Lesson Plan #: AELP-USH0215
Old West Dinner Party
An Educator's Reference Desk Lesson Plan
Submitted by:
Ann Scott
Email:
gtrrp@yahoo.com
School/University/Affiliation:
Parma Able Learner Program, Parma, OH
Date:
May 4, 2002
Grade Level:
3, 4, 5, 6
Subject(s):
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Social Studies/US History
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Mathematics/Process Skills
Duration:
Two 45-minute sessions
Description:
Old West characters are arranged around a dinner table so that they have something in common with the people on each side of them.
Goals:
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Students will learn about significant people of the American Old West.
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Students will evaluate information to find similarities between specific people.
Objectives:
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Students will be able to research characteristics of Old West figures.
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Students will find similarities between selected Old West figures.
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Students will be able to arrange Old West characters around a "dinner table" so that they have similarities with those on either side of them.
Materials:
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books and/or articles on specific characters from the Old West (Teachers should check their school library for materials.)
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paper
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pencils
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List of Old West Characters
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Sample Layout of Old West Party
Handouts in .pdf format; requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Click the icon to obtain the free Reader.
Procedure:
Students will have previously researched Old West characters of their choice. This can include birth and death dates, where they lived, what they are known for, etc. For this activity, students will work in pairs. Given a list of about 20-24 names (see
Materials
for a list of suggested names), they will choose 16 to place around a mythical dinner table. For this assignment, their birth/death dates will be unimportant; it is assumed that any of them could be at this dinner party if invited.
Students use books and/or articles to find information about their chosen characters. The characters must be arranged around a rectangular table so that each person has something to talk about with the people on both sides of him/her. These could include state of residence, activities each performed, people they both knew, etc. For example, Annie Oakley could be next to Buffalo Bill because she performed in his Wild West show. She could also be next to Wild Bill Hickok on the other side because they were both performers. Or, she could be next to Calamity Jane because they were both known for their shooting skills.
The students must write (on notebook paper) an explanation of why they paired up each of their characters. It is suggested that this be done as the characters are arranged around the table, so the reasoning will not be forgotten.
Assessment:
The teacher can double-check students' explanations by using the same articles and books that were provided for the research.