Further Content Exploration

Although the tactile activity described in this session takes only a few minutes to complete, the opportunities that it provides for learning are endless. For example, students can be assigned research work based on who or what they represent in the model. Thus, one student (or group of students) would research the effect that the railroads had on Native Americans (and vice versa), while another group would look at the railroad's effects on key inventors from the period or cattle ranchers, and so on. The students representing the railroad could research the challenges of constructing the railroad or about the people financing and/or designing the railroad. Once the research is complete, the model can be constructed again with students sharing their research with each other.

As a way of organizing and thinking about your lesson planning, create some focus questions for students related to the research ideas described above. Some examples:

1. In what ways did the railroad have a positive impact on you (the entity that you represent)? What benefits did the railroad provide?
2. In what ways did the railroad have a negative impact on you? What problems were caused by the railroad?
3. When evaluating the effect of the railroads, does your perspective change depending on who or what you represent? Explain.
4. Overall, was the railroad more of a benefit or a disadvantage to American society as a whole?