Frontier Lines + Turner's Frontier Thesis + "Man with the Big Hat" + Mini-Debate + Mark Twain

Students today:

• Analyzed a 5-map sequence showing the movement of the frontier in American history

• Learned basic arguments in Frederick Jackson Turner's 1893 "Frontier Thesis"

• Analyzed the Frummox song, "Man with the Big Hat"

• Listened to Frummox sing the song (via recording, not in person)

• Held a mini-debate based on the last line of the song, in which the man with the big hat states that if it wasn't (sic) for the life the cowboys led there wouldn't be no (sic) West. The question students debated was: Who was more important in the settlement of the Great Plains of Texas: the soldiers or the cowboys?

Assignments

For Friday

1. Read Mark Twain's short story (clicky clicky), "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County."
2. Write five discussion questions over the story and post them on your blog.
3. Come prepared to discuss the story.

For Monday: Quiz over Ch. 18 & Ch. 19 Summaries