Putting It All Together
Through the following activities students will
consider the meaning of self-reliance in greater
depth as well as determine how important events
in their community's history relate to national
events and events in the life of Bill Keys.
Activity 1: Self-Reliance
Have students use the following questions
to guide them in writing a creative essay on
their views of self-reliance:
1. How would you define self-reliance? Do you
think self-reliance is always a good thing? Why
or why not?
2. How might a very self-reliant person be
characterized by others? Why?
3. What do you think Emerson meant when he
wrote that "civilized man has built a coach, but
has lost the use of his feet"? Do you agree or
disagree? Why?
4. What skills does Emerson claim we have lost?
Do you think these are important? Why or why
not? What other skills might we have lost or
be in danger of losing since Emerson wrote his
essay?
Activity 2: Local Community History
Have students work in small groups to research
the history of their town or region. Ask each group
to create a time line showing the dates of first
settlement, important local events, and activities
of prominent local citizens of the past hundred
years or so. Have them use a different color to
add major events in the 20th century such as
World Wars I and II, the stock market crash,
presidential terms, first sound films, first
televisions, etc. They should use a third color to
add the major events of Bill Keys' life to the time
line.
If possible, have students try to find and
photograph buildings or monuments in their
community that are associated in some way with
any of the events listed on their time line. Examples
may include a memorial honoring local war
veterans, a historic house museum, or a
commercial building that reflects the area's
economic livelihood. Students can then illustrate
their time lines with photographs of some of the
places that help tell the story of their community.
After the time lines are completed, have the
class compare activities or events that occurred
during the same period. Hold a classroom
discussion on what the time line reveals about
how events in their community's history relate to
those of Bill Keys' life and the rest of the country.
|
