Unit Plan: Colorado Mining Town Period Rooms

GRADE LEVEL: Appropriate for grades 7-12

ESTIMATED TIME NEEDED: Approximately two to three weeks

OBJECTIVES: Students should be able to do:

• Identify components of a 1920's era southern Colorado mining town classroom.
• Identify components of a 1920's era southern Colorado mining town kitchen.
• Identify components of a 1920's era southern Colorado mining town living area.
• Compare and contrast components of a 1920's home with components of a modern home.
• Describe what can be determined about a home or a classroom in a southern Colorado mining town by examining photographs of period rooms depicting home and classroom settings.
• Describe the importance of knowing what schools and homes of the past looked like.
• What value does mail order catalogs have in the interpretation of the past?

ACTIVITIES:

1. Introduce the concept of period rooms by giving a definition of a period room and showing photographic examples of period rooms. If possible take students to a museum containing period rooms.

2. Show the students photographs on the World Wide Web depicting the 1922 southern Colorado mining town classroom, 1925 southern Colorado mining town kitchen and living room. Have the students identify the components of each room.

3. Using the photographs of mining town period rooms have the students compare and contrast components of their own houses and classrooms. Students should list ten differences and ten similarities between the kitchen, living area and classroom depicted in the period rooms and their own kitchens, living areas and classrooms.

4. Have the students write at least one paragraph describing what can be determined about family and school life in a 1920's era mining town by studying photographs of period rooms or photographs of actual rooms depicting school and home settings.

5. Have the students write a paragraph describing the importance of knowing what schools and homes of the past looked like.

6. Introduce the Colorado Mining Town Period Room Unit Project to the students. Go over the evaluation criteria for the project, which will provide standards and a guide for the students while working through their inquiry. Identify specific due dates for each component of the project. Assign students to work in pairs or independently.

Access to computers, access to the Internet, access to adequate public research facilities.

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