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Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story_Lesson Plan

Page history last edited by Shannon 15 years, 4 months ago

Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story Lesson Plan

created by Shannon Overdahl

 

Grade Level: 4th - 7th 

Subject: Orphan Trains

Title of Lesson: Solutions

 

MN Standards

Grades 4-8 I. G. US History: Reshaping the Nation and the Emergence of Modern America, 1877-1916

  • The student will analyze the transformation of the American economy and the changing social and political conditions in response to the Industrial Revolution.

Grades 4-8 IV. B. Historical Skills: Historical Resources

  • The student will begin to use historical resources.

Grades 4-8 IV. C. Historical Skills: Historical Inquiry

  • The student will apply research skills by investigating a topic in U.S. history.
  • The student will analyze historical evidence and draw conclusions.

 

Objective:

Students will demonstrate critical thinking skills by coming up with solutions to two issues.

 

Essential question:

How can we help homeless children? (This question, if used, should be presented after the lesson as a general discussion question once the students have knowledge and understanding of the orphan trains. This can also be used to extend the lesson and discuss how we can help the homeless today.)

 

Materials Needed:

Background information on the times of 1880-1930 on both the East Coast and the Midwest.

Primary photos and stories, taken from:

Warren, A. (1996). Orphan Train Rider : One Boy's True Story. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

 

Anticipatory Set:

Back in the late 1800s, there was an overpopulation of homeless children in New York City. Many of the children had parents that had died or were too sick to care for them. Since New York was also the entry for immigrants, the overpopulation of New York City caused housing issues and food was scarce.

 

At the same time, out West, populations were small. There were many small farming towns that did not have enough people to manage all the farm land and tend to the fields.

 

Your job is to come up with three solutions to these problems. You will be divided into two groups. One group will represent the people in New York City where there is an abundance of homeless children. The other group will represent the farmers out West who don't have enough people to take care of the farms. Each of you will be required to think up at least one idea for your group. As a group, you will also decide who will write down the ideas and who will present them to the class.

 

Keep in mind, back in 1880, there were no computers, no internet, no cars, no TV. The telephone was just invented and could only be used over a span of less than 10 miles.

 

Farmers:

How will you get the work done on your farm? Who will prepare the fields, tend the fields, harvest the fields?

 

East Coast:

What can you do with all the homeless children? Who will feed and care for them? Where will they live?

 

Procedures:

Students will be divided into two groups. One group will be the farmers and one group will be East Coast people. Each group will be asked to create three solutions to their problem. Students should be given 20 minutes to work in their groups. Students can be grouped randomly - counting off by twos or splitting the classroom in half down the middle.

 

When the students have completed their three solutions, they will present that information to the class. Teacher will ask questions to facilitate discussion. Teacher should focus questions to the whole group, not just the presenter.

 

Teacher will conclude with what actually happened – the Orphan Trains.

 

Charles Loring Brace, a young minister who worked in the slums of New York City, worried about the homeless children. He began the Children's Aid Society to help the homeless children. They came off the streets to his center in the thousands. He raised money to feed them. He wrote articles and gave speeches. He knew they needed a place to live, but the orphanages were overcrowded and gloomy and food was scarce. So he decided that sending the children out West was the best solution. Food would be abundant. Farmers would need help on the farms.

 

He gathered 200 children and put them on a train. The train went to farming towns in New York and other nearby states. The children found good homes and began working on the farms and learning other trades. With this success, he continued to send children on the trains out to the Midwest.

 

Teacher can read excerpts from the book. Pages 33-40 give the best overview.

 

Classroom Management:

Students will be divided into two groups. They will gather in opposite ends of the room to work on their solutions. When time is up, one student from each group will come to the front and present their ideas.  After all ideas have been presented and discussed students will return to their seats. Teacher will pass out pictures of the children on the orphan trains and explain what really happened.

 

Assessment:

Through question/answer when students present their solutions to the class.  Teacher will be looking for creative solutions to the overpopulation in New York combined with the need for labor in the West. Students will need to keep with historical times and have practical solutions.

  

Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story

Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story_Citizen Action Lesson Plan 

Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story_Reading Activity

Another orphan train book (Grades 2-4) Train to Somewhere (includes lesson plans)

 

Orphan Train Video

Orphan Train Helpful Links

NCSS Theme - Individuals_Groups_and_Instititutions

Social Studies Standard - History

Book Title

 

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