Teacher's Guide for APPLESEEDS Growing Up on the Frontier

La Comida (pages 6-7)

Vocabulary - nata, ollita, maza, la comida, tamales, pozole, picoso

• After reading this article, ask the students to participate in a discussion about the following:
  1. Who first used beans, corn, and squash?
  2. What is nada? (include the other vocabulary words)
  3. What are the possible colors of corn?
  4. How do you make tortillas?
  5. Why do you need to be careful when cutting hot chiles?
• Ask the students to create a menu for a restaurant using the information found on pages 6 and 7. They are to include enough information about each item so that a customer will know what they will be eating.

Looking For a Better Life (pages 8-9)

• Discuss the possible meaning of the title of this article.
• Read the poster on page 8 and discuss the reasons behind its use in the 1800s.
• Ask the students to explain what they see in the picture at the bottom of pages 8 and 9.
• Use a Read Aloud method to share the contents of this section.
• During or after reading use these prompts to focus on the content:
  1. In what ways were the African Americans still treated badly after the Civil War?
  2. Why was the government of Kansas giving away land?
  3. Suggest reasons why farming was difficult for new settlers.
  4. Why would some black pioneers leave Kansas?
  5. Explain about Nicodemus.
  6. What types of jobs did African Americans have on the frontier?

Moving West: A Native American Perspective (pages 10-11)

• Arrange the students in pairs to complete the assignment.
• Use the Think, Pair, Share method and ask the students to read this passage about the Cherokee Indians. The students should first read the whole article with their partner. Secondly, they are to make a list of the injustices that were inflicted on the Cherokee. The pairs will then take turns presenting to the whole class one of the injustices that they found in the reading.

Little Bird That Was Caught: Jane De Bow Gibbs (pages 12-14)

Note-taking:

• Explain to the students that you want them to read pages 12-14. As they read quietly to themselves, tell them that they are going to use two strategies - Quickdraw and Quickwrite. The first asks them to make simple sketches and the latter brief notes on the pertinent information. After completing this task, have the students share their work in pairs or groups, followed by a whole class discussion.
• The Web site on page 14 offers opportunity for the student to complete some further research on Jane De Bow Gibbs.
• This topic also lends itself to many creative work possibilities in language and art. Some are suggested at the end of the guide.

Swing Your Partner: Frontier Fun (pages 15-17)

• Use these ideas to guide the reading of this article.
  1. What is log rolling?
  2. How did the women help?
  3. Describe what happens at a husking bee.
  4. How did neighbors help each other?
  5. Why would dances be such fun for pioneers?
  6. What social activities might happen at the church?
  7. What competitions were included at a fair?
  8. Describe what happened on a Fourth of July.
  9. Why was it important to have fun even while doing work on the frontier?

Sticks and Stones (pages 18-19)

• The students might find it fun to research the simple toys used by the frontier children.
• They could make a comparison chart about frontier toys and modern toys.

Riders In the Night: The Story of the Pony Express (pages 20-21)

• Direct the students to look at the poster on page 21. Ask them why the request is for boys under the age of eighteen who are skinny and lean.
• On a map of the Untied States of America, show the location of Missouri. Explain that the telegraph did not extend west beyond that state.
• Ask the students to suggest how news/mail would get to people between Missouri and California.
• Creative writing:
  Have the students assume the role of a Pony Express Rider. Ask them to write a story about their experience carrying mail across country.

Young Davy Crocket (pages 22-23)

• Pre-reading:
  Provide each student with a sheet of paper. Divide the paper into two columns. On one side the title will be "What I Know About Davy Crocket," while the other will be "What I Learned About Young Davy." Ask the students to complete the first section.
• During Guided Reading, or on their own, have the students complete the second section.

Rough and Tumble - Growing Up in a Mining Town (pages 24-25)

• Ask the students to describe what they see in the two pictures on pages 24 and 25.
• Use these questions for discussion:
  1. Where were mining towns usually located?
  2. What is an assay office?
  3. What did the assayer do with the ore?
  4. What was Leigh Turner's hobby?
  5. Suggest several reasons why a mining town could be dangerous.
  6. Why did some mining towns become ghost towns?

What's That Smell? (pages 26-27)

Recall Skills:

• Read this article aloud with the students. Read only one paragraph at a time and then have the students close their books. Or, you have the only copy of the magazine, read one paragraph and stop.
• Ask the students to tell you what they read (or heard you read). This could be done orally, on the blackboard, or in student notebooks.
• Proceed through the article in the same manner.
• The students might enjoy making a comparison chart about "Cleanliness - Now and Then."

Worms, Bones, and Gold Dust (pages 28-29)

Oral Presentation:

• Ask the students to quietly read this article to themselves.
• There are three distinct jobs mentioned for frontier children. Divide the class into four groups. Assign one of the jobs to each of three groups. The fourth group is to focus on the second last paragraph about why frontier children needed money. Each group must re-read their section and prepare an oral presentation to the class.

Make Your Own Sod House (pages 30-31)

Logical Dominoes (pages 32-33)

Some Ideas to Be Used With Growing Up On the Frontier

• There are a number of individual stories in this issue. Students might choose one of the persons and create a diary/journal for that youth.
• They could develop charts e.g. What Would Be Fun - What Would Be Unpleasant Growing Up On the Frontier
• Charts might be done comparing the frontier and today.
• Art work depicting the frontier would be fun.

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Updated: 11/21/09 06:42 am
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