How did we survive and thrive in the American West? The exercises in this workshop are adapted from a longer unit of study on The American West that follow an in-depth interdisciplinary study of the American history and literature of the late 19^th century American West. Content and background knowledge about key events and the people from this time period and the geography of the region as well as an exposure to a wide range of literature of and about the period can be applied to an investigation about an emerging cultural identity. In these exercises you are invited to discover how a people survived, thrived, and adapted to their newly settled land. As you investigate the history of the American West with primary sources from the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries you will uncover the key concepts of culture that helped form a uniquely "western" cultural identity.

Using Multimedia Sources

American Memory includes numerous types and formats of sources including photographs, manuscripts, rare books, sheet music, maps, recorded sound, and moving pictures. We will use multimedia sources from several collections as part of our investigation.

About the process:

This workshop is based on several curriculum design principles that have been developed and tested by K-12 educators in a San Francisco based research and development project called the Bay Area National Digital Library Project. Exercises in this workshop offer participants an opportunity to experience lessons that use the multimedia resources from American Memory and that broadly apply an instructional approach and curriculum design model called Complex Instruction. This approach is designed to increase student access to learning through group work. The content is developed with the support of scholars.

Concept Mapping (10 minutes)

Discuss: How did people survive and thrive in the American West?

II. Orientation Activity (50 minutes)

Investigating culture and document analysis with multimedia

The purpose of the orientation activity is to introduce the Document Analysis Worksheet and the cultural concept, resilience. We’ll use a specific set of multimedia primary sources to practice in-depth analysis.

1. As a whole group, discuss the concept of resilience. Review the Document Analysis Worksheet, and group roles.
   
   
2. In small groups, complete the Task Card assigned to your group. Use a computer to access and listen to your song.
   
   

Group 1	Group 2
Orientation Activity — group 1 What is resiliency?	Orientation Activity — group 2 What is resiliency?
Task Card — Clementine	Task Card — Sweet Betsy from Pike
Resource Card A — Clementine Document Analysis Worksheet Resource Card — What Is Resiliency? Resource Card — Group Roles Resource Card — Cinquain	Resource Card B — Sweet Betsy from Pike Document Analysis Worksheet Resource Card — What Is Resiliency? Resource Card — Group Roles Resource Card — Cinquain

 

3. As a whole group, present Cinquains, compare worksheets and check for agreement. Debrief the use of the Document Analysis Worksheet. Discuss two aspects of resilience: (1) an individual's traits, (2) an individual's network of support

III. Group Activities for Inquiry, 60 minutes

Independent small group activities that explore different aspects of the theme/topic provide groups a chance to work independently and produce a product of their learning. The intention here is to encourage peer to peer instruction with feedback, guidance, and coaching from the teacher. Each activity has a performance product that is shared with the whole group.

1. As a whole group: Review the tasks and performance products.
   
   
2. In small groups: Divide into groups of four and rotate group roles. Each group has one Task Card with several tasks to complete for this activity. The group works independently with minimal guidance to prepare a final performance.
   
   

Group 1	Group 2
Resilience Inquiry Activity #1 Life on the Frontier	Resilience Inquiry Activity #2 Do Something for Wildness
Task Card — Life on the Frontier	Task Card — Do Something for Wildness
Resource Card A — A Rather Pretentious Sod House Resource Card B — Mountains and Molehills Resource Card C — Mr. and Mrs. David Vincent and daughter, Martha, by their sod house Resource Card D — John Bakken sod house Document Analysis Worksheet	Resource Card A — Theodore Roosevelt & John Muir on Glacier Point Resource Card B — Background Information on the Photograph at Glacier Point Resource Card C — Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir Biographical Notes Document Analysis Worksheet




3. As a whole group:
   
   
   1. Group performances (10 minutes) Groups perform for the whole group.
      
      
   2. Complete this activity with discussion and debrief

IV. Evaluation (10 minutes)