An Interdisciplinary Project and the American West.

N

15

American Studies; Class Activities; Higher Education; Interdisciplinary Approach; Nonfiction; Secondary Education; Social Studies; Student Projects; United States History

This project began with a list of the kinds of topics that would be of most interest in a study of the old west. Some of the topics that were mentioned for the project included Lewis and Clark, Native American tribes and nations, early pioneers, the fur trade, Texas independence, the Pony Express, homesteaders, gunfighters, the Indian wars, and Wild West shows. The project then required each student to select a category and a specific aspect of that category for special study. Whole class participation in the project included the planning and construction of a picture map, other art activities, and discussions. History and English teachers collaborated on several project activities. For example, English teachers used the project's bibliography for outside reading credit, while history teachers used oral reports from the students' areas of specialization to communicate subject matter. Other project activities included skits and role playing. As a culminating activity, the project used district music teachers and the university music professors and librarians to help with a list of period songs. The project's unit required 30 fifty-minute class periods for its completion. The preparation and presentation of oral reports took seven days. An activities outline is provided, as is an extensive list of selected topics. Contains 48 references. (BT)

1999

ED429871