a replica of a sod house.


- Mud and grass to produce a sod houseResources:

- Library Books- Encyclopedia

Interdisciplinary Areas: Research, Reading, Art, and History

Higher LevelStudents will examine the regulations that governed the 1889 land run into Unassigned

Lands. They will work in groups to construct two sets of regulations. The first list will be therequirements students believe would be appropriate for a modem day land run. The second listby students will challenge them to propose the regulations that might be appropriate for a landrun 100 years from today.

Pages: 30-32Length of Lesson: One 45 Minute PeriodInterdisciplinary Areas: Writing and History

Lesson 12: Home Is Where the Heart IsLower Level

Students will read a journal entry written by a young girl living during the 1889-1893era. Students will use their imaginations to create a drawing of the home scene described in thejournal entry. A chart will be developed resulting in suggestions of how household items from

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the 1880s evolved to household items of today.Pages: 33-35Length of Lesson: One 45 Minute PeriodMaterials:

- Construction Paper- Map Pencils or Markers

Resources:- Pa's Hopes and Dreams (Student Text E)

Interdisciplinary Areas: Reading, Art, and History

Higher LevelStudents will read one entry in a young girl's diary in 1889. Students will be selected to

play the role of each character in the diary scene. A second drama of the scene will be presentedto reveal what the students believe the characters are thinking. A group of students will take partin a discussion dramatizing the role of each character in the scene. Class members will askquestions of each family member concerning how the person felt about the issues discussed. Amural can be created showing how the family might have appeared in the 1880s.

Pages: 33-35Length of Lesson: Two 45 Minute PeriodsResources:

- Pa's Hopes and Dreams (Student Text E)Interdisciplinary Areas: Reading, Role Play, and History

Lower and Higher Level Activities

Lesson 13: Readin2 Historical Photo2raph PostcardsStudents will work individually to examine the 30 postcards. The activities are

designed to assist students in looking beyond the obvious to become part of an exciting period inhistory. Students may discuss the postcard photographs or respond to each photograph in theform of written reactions.

Page: 36Length of Lesson: One to Five 45 Minute PeriodsResources:

- 30 Historical Photograph PostcardsInterdisciplinary Areas: Reading, Writing, and History

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IIA Presidential Proclamation

An American DramaII

On March 23, 1889, President Benjamin Harrison issued a proclamation that opened theUnassigned Lands to anxious frontier settlers. In one short month, approximately 50,000 peoplefrom across the United States and overseas gathered at the starting lines on the border of theOklahoma Territory to take part in the frantic race for land. The date was April 22, 1889. Thefocus of this lesson is to determine the location of the land opened for homesteaders by usingmap and analysis skills to determine the area of land opened for settlement.

ObjectivesThe student will: Lower Level (LL)

* Define the terms law and proclamation.* Identify examples of city, state, and federal laws.* Locate on a U.S. map the area known as the Unassigned Lands of the 1889 land run.

Higher Level (HL)* Identify the area of Indian land to be opened for white settlement by the land run

of April 22, 1889.* Interpret written directions provided by the Presidential Proclamation of

March 23, 1889, to locate the area ofland to be opened for settlement April 22, 1889.

Materials* Atlas * Map of Oklahoma (Appendix B)* Map Pencils or Markers *Political Map of the United States (Appendix A)* (LL) Transparency Outline Map of Oklahoma and United States* (HL) Presidential Proclamation of March 23, 1889, entitled The

Oklahoma Opening - A Proclamation (Student Text A)

Suggested Student Activities(Lower Level)

Opening the LessonAsk students to define the term law. Why do we need laws? Give examples of city,

state, and federal laws. Discuss the differences in a law and a presidential proclamation. Thetwo documents are not the same. A presidential proclamation does not have the force of lawthough it may provide direction for federal executive agencies that are under the president'sdirection. A federal law can only be approved by Congress with the signature ofthe President orwith an override of a presidential veto.

Developing the LessonProvide each student with an outline map of the United States. The teacher should use a

transparency of the map to assist as students work. Ask students to label and color their city and

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state. Locate, label and color the State of Oklahoma. Say: "In 1889, the President of the UnitedStates was Benjamin Harrison. He signed a law or proclamation opening the land in Oklahomathat at one time was promised to the Indians. The opening of the land meant that anxioussettlers could take the land for themselves. In the proclamation, President Harrison describedthe exact location of the land opened for settlement. We will follow the directions in PresidentHarrison's proclamation to find the Unassigned Lands in Indian Territory."

Concluding the LessonProvide each student with an outline map of Oklahoma (Appendix B). The teacher

should work from a transparency as the students work with their map. Identify and labelimportant physical features to be used as points of reference within the Land Run area (CimarronRiver, Arkansas River, Canadian River). Ask students to outline the Unassigned Lands thatwould be opened in the 1889 Land Run as the teacher demonstrates on the transparency map.(Appendix C for Teacher Reference).

Extending the LessonOrganize students into small groups. Instruct each group to think of a new school law

that should be considered by the principal of the school. Write the proposed school law as aproclamation that gives direction to the principal. Ask the principal to discuss the proclamationwith the students. What must be considered before s/he can consider recommending it into law?

Suggested Learning Activities(Higher Level)

Opening the LessonWorking in a team of two, ask students to use an atlas to locate and label on an outline

map of Oklahoma (Appendix B) the following physical features of Oklahoma: Cimarron River,Arkansas River, Canadian River. Outline each river with a blue map pencil.

Developing the LessonInstruct students to carefully read the Presidential Proclamation (Student Text A) issued

on March 23, 1889, by Benjamin Harrison. Students should follow the directions outlined in theproclamation to identify the Unassigned Lands to be opened for settlement. Outline on the mapof Oklahoma the area proposed for opening. When the students have completed their maps,provide for comparison a correctly shaded map of the Unassigned Lands.

Concluding the LessonAsk students to write an imaginary proclamation opening the land of any state in the

United States. Use the atlas to determine topographic information and mapping information.Write a proclamation that includes identifying information. Students may exchangeproclamations with other students to determine if the written instructions lead to the correct state.

Extending the LessonAsk students to think of the school building as the land run area. Designate each as a

surveyed lot within the Unassigned Lands. Instruct students to select one of the school lots anddevise a plan to claim the lot before other classmates. A simulation land run could be played toclaim school territory. Students should justify their choices.

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The Oklahoma OpeningA Proclamation

(l) Beginning at a point where the degree of longitude ninety-eight west fromGreenwich, as surveyed in the years 1858 and 1871, intersects the Canadian River; go northalong the same degree to a point where the longitude line intersects the Cimarron River; (2) thenup the river along the right side of the bank, to a point where the same is intersected by the southline of what is known as the Cherokee lands lying west of the Arkansas River or as the"Cherokee Outlet," the line being the north line of the lands ceded by the Muskogee (or Creek)Nation of Indians to the United States by the treaty of June 14, 1866; (3) then go east along theline to a point where it intersects the west line of the lands set apart as a reservation for thePawnee Indians by act of Congress approved April 10, 1876, being the range line between rangesfour and five east of the Indian Meridian; (4) then go south on the line to a point where itintersects the middle of the main channel of the Cimarron River; (5) go (west) up the river alongthe middle of the main channel, thereof, to a point where the line intersects the range line,between range one east and range one west (which is called the Indian Meridian) which lineforms the western boundary of the reservations set apart for the Iowa and Kickapoo Indians, byexecutive orders, dated, August 16, 1886, (6) go south along the range line or meridian to a pointwhere it intersects to the right bank of the North Fork of the Canadian River; (7) go up (west)that river, along the right bank, to a point where the line is intersected by the west line of thereservation occupied by the Chickasaw Nation of Indians; (8) go north along the west line of thereservation to a point where the line intersects the middle of the main channel to a point oppositethe place of beginning; and then north to the place of beginning...

Revised from original document for student use.

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(Student Text A)

IIExtra! Extra!

Read All About ItII

In the 1880s and 1890s, there were many views associated with all situations. TheAmerican land runs that opened Indian reservations for settlement was not an exception. Areview of the newspapers of the day reveal a number of positions. This lesson will focus on1889 newspaper articles in order to uncover the "pulse of the country" regarding the land runsand the proposed area of settlement.


* Read the March 21, 1889, New York Times article, The Oklahoma Situation.* Identify by examples, the meaning of the term "a strained situation."* Use library and computer resources to research the Boomer Movement.* Create a convincing advertisement or commercial to entice settlers to slip into

the Unassigned Lands before it was legal.Higher Level (HL)

* Read articles concerning the 1889 Land Run from the March 21, 1889, New YorkTimes and the August 13, 1889, Oklahoma Standard.

* Analyze the New York Times and Oklahoma Standard newspaper articles forevidence of perspective and reporting bias.

* Contrast the styles of writing between 1889 and modem day newspaper writing.* Investigate claims made in the 1889 newspaper articles.

Materials* New York Times article The Oklahoma Situation (Student Text B)* (HL) Oklahoma Standard article Oklahoma Territory News (Student Text C)* (HL) Current Newspaper

Suggested Learning Experiences(Lower Level)

Opening the LessonAs a class, read the March 21, 1889, New York Times article (Student Text B). Discuss

what is meant by the phrase "the situation is becoming very much strained." Ask students toidentify current instances in which they may be familiar when a "situation was very muchstrained."

Developing the LessonAsk students to speculate what is meant by the name Boomer. The Boomers were the

land hungry settlers that believed the Unassigned Lands were public lands and should be open tohomesteading. Consequently, under the leadership of David L. Payne, between 1879 to 1884,

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the Boomers constantly crossed illegally into Indian Territory and attempted to stakehomesteads.

Divide students into groups to complete research on the Boomer Movement. As studentscollect information, create a book that illustrates the Boomer Movement in written reports anddrawings.

Concluding the LessonWorking in groups or as an individual project, ask students to create an advertisement or

commercial that would cause people to want to slip into the Unassigned Lands for the firstchance at a homestead.

Suggested Learning Experiences(Higher Level)

Opening the LessonWrite the word "bias" on the chalkboard. Ask students to suggest other words that

convey bias. Direct students to scan a current newspaper for articles that reflect bias by thereporter. Identify techniques used by the reporter to bias the reader? Discuss the newspaperarticles identified by students.

Developing the LessonAsk students to read the March 21, 1889, New York Times article entitled "The

Oklahoma Situation" (Student Text B). Complete the Critical Thinking activities following theNew York Times article. Examine the writing style of the article. Compare the 1889 writingstyle to the style of writing commonly used in newspapers today.

Ask students to read the August 13, 1889, Oklahoma Standard article entitled"Oklahoma Territory News" (Student Text C). Arrange the students into teams to complete theCritical Thinking activities.

Concluding the LessonDiscuss the concept of perspective. Ask students to compare the two articles for

differences in the tone of each article as well as the manner in which each was written. Whatevidence between the two articles can students identify where perspective played a role. Ask: "Ifreporting does not reveal bias, how does the reporter's perspective influence the tone of thearticle?"

Extending the LessonStudent groups could collect information concerning a contemporary issue and write a

variety of newspaper articles on the subject. Each student would report from a differentperspective. Write one article that reflects the style of writing exhibited in the 1889 articles.

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NEW YORIi TIMESMarch 21, 1889 Price Two Cents

THE OKLAHOMA SITUATIONGeneral Weaver's Advice To Impatient Boomers

HAS THE EX-CONGRESSMAN AN EYE ON THE HIGH PLAINS?-INSTRUCTIONS TO THE SOLDIERS

WPEKA, KANSAS- The Oklahoma situation is becoming verymuch strained, not withstanding the attempts of prominent mento pacify the would be settlers. Hundreds of these are discouragedover the report that the country is not likely to be opened untilJune and unless the advocates of peace redouble their efforts ageneral advance regardless of what consequences may result.

Congressman Mansur of Missouri has been traveling alongthe border counseling the boomers to remain quiet until thePresident's proclamation is issued, and it is said he has done muchto avert the threatened invasion.

Ex-Congressman Weaver bobbed up unexpectedly atOklahoma Station last night in company with Capt. Couch, Payne'ssuccessor. Mr. Weaver was in Topeka Monday and lobbying thethe interest of Oklahoma all Winter to Washington. Mr. Weaverleft on Tuesday ostensibly for Atchison, but it was learned that hewent directly for Oklahoma with Couch. As soon as he wasrecognized he was forced to make a speech by the evening at adance in the Post Office Building.

There is little doubt that he, in connection with otherCongressional advocates of the opening, has got his eye on therich plains which Oklahoma is expected to develop, hence hissecret journey. His presence being known, he gracefully took thebull by the horns and made the boomers a rousing speech. He saidthe country was excelled by none he had ever seen and summarizedbriefly the advantages of soil and climate and general topographywhich had displayed themselves to him for the first time in theday's ride. This, he said, was the rightful heritage of the people

and the effort which had been made to keep it from them wasnothing short of a crime.

The fight in Congress for the possession of this fair land hadbeen long and arduous, and it had been in many ways a bittercontest on account of the interests involved and the active oppositionwhich had been made by the cattle men. It was to be regretted thatthe Springer bill, with its wise provisions for government had notpassed. Still Oklahoma had not been left entirely without law, asa court has been established at Muskogee with jurisdiction overthe Indian Territory in minor civil and criminal matters and thecourts of Fort Smith and Wichita has jurisdiction in cases of felonyand the most important civil matters.

Land offices would be established in ample time to most allrequirements. It now only remained for the President to issue hisproclamation, and there was no doubt that he would do it in a veryshort time.

All good citizens would wait until that was done before enteringupon the land. He knew that those present would do this. Theymight pass through the country and look at it, but should comewith no purpose on staying. In conclusion, Mr. Weaver predictedthat within two years Oklahoma would be a State.

The presence of Mr. Weaver in the Oklahoma country willstrengthen the feeling in Kansas that Senator Plumb simply strucka blow at the town site speculators when he smashed the Springerbill. In the meantime the season is advancing and the thousandsjust in sight of the "Promised land" see their stock of patience fastdisappearing.

1. Analyze the article for evidence of biased reporting. Offer evident for your position. Rewrite the articleusing modern reporting techniques.

2. Idioms are words and phrases used in a language that have meaning different from the way the word isnormally defined (Example: She is light as a feather). Identify idioms that appear in the article. Lookfor context clues in the article in which the idiom appears. Determine the meaning of the idiom. Substitutethe article's idiom with one used today.

3. Take the position of the Indian Tribes that were affected by the land run. Report the events describedin the article form the Indian's perspective.

4. Conduct a panel discussion to present differing views. One student should take the position of each ofthe following people: Mr. Weaver, Captain Couch, Settler, Indian.

(Student Text B)

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August 13, 1889

IILAHIMATEIIITIIYNEWSReno City is talking of a flouring mill. Roasting earsare all the go at EI Reno. Selis Bros. will visitGuthrie August 10th. Oklahoma City is soon tohave waterworks. Native hay is selling for from $4to $6 per ton. There are plenty of claims inOklahoma yet. As yet there is not a street railwayin Oklahoma. Agreat many cattle are being shippedfrom Purcell. A large number of mineral claims arenow being filed. Oklahoma has corn twelve feethigh and still growing. The papers at Guthrie arein a big fight over the city printing. Oklahoma Cityhas an invention of an improved mail bag. Work is

being pushed on the ice factory in south Oklahoma.Guthrie's electric light plant will be going inside ofa month. EI Reno will soon have a daily mail to andfrom Oklahoma City. All Oklahoma has an expectanteye on the next session of congress. Oklahomahas thirty-one towns and cities and ten dailynewspapers. The people are moving into Oklahomawith their families at a rapid rate. Young turkeysand chickens are very plentiful this season in thenation. Edmond claims the first church and the firstschool house erected in Oklahoma.

Critical Thinking

1. Discuss the differences in optimism and pessimism. Identify evidence of the reporters useof optimism.

2. Select one of the reporting statements. Work with a group to further investigate the claim.Use library resources, newspaper microfiche, Internet connections to prove the statementtrue, false or biased.

(Student Text C)

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IIBoomer or Bust

IIHomesteaders staking claims in the land runs were anxious to begin the task of turning

the l60-acre tract of land into a working farm. They quickly learned that farming in the easternpart of the United States and farming in the Great Plains was not the same. Land in the GreatPlains did not produce the yield expected in the east and the rainfall was unpredictable. The sodgrass that produced the building bricks to build the farmers house became the enemy in the field.This lesson will focus on the methods of farming that were common in the l880s and 1890s aswell as the advances that have produced the agribusinesses of today.


* Identify major crops produced in at least two states in the United States.* Interpret information from an atlas to determine the agricultural environment in

the selected states.* Illustrate with drawings the major crops produced in each ofthe selected states.

Higher Level (HL)* Identify the significance of agriculture in conducting foreign policy.* Illustrate with examples the major crop, soil type, natural vegetation, and

precipitation of an assigned state in the United States.* Determine similarities and differences in major crops, soil types, natural vegetation,

and precipitation between states within a region ofthe United States.

Materials* Historical Photograph No.1* Map Pencils or Markers* Atlas of United States Thematic Maps

* (LL) Outline Map of United States* Posterboard

Analyzing Historical Photograph No.1The photograph reveals a family anxious for a new life. Notice the number of children

posing for the photograph. Study the style of clothing worn by the children. Are any of thechildren wearing shoes? What would the daily life of a child in the developing OklahomaTerritory have been like? Notice rope tied from tree to tree around the family camp. Even whena tent was all the family had to call home, they were anxious to stake their claim of land andbegin the process of building a new life. Most of the homesteaders were farmers. How canmoving from one region of the United States to another affect the success or failure of thefarming experience?

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Suggested Learning Activities(Lower Level)

Opening the LessonAsk students if they know a farmer. What kind of crops are grown in the student's area

of the United States? Direct students to refer to an atlas for information to be used inunderstanding why certain crops are grown in different areas ofthe United States.

Developing the LessonChallenge students to consider two areas of the United States where agriculture is an

important part ofthe economy (Example: Florida - Citrus Crops). Refer to the atlas to collectinformation regarding precipitation, average temperature, and soil type.

Concluding the LessonAsk students to consult library resources to identify the major crops grown in each of

the areas studied. On an outline map ofthe United States, draw a picture within the borders ofthe designated state of the major crop. Include a chart inside each of the two states that includesthe data collected regarding precipitation, average temperature, and soil type.


Opening the LessonAsk students to consider the importance of maintaining an efficient agribusiness in the

United States. In what way does an efficient and abundant production of food supply contributeto America's world leadership? In what way does the United States utilize American agriculturein conducting foreign policy? What are reasons for and against the use of agriculture to conductforeign policy?

Developing the LessonGroup students into teams of two. Assign each group a different state to research in the

United States. Ask student groups to draw an outline map of their assigned state on theposterboard. Include the physical features found within the state (Example: Mountains, rivers).Instruct students to refer to an atlas for information about soil types, precipitation, and naturalvegetation of their assigned state. Include the information within the state map.

Concluding the LessonAsk students to identify the major crop produced in the assigned state. Illustrate the

crop in a picture on the map. Challenge each group to research the state's history for informationregarding the crops produced during the 1880s and l890s. If the assigned area was not a stateduring that period, refer to information about the general area. Provide student groups theopportunity to share their research and drawings with other classmates. Ask students from aregion of states to display their map drawings as a group. Say: "What similarities in theenvironment can you identify among this region of states? Can you identify differences in theenvironment among the states in this region?"

Extending the LessonStudents could research and illustrate with pictures examples of farming equipment used

during the l880s and l890s. Advances made with each identified piece of farming equipmentcan be traced with a timeline and illustrated with pictures.

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I~IiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiTiiiiiiiihiiiiiiiieiiiiiiiiiiiiiiGiiiiiiiieiiiiiiiioiiiiiiiigriiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiiPiiiiiiiihiiiiiiiieiiiiiiiiriiiiiiii'siiiiiiiiViiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieiiiiiiiiWiiiiiiiioiiiiiiiifiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiihiiiiiiiieiiiiiiiiPiiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiiStiiiiiiiiiiiiii~11

To gain a complete understanding of the land runs into the Unassigned Lands in 1889and the Cherokee Strip in 1893, a variety of perspectives should be developed. The view of ageographer is unique in many ways. It provides opportunities to investigate the significance ofplace and how the interaction of humans with their environment affect events. This lessondirects students to analyze Historical Photograph #2 for clues that will facilitate a clearunderstanding of the historical event.


* Identify ways in which the settlers from different regions of the UnitedStates and overseas adapted culturally to the physical environment ofthe Central Plains.

* Describe the changes settlers from different regions of the United States andoverseas were required to make in order to adjust to the new environmentthey had chosen for homes.

* Illustrate the adaptations made by the settlers in a specially designed map.Higher Level (HL)

* Identify the physical and human characteristics of cities established during the1889 Land Run.

* Detect ways in which the settlers modified the physical environment.

Materials* Historical Photograph No.2* (LL) U.S. Wall Map With Physical Features* (LL) Desk Map ofthe United States

* Atlas * (LL) Journal* Posterboard* Map Pencils or Markers

Analyzing Historical Photograph No.2(All Levels)

Ask students to focus on Historical Photograph #2. Consider the large number ofwagons that seem to loom far into the horizon. Say: "The 1889 Land Run has been reported tohave from 50,000 to 100,000 settlers eager to participate in the race. The gathering place forsettlers on the northern edge of the Unassigned Lands was in Wichita and Arkansas City, Kansas.The gathering place on the southern border of the territory was in Dallas, Ft. Worth, andGainesville, Texas. The proposed starting time for the run was April 22, 1889, at 12:00 noon.However, the settlers were allowed to cross the Indian Territories between Kansas and theUnassigned Lands, as well as, between Texas and the Unassigned Lands before opening day.Two regiments of soldiers were on guard to assure that overzealous settlers did not enter theterritory until the assigned time. Yet, some of the settlers did sneak past the soldiers to positionthemselves in the best places to claim land. These over-anxious settlers were called Sooners. "

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Opening the LessonAsk students to examine Historical Photograph #2 for clues that would suggest the

lifestyle required of settlers in the Great Plains. What natural resources could be found in theenvironment that settlers could use to build homes, tools and equipment? (Example: Sod forbuilding shelter)

Developing the LessonOn a wall map viewed by the class, identify the environmental regions of the United

States during the 1880s and 1890s (Example: Northeast, Southeast, Southern, Central Plains,etc.). Assign groups of students to investigate each of the regions. Challenge each team toidentify the physical qualities that made their assigned region distinctive from other regions.Students should produce a large drawing of their assigned region indicating the specifics of thephysical environment. Ask student groups to identify how the assigned environment provided ameans for people to live and work. Refer to an encyclopedia for information on physicalenvironment, economic activities, and lifestyle of states within the assigned region. Theinformation will offer clues relevant to the region.

Concluding the LessonEach student team should draw a display map of the United States. Illustrate with

drawings on the display map the information that was learned concerning the environment andits' influence on the people living within that region (Example: Trees in a forested area, seafooddrawings in an area that depends upon the ocean for livelihoods). Draw a connecting line fromthe assigned region to the Indian Territory in the Central Plains. Analyze Historical PhotographNo.2 for environmental clues to the manner settlers had to be prepared to live and work.Connect the drawings in the assigned regional section of the map to the corresponding drawingin the Indian lands in the Great Plains region (Example: Connect the physical environmentdrawings, the livelihood drawings). Ask students to share their illustrated map with otherstudents in the class. Evaluate the similarities and differences between the various regions.

Extending the LessonAsk students to take the place of one of the settlers moving to the available land in the

Oklahoma Territory. Write a journal entry describing the changes that have been required tomake the transition to the new home. How does the change feel? Is the change in lifestyle easyor difficult? What will the student-settler need to consider when making this adjustment?

Students could plan an imaginary journey by covered wagon to the land run area of1889. Begin from their assigned region and plot the safest route ofjourney to the UnassignedLands ofthe Indian Territory. Based upon an average of 15 miles per day, use the map scale todetermine the length of time it would take to get to the starting point. When would be the besttime to leave for the Unassigned Lands? Consider the seasons when making plans. Providereasons for the team's choice of departure time.

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Opening the LessonAsk students to think about their home town. Say: "Every city or town has

characteristics that make it different from other places. When a geographer describes a places/he generally refers to the physical or human characteristics that make the city or town unique."Challenge students to identify the physical or human characteristics that may be associated withthe identification of their city (Example: Salt Lake City, Utah or the Golden Gate Bridge for SanFrancisco).

Developing the LessonExamine Historical Photograph #2. Describe the physical environment. Say: "What

kind of physical environment would you expect to find in the Great Plains?" Organize studentsinto research groups. Assign each group one of the new town sites located within the OklahomaTerritory: Kingfisher, Oklahoma City, or Guthrie. Use reference materials (Example: Newspaperarticles, personal diaries, historical atlas) to identify the physical environment and humancharacteristics for each town site in 1889. In what way did the physical environment affect theliving conditions? What human characteristics caused changes in the environment made by thesettlers?

Concluding the LessonConsider the changes that were made to the physical environment by the interaction of

settlers. Ask students to refer to to current reference information to identify the physicalenvironment of each city today. Identify what effect humans have made to the physicalenvironment during the past 100 years. Ask students to make judgments regarding the positiveor negative effects that humans have made to the physical environment. Each group shouldreport to the class the information they have located.

Extending the LessonStudents could research their own city/town. What was the physical environment like

when the city/town was first established? What effect have humans had upon the physicalenvironment? Has the physical landscape been altered for the better or worse? Students shouldbe challenged to justify their position with intrinsic and extrinsic reasoning.

Create maps that illustrate the cities/towns growth at 10 year intervals. What trends ingrowth can be identified?

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IIDiverse Faces

From All Kinds ofPlacesII

People from all "walks oflife" took part in the 1889 and 1893 Land Runs. It is notalways possible to correctly identify the lifestyle or career of a person by the clothes, hat, andaccessories worn, but clues are often insightful. This lesson examines the wearing apparel of thepeople waiting in Historical Photograph No.3 for indications to their backgrounds. In addition,the activities within the lesson will lead students to an awareness ofthe styles and regionaldifferences in wearing apparel during the 1880s and 1890s.


* Recognize uniforms associated with various careers.* Create an exhibit of uniforms associated with various careers.* Analyze uniforms for clues to the functional reasons associated with each style.* Compare the clothing styles of individual participants in Historical Photograph #3

to speculate the careers of participants.Higher Level (HL)

* Recognize period clothing of the 1880s and 1890s from different parts of theUnited States and Europe.

* Create an exhibit of regional fashions worn from 1880 and 1890 in theUnited States and Europe.

* Analyze the differences in fashions among people of different regions of theUnited States and Europe for clues to the geographic reasons fordifferences.

* Compare the fashions for clues to cultural differences.

Materials* Historical Photograph No.3* Posterboard* Map Pencils or Markers


Ask students to look into the faces in the sea of people. Speculate the thoughts that maybe running through the mind of each person. The differences in clothing styles worn by many ofthe participants might suggest a wide variety of backgrounds represented in the crowd. Askstudents to select different people in the crowd and suggest the personal history of the selectedperson. Ask: "Why do think the person wanted to take part in the land run?"

Notice the slips of paper held in each settler's hat. It was the entry form that gave

13

authorization for the settler to participate in the land run. Ask: "How will the individualparticipants feel ifhe is unable to claim land? Think of the individuals previously analyzed."


Opening the LessonAsk students to think of the types ofjobs/careers members of their community may do

each day. Say: "How do we recognize a fireman, nurse, or police officer? The clothing oruniform worn by the fireman, nurse, etc. helps us to identify the jobs done by each. Do youknow of other examples ofjobs that members of our community perform that can be recognizedby the uniform worn?"

Developing the LessonDivide students into working groups. Instruct each group to look through magazines and

newspapers to locate examples of people performing jobs that can be identified by the uniformworn. Create a collage entitled Americans At Work.

Concluding the LessonAsk students to evaluate each uniform that is identified on the collage. Next to each

picture on the collage, students should create a drawing that has been changed to reflect thesuggested revisions each group has suggested for the uniform. Upon completion, studentsshould present their collage to the class indicating the changes made to each uniform andjustifying the reasons for the suggested change.

Extending the LessonAsk students to analyze Historical Photograph No.3. What are the career possibilities for

selected people in the photograph? Students should give reasons for their appraisals.


Opening the LessonAsk students to analyze Historical Photograph No.3. Look for differences in clothing

styles. Are all of the hats worn by the men similar or different? What do the different stylesimply about the person wearing the hat? Ask the students to brainstorm and makegeneralizations. Students should be guided to notice the small piece of paper attached to many ofthe hats. What might the paper represent? (Each person planning to participate in the land runwas required to register and pay a registration fee. The small slip of paper was the person'sauthorization to take part in the land run).

Developing the LessonOrganize students into working teams of two. Direct student teams to select a region of

the United States or Europe in order to research the clothing styles of the 1880s and 1890s. Askstudents to illustrate their findings in drawings. Each team should display examples oftheclothing creations and present researched information to the class. As students discuss regionaldifferences in the designs, attempt to speculate what aspect of the styles made them attractive topeople of this period in time.

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Concluding the LessonAsk students to take the place of an American Indian living in the Indian Territory

during the 1889 and 1893 Land Runs. When observing the differently dressed people taking partin the race for land, speculate what s/he might have thought. Did the Indian observer find thesettlers strangely dressed? What might have caught the imagination of the Indian observer?

Extending the LessonAsk the students to select one person in the Historical Photograph No.3 in which they

would take the place. Write a position paper revealing what the student thinks about the otherpeople in the scene. Ask: "What makes you believe you have more of a chance to beat the othersin the race for land? What is it about your background that gives you an advantage over theothers? What are your thoughts and feelings about the adventure you are about to undertake?"

Students could work in a team to produce a role playing dialogue. The team couldrepresent two participants from the land run - one that was successful in claiming a 160-acre tractor a city lot, the second teammate representing an unsuccessful participant.

15

Racing ahead of the others to successfully claim one of the sections of land forhomesteading was only the first hurdle to jump as the land runs unfolded into one of the mosteventful periods of American history. To receive a clear title to a claim, the homesteader wasrequired to make improvements to the land. But making improvements was not an easy task asthe farmers began to dig into the sod covered ground at the beginning of a drought year. Thislesson will focus upon the farming practices that were used in the United States during the late1800s along with the farming practices used by modem American farmers.


* Recognize the differences in organic farming and growing crops with the use offertilizers and insecticides.

* Make judgments concerning the advantages and disadvantages of each form offarming.

Higher Level (HL)* Interview an older American about personal emotions and activities surrounding an

important event in American history.

Materials* Recorder, Video Camera, or Written Form for Report

Analyzing Historical Photograph No.4The facial expression worn by the elderly man in the photograph gives the impression

that chasing dreams is not an activity reserved for the young. It is, instead, reserved for theyoung in spirit. He is packed for a race as the small sack of provisions tied to the saddle of hishorse implies. The canteen of water will sustain him until the claim is made and he has theopportunity to establish a permanent camp. He will be able to preserver the hardship that will beencountered because he has survived hardships before the land run. Notice the man's shoes. Theshoes do not have a right or left shoe. Each shoe can be worn on either foot. This type of shoewas worn during the Civil War, another American drama in which the man must have played arole. The man's clothes suggest a man that is accustomed to "getting by" on his own. The man'sshirt and trousers are made from the same fabric. Consequently, they must have beenhomemade.


Opening the LessonAsk students to share personal experiences with gardening. Did they ever have a

garden plot of their own, or did they share responsibility for a garden with someone else?

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Consider the variety of fruits and vegetables chosen for planting. Did the students have a goodor bad experience with their gardens? Have any of the students considered a career in farming?

Developing the LessonAdvise students that some farmers use chemical insecticides and fertilizers in order to

assure a quality crop yield. Yet, other farmers are committed to organic farming which does notuse chemical insecticides or fertilizers. Ask students to speculate reasons why a farmer should orshould not use chemicals on their crops. What are the advantages and disadvantages of organicfarming?

Concluding the LessonInvite a guest speaker from the Farm Bureau, Dept. of Agriculture, Agriculture Dept. of

the States Land Grant College, or farmer to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of applyingchemical additives to crops.

Suggested Student Activities(Higher Level)

Opening the LessonAsk students to consider the experiences of their grandparents or other older relative,

friend, or neighbor. Encourage students to recall interesting stories shared by the relative orfriend concerning the grandparent's experiences during important American events.

Developing the LessonChallenge students to identify an interesting period in history in which an older relative

or friend experienced (Example: World War II, Vietnam War, Cuban Missile Crisis). Instructstudents to formulate questions regarding personal emotions and activities surrounding the event.Instruct students to record the interview with a recorder, video camera, or a written report.

Concluding the LessonProvide an opportunity for students to share the interview with classmates. Organize

the interview presentations by events (Example: Present all the Vietnam War interviews as onesection and Cuban Missile Crisis interviews as another section). At the conclusion of eachsection of interviews, ask students to identify similarities and differences in emotions andexperiences among the individuals interviewed.

Extending the LessonStudents could visit a retirement home to discuss with residents other aspects of our

American history. What are the similarities and differences in contemporary lifestyles, clothing,activities, jobs/careers, and general attitudes with different periods in our history?

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IIThe Race For Life and Land II~~~~~

Man's quest to own land will never be a thing of the past. The real differences in theevents associated with the 1889/1893 land runs and the correlation with today is the location ofthe run. Where will the next search for land take us? Are we destined to race to the bottom ofthe sea or to a far off planet in the heavens? Regardless of the destination, the plans andconcerns to be considered before the journey will be similar in many ways to that of the pioneersettlers and foreign speculators who had the obsessive desire for land in the Unassigned Landsand Cherokee Strip of America. This lesson will focus upon the personal and psychologicalneeds of the pioneer launching a new beginning in a different land and the decisions that areassociated with the changes.


* Identify the forms of transportation used in the 1889/1893 American land runs.* Speculate about future events based upon past and present needs.* Invent a means of transportation that might be used for travel to an ocean floor

land run of the future.Higher Level (HL)

* Identify the challenges to be faced by the people of the world if the populationgrowth rate continues at the current trend.

* Design bar and line graphs to illustrate population data collected from the U.S.Census Bureau.

* Compare data to determine trends in American population growth.* Design political cartoons to illustrate differing views concerning the same issue.

Materials* Historical Photograph No.5 *Map Pencils or Markers * (LL) Atlas* (HL) Material from the U.S. Census Bureau * (LL) Building Material (Example:

clay, Tinker Toys)


Ask students to consider the anticipation that must have been in the air the morning ofthe 1889 Land Run. Notice the different forms of transportation that had been chosen among theparticipants in the race. Some people were on horseback, others were going to "run" the race byfoot, and it has been reported that a bicycle was even seen among the eager racers. But directstudents to be especially observant of the different types of wagons moving toward the startingline. Ask students to consider why a two wheeled wagon (designed in a similar fashion as achariot) was beneficial over a four wheeled wagon.

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Opening the LessonAsk students to think about the forms of transportation used by settlers while traveling

to the 1889 and 1893 land run area. Say: "Most wagons used in the 1889 land run were smallfarm and work wagons similar to a grain wagon. Although many had canvas tops, they weresmaller and lighter than the overland "Conestoga" wagons that made the longer trips to theWest."

Developing the LessonAsk students to predict where the next land run might take place. Consider places such

as the ocean floor or a distant planet. Students should examine a map of the ocean floor tosuggest possible locations for the land run. Challenge students to consider: "If the next land runarea is to the bottom of the ocean, what means of transportation might need to be developed inorder to reach the ocean floor? What unique features will the vehicle have to possess?"

Concluding the LessonStudents may work individually or in a small group to design a vehicle to be used in a

future land run to the ocean floor. What special features will the vehicle have to possess toassure the student group of a lead in the race? Model the vehicle in clay for display to otherstudents. Other materials may be used if available (Example: Wood, Paper, Tinker Toys).Discuss the unique features students have designed into their vehicle.

Extending the LessonWhat are the personal qualities of the people that would take part in such an adventurous

race? Ask students to play the role of one of the participants that will participate in the oceanland run. Say: "Write an autobiography to reveal the life experiences in which you have takenpart. Why do you want to be in the ocean floor land run? What makes you believe you will befirst to the area?"


Opening the LessonUse data collected from the U.S. Census Bureau to determine the population changes

over a period of 50 years for a number of states in different regions ofthe U.S. Ask students todesign bar and line graphs to illustrate the changes for each state. Compare the data betweenstates for clues to trends in population movement of the U.S.

Developing the LessonAsk students to speculate future events if the population growth continues to escalate at

the previous trend. If the availability ofland becomes limited for people who want to own land,where might Americans want to seek new land opportunities? Say: "Consider a future land runto the bottom of the ocean floor. What person or groups of people would be most likely to favorthe land run? Who do you think would lead the opposition?"

Students should work in a team of two or individually. Search newspapers for examplesof political cartoons. Discuss the unwritten message that each cartoon suggests. Ask students to

19

formulate possible reasons why cartoons are a powerful political tool.Concluding the Lesson

Assign students the responsibility for creating two original political cartoons. Onedrawing should support the ocean floor land run while the second drawing should condemn theidea. Encourage students to use each cartoon to persuade the country in favor of each position.Each group should have the opportunity to share the completed drawings with the class.

Extending the LessonSongs throughout history have reflected the attitudes and mood of the times. Ask

students to compose a song to reveal the possible mood of the country before the ocean floorland run.

ResourcesWrite to: Census Bureau

Commerce Dept.Washington, D.C. 20233

Refer to: World Almanac1995 EditionSection Entitled: Table of U.S. Population 1790-1990

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IL:;;;;;;l~~iiiiiiiiiiT~raiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiTiiiiiiiiiiriiiiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiiiiCiiiiiiiiiikiiiiiiiiiiSiiiiiiiiiiTiiiiiiiiiiOiiiiiiiiiiL~aiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiidiiiiiiiiiiTiiiiiiiiiiriiiiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiiiiCiiiiiiiiiits~~~11Railroad executives encouraged the opening of the Unassigned Lands in 1889, as well

as, the Cherokee Strip in 1893. Growing towns along the railroads meant prosperity for therailroad companies. The Santa Fe Railroad already had track through the Unassigned Lands.Consequently, to an anxious settler a ticket on the train meant quick entry into the territory.Five trains steamed into the Unassigned Lands from the northern border. At 1:30 P.M., the firstof the trains arrived in Guthrie. The trains were so loaded with determined homesteaders, thetrain could only travel at approximately 20 to 25 miles per hour and it had to stop frequently.The Lower Level lesson will focus on the role of the railroads in the opening ofthe UnassignedLands. Continue with Higher Level activities to extend the focus to modem day train travel.


* Recognize the role of the Santa Fe Railroad in the settlement and growth of theUnassigned Lands.

* Illustrate the growth of towns along the Santa Fe Railroad track immediately afterthe Unassigned Lands were opened for settlement and within the following ten years.

* Evaluate the significance of modem transportation to the growth of communities.Higher Level (HL)

* Investigate modem train routes for its' vacation value to American families.* Produce a book that reveals one interesting train route in the world.* Identify points of interest for cities along the selected train route.

Materials* (LL) Posterboard* (LL) Map Pencils or Markers


Ask students to notice the crowded train car. Say: "One reason settlers wanted to bookpassage on a train was because of the speed in which the train could enter the Unassigned Lands.The story has been told that one zealous settler confided to another passenger that he intended tojump from the moving train in order to make a land claim. The stunt was indeed dangerous andthe settler instructed his fellow passenger to watch as he jumped from the train. If he made thejump unharmed, the train passenger was to throw his bags off of the train. If, however, the trainjumping settler did not get up from the the leap, the fellow passenger was to keep the baggageand be welcome to the contents."

21


Opening the LessonDiscuss the role of the Santa Fe Railroad in the opening of the Unassigned Lands. Say:

"Because the railroad already had train track through the Unassigned Lands, new homesteadersand business owners could get needed supplies more quickly than would otherwise be possible.As a result, thriving towns grew along the train tracks."

Developing the LessonDivide students into groups. Assign students the task of drawing on a posterboard a

map of the United States. Use library resources to determine the route in which the Santa FeRailroad had track through the Unassigned Lands. Mark the towns that developed immediatelyafter the land run and color the locations red. Mark the towns that had grown along the track by1900 and indicate with a different color.

Concluding the LessonDiscuss how homesteading and the growth of towns in the Unassigned Lands may have

been affected if the railroads had not already been established in the area. Ask students to thinkof modem day forms of transportation. In what way is life enhanced because of transport trucks,airplanes, as well as, the continued role of the railroads in transporting goods?

Extending the LessonStudents could select and read a library book on trains and report interesting facts and

stories to their classmates. Individual projects on trains could be prepared for presentation to theclass or to display.


Opening the LessonAsk students to consider the changes that have been made to locomotives and train cars.

Survey the class for students that have experienced travel by train while on a vacation.Encourage the students to share their train experiences with classmates. Why would a modemAmerican family choose to include train travel in their vacation?

Developing the LessonModem train travel includes a number of routes throughout the world that have

exceptional vacation value (Example: Orient Express, European train excursions, etc.). Askstudents to gather information about train vacations in a particular area of their interest. Instructstudents to collect information and organize into a train vacation book. The book shouldinclude a map of the train route, cost, and booking information. In addition, interesting citiesalong the route should be identified with highlights on the important activities to see and dowhile visiting the location.

Concluding the LessonWorking in a group, ask students to research and report to the class technological

advances made in the modem train within the United States and overseas. Identify new types oftrains and innovations that have been made that have improved train travel.

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IILand, Lottery, and the Line

IIOnce the coveted claims had been staked after the land run of April 22, 1889, and a

defense against claim jumpers had been established, it was necessary to file the claim at the landoffice in Guthrie or Kingfisher. The land office had a line that stretched into a three day wait.Industrious women earned extra money by working their way up the line, then selling their placein line. The focus of this lesson is on filing claims with the land office, the adventures thathomesteaders had in their race to file a claim, and the methods in which the land was surveyed.


* Express the differing views of the homesteader and the claim jumper in the formof poems.

* Dramatize the differing views in the poetry through a presentation to the class.Higher Level (HL)

* Create drawings of survey instruments of the 1800s and survey instruments of today.* Explain how survey instruments are utilized.* Compare the survey instruments used in the 1800s to the survey instruments used

today.

Materials* (HL) Poster Board * (HL) Map Pencils or Markers

Analyzing Historical Photograph No.7Notice the cheerful expressions on the faces of the men in line. This photograph might

reveal the line that leads to the land office. The lines were so long it took days to get to the frontdoor ofthe land office. Experience taught a better way to file a claim. Numbers were issued topeople wishing to file a claim. Each day an announcement was made regarding the numbers thatwould be accepted for filing claims. Consequently, it was not necessary to stand in line formore than one day.


Opening the LessonInform students that locating an area of land available for claiming was only the first

problem for the homesteader. Once the land was claimed it had to be protected from claimjumpers. The claim jumper was as passionate about taking another person's land as thehomesteader was determined to keep it.

Developing the LessonAsk students to take the role of the homesteader and then take the role of the claim

23

jumper. Working in a group of two, ask students to write and illustrate two poems. One shouldexpress the view of the homesteader and the other poem should express the view of the claimJumper.

Concluding the LessonProvide the opportunity for students to present their poems to the class. The student

representing the homesteader should read the appropriate poem, while the student representingthe claim jumper should read the poem expressing his/her views.

Extending the LessonStudents could compose music for their poems. Each student group could sing their

song to the class, as well as, teach the song to their classmates.Organize groups to research and present a dramatization of the conversations that may

have taken place while homesteaders stood in line for the many days it took to file their claims.Many interesting stories have been told concerning the trials and tribulations that occurred toanxious participants in the land runs. Student research will reveal many of the stories in whichthe students can retell during their presentations.

Ask students to consider the range of emotions that must have been evident in the landoffice lines. Consider the optimistic as well as pessimistic views that may have occurred.


Opening the LessonThe branch of mathematics known as surveying has a history that will be of interest to

students. Ask students to work in a group to research the variety of instruments used to conductmodem surveys. Instruct students to create a drawing of each instrument. Include with eachdrawing a description of how the instrument is utilized in surveying.

Developing the LessonAsk students to develop a second display of survey equipment used during the 1800s.

Create a drawing of each instrument. Include with each drawing a description of how theinstrument was utilized in surveying. Instruct students to make comparisons between the surveyinstruments used in the 1800s and the instruments utilized today.

Concluding the LessonAsk students to work in groups to research the manner in which land was surveyed and

marked in the Unassigned Lands for the 1889 Land Run and the Cherokee Strip for the 1893Land Run. Ask: "How was the land marked? What had to be presented to the land office asproof the land was properly claimed by the homesteader? How much did it cost to file a claim?"(Refer to Page 31, Higher Level Activities, Opening the Lesson)

Extending the LessonInvite a guest speaker to the classroom to discuss modem methods of surveying.

24

IITent Cities

IIThe settlers quickly occupied the Oklahoma Territory when the starting gun was fired at

noon on April 22, 1889. However, it was soon realized that President Benjamin Harrison'sProclamation did not provide for towns or for the division of lots within the town for businesses,streets, or public buildings. The decision had been made in advance ofthe run by real-estatecompanies that towns would be close to the railroad. Otherwise, chaos and confusion prevailed.This lesson demonstrates the need for city planning and engages the student in the decisionmaking process of city development.


* Identify services provided by city government.* Design a new city plan for the student's community.

Higher Level (HL)* Describe the manner in which the cities were hastily erected on the land run

day of April 22, 1889.* Identify the problems that resulted as a consequence of not having a city

planning committee before the land run.* Propose a design and development plan for the new cities of the Oklahoma

Territory.

Materials* Historical Photograph No.8 * (LL) Map Pencils or Markers* (HL) Student text Haste Makes Waste (Student Text D)

Analyzing Historical Photograph No.8Tent cities developed immediately on the day of the 1889 Land Run. It was as if an

invasion had occurred. The only building constructed of wood was the land office. Direct thestudents' attention to the one building in the photograph. The United States flag flies above it. Itwas in front of the land office building the long lines formed for filing land claims. Every personinterested in the land run was not interested in a 160-acre tract of land. Many desired a lot claimwithin the city limits. Consequently, entrepreneurs arrived prepared to establish their business.Ask students to identify some of the businesses that began in a tent.


Opening the LessonAsk students to think about the public services that are provided by the city government,

i.e., water, gas, electric, streets. Speculate what daily life would be like without these services.Say: "What kind of problems would we face if all of our homes had been built before city plans

25

had been made for public services?"Developing the LessonEntice students to take the place of a city planner. Instruct students to draw an outline map

oftheir city. Include the physical features inside and around the city limits. Students shouldchoose one of the city services. Draw a picture within the outline map of the recommendationsto be made in planning the new service.

Concluding the LessonAsk students to think about how to work with citizens that must be removed from their

homes because they live in an area to be vacated for the new service. Write a letter to thehomeowners explaining the need for them to relocate.

Extending the LessonPrepare a role-playing drama. One student should take the part of a homesteader that

must move out of their home to make room for city services or a public building. One studentshould take the part of a city planner. Convince the homesteader that s/he must move fromhis/her home to a different location or give part of the homestead back to the city.


Opening the LessonAsk students to analyze Historical Photograph No.8. What story does the picture

reveal? The students should identify that businesses were setup in tents. They will recognize the"out house" or "water closet" and that each tent was erected next to another tent. Allowances hadnot been provided for streets or public and community buildings.

Developing the LessonInstruct students to read Haste Makes Waste (Student Text D). Ask students to

speculate the possible problems that could have resulted from establishing a city without adesign plan. What future problems could result for the new frontier cities if the problem had notbeen immediately addressed?

Concluding the LessonOrganize students into small groups. Challenge each group to design a city plan for the

new cities of Oklahoma Territory. What would be the priorities in the first days after the landrun? What would the long range plans include? Ask each group to share their plan with theclass.

Conduct a panel discussion with students playing the role of city planners, governmentofficials and settlers. Ask the panel: "What ifthe settlers already claiming sections of land inthe town site did not want to release any part of their claim? The city planners and governmentofficials should convince the settler to give back part of the claim."

A city planner can be invited to class as a guest speaker. What considerations woulds/he recommend as appropriate for a modem day land run?

Extending the LessonStudents can research the history of their community. What were the early days of the

city/town like? How did the city/town develop? A timeline of interesting events occurring in thecity/town can be illustrated. Design a bulletin board entitled Our (City/Town) Past and Present.

26

Display the timeline along with information learned from the student's research.A picture can be worth a thousand words. Design a postcard from the settlers new home

in Oklahoma Territory. Write a short note to the family "back home" to let them know you havesafely arrived at your new home.

27

Haste Makes Waste

One of the most colorful chapters in American history closed one of the last frontiersand forever changed the cultural landscape. What we know today as the State of Oklahomabecame a U.S. territory in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. When the State of Louisianawas created in 1812, Oklahoma became part of the Missouri Territory. Gradually the MissouriTerritory was divided into additional states, e.g. Arkansas. In 1825, Congress needed a place torelocate Indians from various locations in the United States. Consequently in 1825, IndianTerritory was created.

Not many years passed before the settlers had their eyes on the Indian Territory. Yearsof agitation and exaggerated reports by the people taking part in the Boomer Movement causedthe settlers to be relentless in their pursuit of the Unassigned Lands. The drive to open land forhomesteading was led initially by David Lewis Payne until his sudden death on November 27,1884. At that time, Captain William L. Couch led the movement. On March 23, 1889, a shortperiod of time after President Benjamin Harrison was inaugurated, he issued a proclamation thatopened for settlement to anxious frontier settlers, the Unassigned Lands in the Oklahoma IndianTerritory. In one short month, approximately 50,000 people from across the United States andforeign lands amassed at the starting lines on the border of the Oklahoma Territory in order totake part in the frantic race for land on April 22, 1889.

The Proclamation declared two areas of land to be placed in the public domain: (1) landbelonging to the Muskogee Nation ofIndians in the Indian Territory and (2) land promised tothe Seminole Nation Indians. The exceptions were sections 16 and 36 of each township. Thesetwo sections were reserved for the use and benefit of the public schools. The remaining landwould be opened to homesteaders. Each homesteader was restricted to claiming no more thanone quarter (1/4) section of land. The biggest stipulation was no person could enter the newlyopened area or claim any of the land until the President proclaimed the land open for settlement.

Some individuals were allowed to enter Oklahoma Territory to setup town sites withpermission from the Secretary of the Interior. The town site was not to be more than one-half(1/2) section of land. Unfortunately, in all the haste, decisions were not made regarding themanner in which the newly formed towns would be designed. Allowances had not been madefor public buildings or streets. As a result, each tent was quickly erected next to other tentswithin the town site. Once the problem was recognized committees were organized in order tocreate order amid the chaos.

(Student Text D)

28

IICounting the Cost of Free Land

IIIt would be a mistake to consider the land claimed in the Unassigned Lands to be free. For

some individuals and families it represented one of the most expensive adventures everattempted. Families with little more than a dream packed all of their worldly possessions into awagon and headed toward the land that had been forced from the Creek and Seminole Indians known as the Oklahoma Lands. The focus of this lesson is on the monetary and emotionaldemands made of the anxious homesteaders as they forged a new life in the Oklahoma Territory.


* Define the term vegetation.* Describe the vegetation found in the Great Plains and in their home state.* Identify ways in which the vegetation of an environment contributes to the economic

activities of an area.* Replicate a model of a sod house.

Higher Level (HL)* Propose the possible reasons for regulations that were made for settlers desiring to

homestead a claim in the Unassigned Lands.* Formulate improvements a homesteading family might have considered when seeking

to qualify for a clear title to the land.* Compose a list of regulations that could be required for a modem-day land run or a

land run in the future.Materials

* Historical Photograph No.9 * (LL) Mud and Grass


Ask students to analyze Historical Photograph No.9. The homesteading family areattempting to not only build a new life, but make the improvements required for receiving a cleartitle to the land. Direct the student's attention to the building material used for making the familyhome. Notice the scarcity oftrees in the photograph. Consequently, a more readily availablesource of building material had to be utilized. The prairie topsoil of the Great Plains consistedof a dense root system of grass called sod. The densely packed sod made an excellent buildingmaterial for the prairie settlers because it held together when packed into blocks for building.The house did not have many windows. The walls were constructed with two layers of sodbricks that created a wall approximately two feet thick. As a result, the sod homes maintained acool temperature in the warm months and a warm temperature during cool weather. The Indianshad utilized this type of building material for centuries.

Ask students to notice the wagons. There were many types of wagons used in theOklahoma Territory. Challenge students to imagine the major uses of the wagons in the

29

photograph and to give reasons for their suggestions. Household chairs are in the frontyard. The family may be enjoying the visit from a homesteading neighbor. What about thechildren? They appear to be "dressed up." Perhaps it is a Sunday. Could the family be returningfrom church?


Opening the LessonAsk students to analyze Historical Photograph #9 to determine ways the homesteading

family interacted with the environment as they attempted to settle into their new home. Whatmaterials were used in order to build the house? What type of vegetation would the studentsexpect to find on the American Great Plains? Discuss how the environment may havecontributed to the livelihood of the family. What livelihood does the photograph suggest mayhave supported the family?

Developing the LessonAsk students to make a list of the types ofjobs the physical environment produces in

their state. In what way is the physical environment in the student's state and the American GreatPlains similar? In what way are the environments different?

Concluding the LessonDirect students to Historical Photograph No.9. Discuss the sod house in the Historical

Photograph. What is sod? How is sod produced? Organize students into small groups toresearch and produce a replica of a sod house.

Extending the LessonUsing the information discussed concerning the physical environment of the student's

state, ask students to suggest the type of building materials that may have been used to constructearly homes in their state.


Opening the LessonSay: "The Homestead Act of 1862 established rules and regulations for staking a claim

in the Unassigned Lands. Before the run took place, the land had been surveyed and a woodenpost marked with slashes and red chalk had been placed 2 feet into the ground for each 160 acrelots. On the day of the race, the homesteader had to locate the wooden post on the lot s/hedesired to claim and take it to the land office as proof. A $14 filing fee was paid for processingthe claim. The male homesteaders had to be over 18 years of age and the female homesteaderswere required to be over 21 years of age. The age rule for women also included widows. Whydo you think the age requirement for men and women was different?"

Developing the LessonSay: "The homesteader could not own more than 160 acres of land in another location.

But the regulation that proved to be the hardest for many settlers was the one that required thehomesteader to stay on the land five years and to make improvements on it in order to get a cleartitle. Union veterans that fought in the Civil War were allowed to deduct time spent in the war

30

from the five year requirement. Also, the homesteader could get a clear title to the landearly by paying $1.25 an acre at the end ofthe first year." Direct students to analyze HistoricalPhotograph No.9 for evidence of improvements that had already been accomplished. Askstudents to suggest additional improvements the family would want to consider.

Concludint: the LessonAsk students to consider a modem day or future land run. Work in groups to construct

two lists of regulations. The first list should be the requirements students believe would beappropriate for a modem day land run. The second list should challenge students to propose theregulations that might be appropriate for a land run 100 years from today.

31

IIHome Is Where the Heart Is

II

Each person that participated in the 1889 and 1893 land runs carried into the race a dreamand the desire for a better life. On the one hand, the historical facts associated with each land runprovides instruction into an important event in the development of the United States. But thestories that unfolded in the individual lives behind each photographed face teaches anotherimportant perspective. The purpose of this lesson is to see history through the personalexperiences of a young girl as she reveals her experiences in a personal diary.


* Analyze an authentic diary written in the late 1880s for clues into the daily life of afamily.

* Create a mental image of a settler's home at the time ofthe Land Runs.* Compare similarities and differences in homes and family life in the late 1880s to

homes and family life of today.Higher Level (HL)

* Understand the emotion of different people during the time of the Land Runs.* Demonstrate through role play the possible range of emotions that was experienced

by settlers during the time of the Land Runs.

Materials* Historical Photograph No. 10 * (LL) Construction Paper * (LL) Colored Markers* Excerpts from the diary of Ethel McWhorter Grimma Johnson (Student Text E)

Analyzing Historical Photograph No. 10Modem society provide the individual and family many opportunities to desire more

than they already own. This photograph proposes the idea that to leave all possessions behindand begin again is the greatest opportunity. Ask students to consider what it would be like toleave all they own behind and go to an unknown place to begin a new life. How would it feel?In what ways would the new situation be exciting and in what ways would it be frightening?Direct student attention to the individuals in the photograph. What emotions might be felt byeach person as each makes the adjustment to the new situation?


Opening the LessonRead the student text Pa's Hopes and Dreams (Student Text E). Ask students to analyze

32

the diary entry for clues to the daily life of a family living in the late 1880s. Describe thefamily home. What kind of toys did the children have for play?

Developing the LessonProvide each student with construction paper for drawing. Based upon the description of

the home given by the little girl's diary entry, ask students to imagine how the house appeared.Instruct students to draw the mental image each has of the home scene.

Concluding the LessonAfter each student has completed the drawing of their mental image of the home,

compare the student drawings. In what ways were the drawings similar? In what ways were thedrawings different? Ask students to explain their drawings based upon the diary entry.

Extending the LessonAsk students to design a chart. In one column, list what is in the 1880s home that can

be found in homes of today. In a second column, list the items in the 1880s home that can nolonger be found in a modern home. Suggest reasons why the 1880s item can or cannot be foundtoday. Ask what items have evolved today from tools used during the 1880s (Example:Washboard to a Washing Machine).

Suggested Student Activities(Higher Level)

Opening the LessonSay: "Think about a family discussion that may have occurred in your family. This

diary entry allows us to listen on a family discussion that took place in the late 1800s. Imaginehow each member of the family may have felt. We will be able to hear what each member of thefamily is saying. Try to get into the head of each family member to learn what s/he may havealso been thinking and feeling. Silently read the diary entry Pa's Hopes and Dreams. "

Developing the LessonSelect one group of students to play the role of each character in the diary entry

(Example: Girl writing the diary (Ethel), her sisters, Pa (Wallie), and Ma (Allie). Present thescene exactly as it is written in the diary.

Select another group of students to present the scene again. The second scene shouldinclude what the students believe the characters are thinking in addition to what each character issaying. Add grandpa to the scene. Include what he may also have said during the conversation.

Concluding the LessonSelect a group of students to take part in a classroom discussion dramatizing the role of

each character in the family scene. Instruct the class to ask questions of each family memberconcerning how the person felt about the issues discussed. Why did each character think or feelas s/he said?

Extending the LessonEach student could create a mural of how their family might have appeared in the

1880s. Examine the Historical Photograph for clues to styles of dress and personal groomingduring the period.

33

Pa's Hopes and Dreams

It was my favorite time of day. Supper was over and the kerosene lamp had been lit in thebig room that served as our living room as well as bedroom. My sisters and I were playing onthe floor in the glow of the lamp, comfortable and happy in the warmth of the big, cast ironheating stove. Pa was out finishing the evening chores, while Ma was busy in the kitchen. Wewere playing with our rag dolls waiting for Pa to come in, because he often played games withus. Sometimes he made shadow pictures on the wall with his fingers. Sometimes he played"Simon Says" or Wire, Briar Limberlock."

Suddenly, Pa got up, knocked the ashes out of his pipe, laid it on the stand by the lamp,tousled his hair, walked back and forth in the room a few times and sat down again.

"Allie," he said, "I have to talk something over with you. When I was in Milan thismorning, I heard some men talking about going to EI Reno to the land office to see if it ispossible to get one of those l60-acre farms that were homesteaded in the recent run. Some ofthose men decided not to stay the six months it takes to prove up on them, and I hear they can bebought for a reasonable price."

I raised up in bed, eyes wide. "What's a race for a homestead, Pa," I asked."Ethel, aren't you asleep, yet? When the Indians were given allotments --land for farms,

that is -- the government found that there was more than the Indians needed, so decided to let thewhite men have some. In order for everyone to have an equal chance, it was decided that on acertain day, people should line up at the Kansas border, and at a given signal, they could go intothis land and stake out a claim that would be theirs."

"Some of the men I was talking to were getting on the train this morning to go out there tosee what they can find out. I sure wish I could go, too. It would be great to have 160 acresinstead of this old, worn out, forty we can't make a living on." Ma laid her knitting down in herlap and looked at Pa in amazement, fear seeming to cloud her eyes. "Wallie," she exclaimed, "Ihad no idea you even thought about going out to that wild country to make a home! "

Ma took up her knitting, again, knitted a round or two, then said, "What about theIndians? Is it safe to take our little girls to live so close to their reservation? I don't think my Pawill give his consent to taking his four granddaughters into Indian country."

(Student Text E)

34

Reading Historical Photograph Postcards

It has often been said, "A photograph is worth a thousand words." This series ofHistorical Photographs may also prove that a photograph properly analyzed and reflected uponcan speak volumes. The images represented in Land Runs Past and Future evoke emotion fromthe observer. It creates the feeling of being in a time and place long past. The focus of thislesson is to teach students to be a participant in the photograph, to observe the surroundings, andto make judgments that reflect the time and place in our American History.

ObjectivesThe student will: All Levels

* Analyze and discuss each historical photograph postcard* Read and react in writing to the individual postcards

Material* 30 Historical Photograph Postcards

Suggested Learning Activities(All Levels)

Opening the LessonAsk students to work individually to analyze each photograph postcard. Provide one

Photograph Postcard from the series Land Runs Past and Future to each student. Ask students toanalyze the photograph postcard for fifteen seconds. At the conclusion oftime, ask students tolay the postcard face down. Each student should make a list of everything that can be recalledfrom the postcard scene.

Developing the LessonAsk students to view the Photograph Postcard for a second time. Reflect upon the list

that was originally created. Students should consider what caused them to focus upon certainaspects of the scene when given a brief period of time to view the contents of the photograph.

Concluding the LessonChallenge the students to take additional time to analyze the photograph. Ask students

to create a second list reflecting everything they identified when given the opportunity to studythe Photograph Postcard for a longer period oftime. Say: "When you had only fifteen seconds tolook at the Photograph Postcard, you recalled the obvious aspects of the scene. As you analyzethe photograph more closely, identify the details within the scene. Create a second list thatreveals all the details of the photograph. Take the role of an investigative reporter. Attempt toanswer the questions concerning the "who, what, when, where and why for the photograph."

Extending the LessonStudents could select one of the characters within the photograph. If no one is in the

photograph, advise the student to become part of the scene. Ask each student to express inwriting what the character may have felt. Many times the real story hides within what is not seenor told. Challenge students to ask the question, "What is missing?"

35

IISuggested Reading List

Baldwin, KatWyn (1981). The 8gers Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. Oklahoma City:Western Heritage Books, Inc.

Gibson, Arrell M. (1978). The Oklahoma Story. Norman, Oklahoma: University ofOklahoma Press.

Hoig, Stan (1984). The Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. Oklahoma City: OklahomaHistorical Society.

II

Rister, Carl Coke (1942). Land Hunger: David L. Payne and the Oklahoma Boomers.Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press.

36

»"'C"'Cmzc-><.~

APPENDIX "8"

103° 102° 101 ° 100° 99° 98° 9]0 96° 95°

35°

34°

36°

Cherokee Nation

Choctaw Nation

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j""".

o 50 milesI I

.,7

II WichitaI and Caddot.. by lottery

Greer ,- -7- - - - - -\,. ..1901

County \ ,/,_ Comanche, 1-_,L ~ Kiowa '~7

_and Apachey

opened by lotteryJuly - August 1901

100°

35°

36°

101 °102°

No Man's Land : Gherokee Outlet 6 : : /i; 3]0

a~ded to.lerritory by Organic Act MaY 2, "1890 ~I-"'" opened b~and run September 16, 1893 ~ - , Osage. 1 8 '$.--V ····1" : 2 r - Reservation 1 .:;1 .~,0~ --I 5 ~ -

~AA ~--. 0'1t 1 5

'S>/t- I - - -: 3~'S> -I__________________ ~-------------1

\'\

1. Opened by run September 22, 1891(868,414 acres)

2. Tonkawa lands by allotment, 1891

3. Pawnee lands by allotment, 1892

4. Kickapoo lands by run May 23, 1895

5. Ponca and Otoe - Missouri lands byallotment, 1904

6. Kaw lands by allotment, 1906

7. Big Pasture opened by sealed bid,December 1906 (Kiowa, Comanche,Apache, Wichita and Caddo lands)

8. Quapaw, Peoria, Modoc, Ottawa,Wyandotte, Shawnee and Seneca lands

103°

APPENDIX "C"

103° 102° 101 ° 100° 99° 98° 9]0 96° 95°

35°

34°

36°

,,,, ..., / '''--, ~, ~., - ...... '

'"_...

Choctaw Nation

.,7

99°

opened by runApril 19, 1892

Ghey'enne andArapaho

100°

35°

34°-

36°

101 °102°

No Man's Land

added to territory by Organic Act May 2, 1890

I L L +- L J... --J~\_;;-----I---;-----I.--':7J~T- 37°I- I 6' I ',2-

, I 8'~: Cherokee Outlet __ .., Osage I "r-~I-"" opened by land run September 16,1893 I 2 r - Reservation I .::?_

1 C' 1- -I 5 :1 1tt,qAAOtlt ~ -5- 1 3 : Cherokee Nation

'9. ' I 1"'t,..~ -I 1 .,

- - - - - - - - - - -.- - - - - - - ~- - - - - - - - - - - - -ii'"Unassigned I ...~I ~

0.;. ~ Lands ,,,,...J' -1-~ : I

~ 1 Opened by run 1 1 I L.L 1

i',<:>4 1 April ~2, 1889 1_ ~" 1-g 1 1 Creek Nation, '\ IVr. 1 (2 million acres) 1 4 .... ctl I1 'T/V 1 1 1 0 I1 - ... , ~f» I 1 1 ctl I1 ... , , 1" I""......, 1 CJ) I."I1 Wichita '1_ 1 '-J. ,r"",_" I1 and Caddo , - ... - - I .... 1~ C '

...... , by lottery "I 1 0 0 ,I ... l' 1 c._.. ~ - - - - - - - - 190, '.. I I 'E (il' ,.

Greer I 7 """'-"-~I I I 'QlZI (1 L Comanche 1-_ I ~L ,,(/) 1 (,-County ,1/:" . ',:;:-' --~ - ..... -011"'':r Kiowa -'7: ,)

attached to (and Apache ,- -,Oklahoma .. , 7,

March 16, 1896 .: opened by lottery -", July .. August 1901 -,

: Chickasaw NationIII,

103°

o 50 milesI I

~ 1995 Innovative Educational Products, L.L.C.

suggested learning activities

Documents