Explore the Strategy
Apply the Strategy
You will now have the opportunity to apply the strategy to an activity about the transformation of the American West. To do the activity, you will need to gather a group of at least eight friends or colleagues, or try the activity with students in your classroom. Several people will represent the railroad and will be loosely bound together by a rope. Attached to this railroad are additional ropes held by other people, with each individual representing a different entity that influenced or was affected by the railroad. These may include mail delivery, time and time zones, technological development (refrigeration), shipping and trade, cattle ranchers, wheat farmers, Native Americans, emigrants, immigrants, slavery, and more.
The activity should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. Before you begin, prepare the materials. You will need large signs that can be attached to each participant with string or a pin. There should be three to six signs representing each of the railroad lines, and additional signs representing some things or groups of people that the railroad influenced or that were influenced by the railroad during the time of westward expansion, for example "Native American," "Chinese immigrant," or "time zone." You can either prepare the influential factor signs before the activity, or leave them blank for participants to come up with topics on their own. You will also need at least 10 pieces of 10-foot rope.
- Step 1:
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Choose three to six of your participants to be the railroad. Attach signs to each person listing a different railroad line and bind them loosely with rope. They should be facing outward and holding a 10-foot piece of rope in each hand.
- Step 2:
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Stretch out the 10-foot pieces of rope and give each free end to one of the remaining participants. These participants will each represent one of the influential factors.
- Step 3:
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After all participants have been attached and included, the physical model should resemble an octopus made up of people and rope, with each person wearing a sign that identifies their part in the model.
- Step 4:
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Now reflect on your experience making this physical model. How did the model help you visualize all of the elements of the railroad? Were you able to represent aspects of westward expansion in a way that helped you, or one of the other participants, gain a better understanding of the issues? If so, how? What other kinds of tactile activities could you incorporate into the study of the railroad and its influence? (e.g., model trains)
- Step 5:
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This activity allows for a brief illustration of the different entities that influenced or were affected by the railroad. How might you build on this activity to help students dig deeper into the content? For example, if this was your introductory activity, what kind of research might students conduct next to better understand the relationship between the railroad and the different entities?