Last updated: September 30, 2021
Lesson Plan
Frontiering with Family and Friends
- Grade Level:
- Middle School: Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade
- Subject:
- Social Studies
- Lesson Duration:
- 90 Minutes
- State Standards:
- Missouri: Concept G - Understanding the causes and consequences of the Civil War. Explain Missouri's role in the civil War, including the concept of a border state.
Kansas: Students recognize & evaluate significant people/events shaped Kansas & other. - Additional Standards:
- Oklahoma: 3.1.3 - understand & describe relationship between historic events & chronology through creation of basic timelines.
- Thinking Skills:
- Remembering: Recalling or recognizing information ideas, and principles. Understanding: Understand the main idea of material heard, viewed, or read. Interpret or summarize the ideas in own words. Applying: Apply an abstract idea in a concrete situation to solve a problem or relate it to a prior experience. Analyzing: Break down a concept or idea into parts and show the relationships among the parts. Creating: Bring together parts (elements, compounds) of knowledge to form a whole and build relationships for NEW situations. Evaluating: Make informed judgements about the value of ideas or materials. Use standards and criteria to support opinions and views.
Essential Question
How did the regional historic areas shape heritage in this area?
Objective
Students and families will be able to identify regional historic sites and their importance in local history culminating in visiting Fort Scott National Historic Site and obtaining a Junior Ranger Badge. The time to complete this program varies and will most likely be longer than 90 minutes.
Background
This is an activity open to all ages and supports family engagement as well as classroom participation.
Have access to Internet/phone/camera if want to participate via Instagram
Digital map showing regional sites
Transportation to regional sites.
Preparation
Have access to Internet/phone/camera if want to participate via Instagram
Digital map showing regional sites from Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area.
Transportation to regional sites
Digital camera capable of posting to social media.
If participating without Instagram:
Maps of both Kansas and Missouri that show the local regional surrounding Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area.
Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area brochure, including map of region.
Materials
Lesson Hook/Preview
Have students map out a possible itinerary to the ten sites they want to visit to enable them to obtain a Junior Ranger Badge.
Procedure
There are three separate options from which you may choose: 1) actual onsite with camera and Instagram access; 2) onsite with camera, paper & pen; 3) virtually uploading photos of sites made into a presentation
Choose ten (10) sites you wish to visit from the digital map of regional historic sites in order to receive your "Frontier Quest" Junior Ranger Badge.
Travel to those sites at your own expense.
1) Take a picture of yourself modeling like the Quest pictures you see posted on Fort Scott National Historic Site's Instagram account which will authenticate your adventure. Please caption with the date, location name, and a sentence describing the site's importance to local history. If you don't want to be in the picture, use an image or prop as your avatar.
Upload your picture with Hastings #FrontierQuestFOSC and #FortScottNPS to link with the Fort Scott National Historic Site's Instagram account.
Your final picture should be taken at Fort Scott National Historic Site. Bring your phone/pictures/write-up to the ranger on duty to verify your adventure and receive your Frontier Quest Junior Ranger Badge.
2) If you do not have access to a phone/Instagram account do the following:
Take a digital picture of yourself at 10 of the sites shown on the Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Map, modeling the one you see posted.
Write the date, location name, and a sentence describing the site's importance to local history.
Bring the pictures and your statements to the Fort Scott National Historic Site and take the last photo at the fort itself, finish your statement and present to the Ranger on duty to receive your Junior Ranger Badge.
3) If unable to travel physically to the sites, you may access photos online, create a story in a program like Powerpoint, include the date, location name, and a sentence describing the site's importance to local/regional history. Then attach this to an e-mail where you have identified yourself with your return address. Send this e-mail to fosc_interpretation@nps.gov.
Closing Activity:
With either your parents or teacher:
Which site most impressed you? What did you learn about the various sites? How does your local history relate to you today?
After your travels around the area, how do you now view your place in context to what you have learned about those that have lived here before you?
How have your travels around the area increased your desire to know more about your history?
How did visiting and exploring the sites differ from reading or watching videos about the same people, places, and events?