Crossroads: High School Curriculum
Unit VII: "What, Then, Is This American?" ca. 1865-1900

READING HISTORICAL NOVELS

Lesson 2

READING HISTORICAL NOVELS

1. With the help of your teacher and librarian, select a novel, journal, memoir, or diary that depicts some aspect of life in the American West between 1865 and 1900.

2. Read the selection to complete the following tasks:
   1. Identify the major characters by the group to which they belong--homesteaders, miners, cattlemen, merchants, Indians, other.

   2. Identify the social, economic, and environmental contexts in which the characters participate.

   3. Describe the relationships between the various groups of people within the selection.

   4. Summarize the major points which the selection informs you about the American West at that time.

3. Use the information gained from 2a-d to write a book jacket for the selection which can serve as an annotation for future teachers and students of history. Your "jacket" will be placed in the media center as a reference for others who have similar interests and assignments.