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

Cattle Trails Analysis + Cattle Drive Organization + Google Hangout w/ Vacationing Student + Ch. 18 Summary

Today our students did the following learning activities:

• Looked at their Map Analysis: Cattle Trails, begun on Friday
• Added to it by speculating as to How a Cattle Trail Drive Was Organized
• Used Google Hangouts to interact and collaborate with Student 12345, who was vacationing with his family in the Southeast
• Read and discussed a blogpost on cattle drives at the Cactus Rose blog
• Read and briefly discussed the Ch. 18 Summary: Ranching & Farming

Assignment for Monday, 4/27: Quiz over Ch. 18 & 19 Summaries (including maps, pictures, diagram)

Gilded Age, cont'd - Began Ch. 18 on Ranching & Farming + Cowboys Survey + Cattle Trails + Ch. 18 Summary

Today our wonderful students:

• Began our study of "the Cowboy Era," (although the first cowboys - vaqueros - were during the Spanish Period)
• Responded to a student's question, What Makes a Person a Cowboy?
• Listened to The Smother Brothers' reductionist version of how to be a cowboy (begins c. 2:40)

• Responded to a Survey - Are You a Cowboy?
• Did some Map Analysis-Cattle Trails
• Discussed whether the cowboy should the iconic symbol of Texans

Assignments: None