Who's in Charge Here?
Recommended Grade Level(s)
- 6-8
- 9-12
Primary Subject Area(s)
- History
- Geography
- Language Arts
- Science
Related Artifacts
- Goldfield
- Tonopah
- Rhyolite
- Pioche 1914
- Goldfield
- Goldfield
- Goldfield
- Goldfield 1909
- Tonopah 1906
- Rhyolite 1907
Activity Description
Have students work in groups of four using the related artifacts and additional Internet-based research about the region to explore the below questions. Upon completion, have students pretend they are historians presenting at a national conference delivering research they just uncovered. They will create a 3-6 minute slideshow presentation to accompany their "talk." Once all slideshow presentations are ready, have each group deliver their presentation to two other groups.
- Who appears to dominate the region?
- Describe growth and decline of the region using geographic explanations and terms.
- Compare photographs and mining claim maps. What conclusions can you draw?
Standards Addressed
- History
- Grades 6-8 Standards
- H1.[6-8].10: Describe the role of farming, railroads, and mining in the settlement of the West.
- H2.[6-8].4: Identify and explain the importance of immigrant and native groups to mining, ranching, railroads, and commerce in Nevada and the United States.
- Grades 6-8 Standards
- Geography
- Grades 6-8 Standards
- G5.[6-8].2: Compare characteristics and purposes of several types of maps, map projections, and other geographic representations.
- G6.[6-8].5: Define physical geographic terms, i.e., archipelago, gulf, basin, tundra.
- Grades 9-12 Standards
- G5.9-12.2: Analyze and interpret geographic information by selecting appropriate maps, map projections, and other representations, i.e., urban planning, national parks.
- G5.9-12.3: Apply concepts and models of spatial organization and use quantitative methods to identify and make decisions about geographic information.
- G5.9-12.4: Analyze a variety of complex maps, i.e., topographic, demographic, and land use, to acquire geographic information.
- G6.9-12.4: Analyze selected historical issues, demographics, and questions using the geographic concept of regions.
- G6.9-12.6: Compare characteristics of places and regions from different perspectives.
- G7.9-12.7: Analyze how location and distance connect to influence economic systems at local, national, and international levels.
- Grades 6-8 Standards
- Language Arts
- Grade 7 Standards
- 4.7.1: Evaluate information from illustrations, graphs, charts, titles, text boxes, diagrams, headings, maps.
- 4.7.5: Synthesize information.
- 5.7.1: Choose a topic to narrow and organize ideas.
- 6.7.7: Write a variety of communications in appropriate formats.
- 7.7.5: Focus attention to solve problems by identifying, synthesizing, and evaluating data.
- Grade 12 Standards
- 4.12.1: Evaluate information from illustrations, graphs, charts, titles, text boxes, diagrams, headings, maps.
- 4.12.5: Use information to answer specific questions.
- 4.12.6: Make inferences and draw conclusions based on evidence.
- 6.12.7: Write a variety of communications in appropriate formats.
- 7.12.2: Listen to and evaluate oral communications for content, delivery, point of view, ideas, purpose, value.
- 8.12.3: Use public speaking techniques to deliver presentations with appropriate prosody, volume, eye contact, enunciation, posture, expressions, audience, purpose.
- Grade 7 Standards
- Science
- Grades 6-8 Standards
- N.8.B.1: Students understand that consequences of technologies can cause resource depletion and environmental degradation, but technology can also increase resource availability, mitigate environmental degradation, and make new resources economical.
- L.8.C.3: Students will evaluate how changes in environments can be beneficial or harmful.
- E.8.C.7: Students know the characteristics, abundances, and location of renewable and nonrenewable resources found in Nevada.
- Grades 9-12 Standards
- N.12.B.1: Students know science, technology, and society influenced one another in both positive and negative ways.
- Grades 6-8 Standards
Institute of Museum and Library Services