Under the Mast and Below the Hill
Lesson 1: Geography of
River and
Objectives:
Ø
Students will understand the importance of local
geography as it related to the economic development of the
Ø Students will develop as sense of “place” with regards to the immediate area in which they live.
Ø
Students will be able to identify the major
bodies of water, which dominate the greater
Ø Students will be able to read and understand maps, calculate distances, use legends, etc.
Initiating Activity (Cue Set):
Students will identify 3 locales (other than those being studied) whose success was directly related to its location. Briefly discuss.
Direct Instruction:
Teacher will lead lesson
identifying the major geographic features of the
Topics for discussion:
Cape Cod Bay, early whaling, Nantucket whalers, Acushnet River, Buzzards Bay, Pacific whaling, artic whaling, local ship building
Curriculum Standard: USI 26 and USI 27, subsection a,b,c
Assessment/Activities
Using various available maps in the class (i.e. world atlas, North America, New England and Local) and maps available on line at http://www.eduplace.com/ or http://docs.unh.edu/default.htm
Divide class into small groups that will engage in the following activities.
Options:
1. Outline the route taken by the Fall River Line Steamships during the peak of the lines’ success and using map legends calculate distances to various ports of call and estimated time of travel.
2. Trace the route of the
3. Using a world atlas trace the
history of
4. Locate local whaling ports and ship building centers on a map of South Coastal Ma. including the islands.
Students will present the results of their research to the class and will be assessed using the Activity Rubric.
Interdisciplinary lesson for: History, Mathematics, and Geography
Differentiated Instruction for: Logical-mathematical learner
Spatial learner
Linguistic learner
Lesson 2: Brief History of New Bedford/Focus on Whaling Industry
Objectives:
Ø
Students will understand how
Ø Students will know what the whaling industry was, why it was needed and why it died out.
Ø
Students will come to know some of the people
responsible for the success of whaling in
Ø
Students will understand what life may have been
like in
Ø Students will understand that many other dependent shore side industries were tethered to the whaling business.
Ø
Students will understand the importance of the
railroad to the economy of
Initiating Activity (cue set):
Teacher will play one or two sea chanteys (students receive lyrics) and explain why these songs were played.
Direct Instruction:
Teacher will lead discussion on
the history of
This will be an interactive lesson
using the following web site from the
Curriculum Standard: USI. 26 and USI 27, subsection c
Activity/Assessment
Students will break off into groups of 2 and research the nature of work of the various shore side support industries needed by the whaling industry. A list of choices will be provided. Anything not finished in class will be completed for homework. (See attached handout)
Students will present the results of their research to the class and
will be assessed using the Activity
Rubric
Interdisciplinary lesson for: History and economics (interdependent industries, Capital investment.)
Differentiated instruction for: linguistic learner, musical learner
Lesson 3: History
of
Objectives:
Ø
Students will understand the growth and
development of
Ø Students will make the connections between geography and economy—Quequechan river/water power/mills etc.
Ø
Students will understand how large a role
Ø
Students will understand how local climate was a
factor in the success of the textile industry in
Ø Students will understand the importance on the Fall River Line to the economy of the Region. New York/Fall River/Boston, commerce and trade and immigration
Ø Students will understand the role of immigrants and children in the growth of the textile industry.
Initiating Activities (Cue Set)
Teacher will pass out Quote from Spinner (author, Lewis Hine) about the
merits of child labor. Teacher will initiate a brief discussion about “child
labor” then and now. This will be a lead in to the lesson on the textile
industry. (See attached in index)
Direct Instruction:
Teacher will lead discussion on a
brief history of Fall River AKA “
Students will receive a handout that chronicles the textile industry and the Fall River Line Steamship Co. as a resource.
(See attached in index)
Curriculum Standard: USI 26, USI 27 a,b,c,d and USII 8 b
Assessment/Activities
Students will use various resources present in class or available at various web sites to engage in the following activities. Students will work in groups of 2-3 and will make a presentation to the class on their findings.
Options:
1. Analyze
the growth and spread of the factory system in
2. Draw
upon diaries, stories, pictures, newspaper advertisements, City directories and
records to compare city life (in
Note on Assessments
for this unit:
At the
end of this unit a formative assessment will be given on the material covered
throughout. This will be a more traditional “pen and paper” assessment. As you can
see, as the class moves through the unit, there are numerous opportunities for
students to engage in “authentic assessments” utilizing both group and
individual activity options. These activities address many different learning
styles.
Dunn, Ross E. Bring History Alive, UCLA 1996. An excellent resource for the high school United State History class. Develops many themes and provides activities that can add many innovations to instruction.
History and Social
Science Curriculum Frameworks Guide.
Lima, Alfred J. The
Silvia, Philip T. Jr., Victorian
Vistas,
Spinner; People and
Culture in
http://americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi
Index of Primary Sources
Initiating activity for Lesson 3—Fall River Mill History
Read the following quote from Lewis Hine, a social reformer and photographer of the late 19th and early 20th century. Much of his work centered around the injustices of child labor. Read the following excerpt from a piece written by Hine. What is the tone of the quote? Who is his audience? Is there an implicit message in the quote itself? After reading and reflecting be ready to share your thoughts with the class.
“It is perfectly obvious that our children must be reared in an atmosphere of work if they are to become Captains of Industry, and so we outdo the Monterssori System itself…for new tasks for the tots to try. Did I say tasks? Not so—they are “opportunities” for the child and the family to enlist in the service of industry and humanity. In unselfish devotion to their homework vocation, they relieve the overburdened manufacturer, help him pay his rent…keep down his wage scale…isn’t it better anyway for everyone to be working instead of expecting father to do it all?”
Lewis Hine
Child Labor Bulletin 1914
Lesson #2
Class activity Handout for New Bedford/Whaling lesson
Below is a list of shore side support industries related to
the whaling industry that was located in and around the greater
Students will prepare a presentation of the results of their research with visuals where applicable.
Shipbuilding/local shipyards
Cooperage
Sail making/sail lofts
Shipsmithing
Provisioning
Cordage manufacturer
Spar making,
Pump and block making
Iron mongering
Oil refining
Spermaceti candle manufacturer
Recruiting agents
Boardinghouses
Culminating unit activity.
As a follow up to the unit on the
local history of
Options:
Fall River Maritime Museum Old
Sample Maps Useful for Activity in Lesson 1 on Local Geography
Sample of Primary Source Materials for Activity in Lesson 3
From New Bedford City Directory, 1852
