7/29/2019 Modern Family Discussion Guide Sample
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DISCUSSIONGUIDEFORMODERN,WEEK8:
TheTranscontinentalRailroad,MovingOutWest
Review
the
Companion
section
about
the
Pony
Express.
Make
sure
your
students
know
the
Pony
Expresss
twoendpoints:St.Joseph,MissouriintheeastandSacramento,Californiainthewest.Alsopointoutthat
thePonyExpressoperatedforjusttwoyears,1860and1861;andthatitclosedassoonastheU.S.
completeditsfirsttranscontinentaltelegraph.Remindyourstudentsthat1861wastheyearoftheBattleof
FortSumter,thesecessionoftheUpperSouthandtheFirstBattleofBullRun/Manassas.
ExplainthearduousroutethatmosttravelersfollowedtoreachCaliforniabeforetheTranscontinentalRailroadwascompletedowntheeastcoasttoCentralAmerica;acrossCentralAmericabyhorseand
wagonorbytrain;andthenupthewestcoasttoCalifornia.
Askyourstudentstoimaginehowverymuchthedevelopmentofrailroadschangedpeoplesdailylives.PointoutthatrailroadswerecriticallyimportantduringtheCivilWardozensofbattleswerefoughtover
importantrail
stations;
and
during
his
March
to
the
Sea,
General
Sherman
ruined
many
Southern
railroads
bybendingtheirrailsaroundtreestocreateShermansneckties.
RetellthestoryofthebuildingoftheTranscontinentalRailroad.ImpressuponyourstudentshowverydifficulttheCentralPacificRailroadsjobwashowitcarved15tunnelsthroughthesolidgraniteofthe
SierraNevadasandtheRockies;howitbuildshedstocover37milesofitsroutesothatitcouldwork
throughheavywintersnows;andsoon.
ReviewtheCompanionsectiononthebuffalo.ExplainhowtribesliketheCheyenneandtheKiowausedbuffalo,exploitingeveryresourcethatthebuffaloprovided;thenexplainhowtheAmericansettlersused
buffalo,leavingeverythingbutthehidewastedontheplain.Askyourstudentstoimaginewhatitmight
havebeenlikefortribesmenwhodependeduponthebuffaloforsurvivaltowatchwastefulAmerican
settlerseliminate
the
buffalo
from
the
plains
in
just
20
years
time.
ExplaintheAmericansettlersreasonsforriddingtheplainsofbuffaloherdsbecausethebuffalosupportedthetribes,whomthesettlerswantedtoremove;becausethebuffalointerferedwithtrains;and
becausethebuffaloategrassthatcattlemenwantedfortheircattle.Askyourstudents:Mightithavebeen
possibletopreservesomebuffaloherds?Orwasthebuffalosremovalfromtheplainsasinevitableasthe
removalofthetribes?
PointoutthatGoWest,youngmanwasaphrasecoinedbyHoraceGreeley,anewspapermanfromtheNewYorkTribune.ExplainsomeofthemotivationsthatdrovetheAmericansettlerswestespeciallythe
HomesteadAct,whichgavepoorAmericanswhowerewillingtomovewestopportunitiestoownland.
ReviewtheHomesteadActstermsanysettlerwhocouldpaya$10feewasentitledto160acresofwestern
land,
so
long
as
he
or
she
lived
on
that
land
for
five
years
and
improved
it
with
ahouse
or
abarn.
DescribethescenebeforethebeginningofanOklahomaLandRun50,000ormorepeoplewaitingattheOklahomaborder,mountedandreadyforthestartersgunthatwouldsendthemracingintounsettled
territorytostaketheirclaims.Askyourstudentstoimaginewhatitwouldbeliketobeoneofthosepeople
waitingonhorsebackforthestartersgun.
MakesureyourstudentsknowwhotheSoonersweresettlerswhocheatedonthelandrunsbyarrivingsoonerthananyoneelse.ExplainthatsomeSoonerswereU.S.marshalswhotooktheirjobsbecausethese
jobsallowedthemtospyoutallofOklahomasbestlandbeforethelandrunsbegan,interritorythatwas
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closedtoeveryoneelse.DiscusstheSoonersopportunismanddubiousmorality.
DescribealongcattledrivealongtheChisholmTrailfromTexastoAbilene,Kansas.Explainthatthesecattledriveswereonlypossiblebecausenooneownedthelandalongtheway;therewerenofences,sothecattle
werefreetograzewherevertheycouldfindgrass.Askyourstudentstolistthetypesofcowboyswhowent
alongoncattledrivestrailbosses,cooks,droversandwranglersanddescribeeachtype.
MakesureyourstudentsknowthattheeraoflongcattledrivesintheAmericanWestlastedonlyabout30years,
from
the
1850s
through
the
1880s
because
by
the
end
of
that
time,
the
railroads
had
arrived
in
Texas,andranchershadbeguntotakeovertheopenrange.
MakesureyourstudentsknowwhattheFenceCuttingWarwasashortconflictbetweenopenrangecattlemenandsettledranchersthattookplaceattheendofthecattledriveera,in18831884.Explainthat
whensettledranchersbegantofenceofftheopenrange,openrangecattlemenfoughtbackbycutting
fences;butthatasthesettlersfencedoffmoreandmoreland,longcattledrivesbecameimpossible.Ask
yourstudentstoimaginetheopenrangecattlemensangeratseeingtheirwayoflifedisappear.Compare
theirangertotheangerofthetribesmenwhohadwatchedtheirbuffalodisappearjustafewyearsbefore.
ExplainwhytheearthsrotationmadeitnecessarytodividethewideningUnitedStatesintotimezonesbecausewhenitwashighnooninNewYork,itwasonly9AMinSacramento.Explainthatbeforetheeraof
railroadsand
telegraphs,
the
difference
in
times
wasnt
aproblem;
but
that
as
railroad
travel
grew
common,
itbecametooconfusingtokeeptrackofeachtownslocaltime.Makesureyourstudentsknowthatthere
arefourtimezonesinthecontinentalUnitedStates:Eastern,Central,MountainandPacific.
ReviewsomeofThomasEdisonsinventionsandaccomplishments,includingthephonographandtheEdisonbulb.
AskyourstudentstoreviewtheseThomasEdisonquotesandexplainwhattheysayaboutEdisonscharacteranddrive:
Ineverdidanythingbyaccident,nordidanyofmyinventionscomebyaccident;theycamebywork.
Ihave
not
failed.
I've
just
found
10,000
ways
that
won't
work.
Geniusisonepercentinspirationandninetyninepercentperspiration.
Makesureyourstudentsunderstandwhatareaperwasamachineforcuttingandgatheringwheat.Alsomakesureyourstudentsunderstandwhatathreshingmachinewasadeviceforseparatingtheediblepart
ofwheat,thekernel,frominediblestrawandchaff.Explainthatbeforethethreshingmachinearrived,
workersthreshedwheatbyhandbybeatingitwithflailsonathreshingfloor.Explainthatinmoderntimes,
largemachinescalledcombinesreapandthreshwheatatthesametime.Discusshowinventionslike
reapersandthreshingmachineschangedfarminghowtheyallowedfarmerstocultivatemorelandand
raisemore
food
without
hiring
more
workers.
ReviewJamesGarfieldslifeandpresidency.ExplainthatGarfieldwasassassinatedbyCharlesGuiteau,anattorneywhohadhelpedGarfieldwinelection,andwhowasdisappointedwhenGarfielddidntrewardhim
forhishelpbyappointinghimasaU.S.ambassador.
ReviewChesterArthurslifeandpresidency.ExplainthatthePendletonCivilServiceReformAct,whichArthursigned,wasdesignedtopreventgratefulelectionwinnersfromhandingoutgoodgovernmentjobsto
peoplewhoseonlyqualificationwasthattheyhadhelpedtheircandidateswinelections.Explainthatthis
actwaspartlyaresponsetoGarfieldsassassination.
