1: Exploring Pioneer Life in Minnesota

2: Guide Creation Information

Guide Author	Terri Haakenson and Joyce Baumann
District	ROCORI
Date Created	09/21/11
Guide Description	Exploring Pioneer Life in the Midwest This guide will allow students to gain an understanding of pioneer life in the Midwest by examining primary sources. The students will be able to draw conclusions about pioneer life by making inferences and drawing conclusions from the material obtained in the Minnesota Reflection Collection.

3: Guide Characteristics

Title of Main Academic Standard used in Guide	Minnesota DRAFT K-12 Academic Standards in Social Studies April 29, 2011
Grade Level	2
Learning Level	Introductory
National Holiday/Special Occasion (optional)	None
Source Format Emphasized	photograph
Geographic Region Emphasized (optional)	Minnesota
Other Minnesota Reflections Guide(s) Related to this Guide (optional)

4: Standard Emphasized in Guide

Standard Title	Minnesota DRAFT K-12 Academic Standards in Social Studies April 29, 2011
Category	U.S. history (specific to Minnesota)
Strand	U.S./World History
Sub-strand	Historical Thinking
Standard	Some aspects of people's lives change over time while other aspects stay the same.
Benchmark 1: standard number	2.1.1.2.1
Benchmark 1: text	Compare and contrast technologies, transportation and buildings from earlier times and today.
Benchmark 2: standard number
Benchmark 2: text
Benchmark 3: standard number
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Benchmark 4: standard number
Benchmark 4: text

5: Another Standard Emphasized in Guide (optional)

Standard Title	English Language Arts
Category
Strand	Writing
Sub-strand
Standard	Write narratives and other creative texts to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well- information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
Benchmark 1: standard number	3.6.3.3
Benchmark 1: text	Write narratives and other creative texts to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations. Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order. Provide a sense of closure.
Benchmark 2: standard number
Benchmark 2: text
Benchmark 3: standard number
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Benchmark 4: standard number
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6: Additional Standards and/or Skills (reading, math, media literacy, interdisciplinary)

Reading: standard number
Reading: standard text
Math: standard number
Math: standard text
Media Literacy: standard number	3.8.2.2
Media Literacy: standard text	Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
Interdisciplinary Connection

Minnesota Reflections Resources

7: Search Strategy

Things to Think About	Most Minnesota Reflections phots are not searchable by the word "pioneer." It is helpful to search by year. Also think about terminology that would be common during pioneer days to use as a basis for your search.
Keywords	cabin, farmer, any year in the late 1800s to early 1900s
Other ideas (to assist with discovery)
Challenges to finding resources on this standard	Resources were pulled from a variety of collections, so the search took some time.

8: Minnesota Reflections Top Picks

Title	Date created	Description	Format (photo, map, letter …)	"Cite the Item" link
Morgan May Journal - February 9, 1861, to April 14, 1871	2/9/1861	Morgan May's handwritten journal documents day-to-day happenings on a large commercial farm. Included are items purchased, wages, weather and duties. Students can compare information in this journal to what would have occurred a typical pioneer family farm.	journal	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/spl/id/1319/show/1142
School and Teacher's Residence, Farming, MN	1887	This is a picture of a pioneer schoolhouse and in the background, there is a teacher's house. Students should zoom in closely to examine the number of students and their clothing. Have students explore why there were teacher residences in pioneer days.	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/john/id/301
Log Shanty with flag, woman and seven boys, possible South Dakota	1908	This picture shows a mother with seven boys outside a log shanty. Have students note the size of the shanty and the number of people who would live in this space.	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/ste/id/1129
Homesteader cabin near Canada, north of Roseau, Minnesota	1895-1905	This picture shows a homestead cabin in Northern Minnesota. Have the students draw conclusions about the harsh living conditions that were most likely present. Also, have the students look at the names of the individuals in the description. What country could they have emigrated from? Why would they choose Northern Minnesota?	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/ros/id/202
Finntown		Although this picture shows a log cabin in disrepair, students can draw conclusions about the size of this cabin and what the living arrangements would be in a cabin of this size.	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/ren/id/289
First Pope County Courthouse	1958	Another excellent image of a log cabin for students to visualize space/size.	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/pch/id/798
Ashippun Log Cabin		Although the description says "log cabin," this is actually a view of a main street in Ashippun and the businesses. Have the students zoom in to see details.	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15160coll2/id/41
Harvesting oats on J.O. Cowan farm near Baudette, Minnesota		A picture showing harvesting machinery. How difficult would harvesting be with this machinery compared to machinery available today?	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/lfw/id/9
Field work on the D.M. Holland Farm, Elk Township, Minnesota	1900-1905	This picture shows two hitches of horses doing field work. Use the zoom tool to examine more closely the farm buildings. How does this farm compare to farms today?	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15160coll4/id/186
Outdoor Portrait	1900	An excellent photo showing women/girls sitting in a garden. Note the clothing. How practical would this clothing be for they type of work these women were expected to do?	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/scott/id/206
Threshing Crew with Family	Sept. 21, 1908	This picture shows a threshing crew with a family. Note the number of people helping with the threshing. Use the zoom tool to observe the clothing, baby carriage, etc.	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/scott/id/193
Old Country Store	1865	This picture shows the first store in Otter Tail County. Have the students compare the appearance of this store to their image of what a store should look like.	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/mhd/id/77
Randolph M. Probstfield journals: 1877 - 1878 (Vol. 1)	1860-1878	This journal contains a variety of information including ledgers of trade from the Georgetown Post. There is also information about the family farm, including expenses and day-to-day activities.	journal	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/mhd/id/612
Randolph M. Probstfield Journals: 1878 - 1879	1878-1879	This journal contains information kept by Randolph M Probstfield accounting life on his family farm. There is information about daily activities, visitors, purchases and weather.	journal	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/mhd/id/922
Gertrude Gow Greenwald driving a buggy, Anoka, Minnesota	1880-1899	A young woman in a horse-drawn cart. From this picture, does Gertrude look like she comes from money? How can you tell?	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/ach/id/22
Grist mill, Anoka, Minnesota	1860	A picture of a Grist mill in Anoka. What role would a grist mill play in pioneer life? Use the zoom feature to examine the people in front of the mill and their clothing.	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/ach/id/26
Horse drawn street car, Anoka, Minnesota	1885-1895	A good example of public transportation during pioneer times.	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/ach/id/39
Ham Lake Schoolhouse, Ham Lake, Minnesota	1890	A picture of a pioneer schoolhouse, with many children/people. Excellent opportunity to examine apparel.	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/ach/id/32
Main Street, Anoka, Minnesota	1880	Excellent example of a main street during pioneer day. What types of stores are found on this street?	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/ach/id/31
High school chemistry class at Detroit High School, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota	1898-99	This picture shows a chemistry class in what would appear to be a modern classroom for the times. How does this classroom differ from the traditional one room schoolhouse? Why would there only be young women in this class?	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/becker/id/23
Ladies of the Lakeside Band in Detroit, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota	1899	This picture shows a women's band at the turn of the century. Have students draw conclusions about entertainment during this time period. Also, would it be unusual for a band to be all women?	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/becker/id/25
A.C. Lund's Cash Store	1900	An excellent picture of a store front during pioneer days. Zoom in to view the front of the store in greater detail.	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/cotton/id/630
Dry Goods Store	1900	A photo of the inside of a dry goods store. Have the students use the zoom feature to closely examine what is being sold in the store. What other items besides those pictured might be sold here?	still image	http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/stearns/id/152

9: Specific Minnesota Reflections Collection(s) to Consider (optional)

Anoka Country Historical Society

Cottonwood Country Historical Society

Beltrami County Historical Society

Clay County Historical Society

Faribault County Historical Society

Stearns Country Historical Society

10: Helpful Tips (optional)

Use the "View Image & Text" button when viewing journals so students can read what is recorded in the journals.

Teach students to use the zoom function so they can focus on elements in the background of pictures and picture details.

Browsing individual collections will provide more resources. Look at the year created of each source.

11: Ideas for Lesson Plans Using this Guide (optional)

- Have students create fictional autobiographies about their lives as pioneers.

- Have students create a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting pioneer life with life today.

- Have students create s diorama depicting pioneer life.

- Have students write "a day in the life of" about a fictional pioneer.

- Write and perform a skit about pioneer life.

12 - Other Online Collections that Help Teach this Standard (optional)

Hoover Archive Website. This site has a comprehensive unit using Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie books http://www.hoover.archives.gov/LIW/liwedu/liw_teaching_unit.html

ProTeacher . A website full of resources for educators. Search the site for "pioneer." http://www.proteacher.org

A to Z Teacher Stuff. Website has a variety of resources for teaching pioneers.

http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/Themes/Pioneers/