Visiting Grand Lake in the Olden Days

Level:  4th Grade

 

Time:  Three 40 to 60 minute sessions

 

Focus:

Students examine and interpret photographs of the early days of a mountain resort community to identify characteristics of the lifestyles of the times, and how its tourist economy appeared then.

 

Standards Assessed:

History Standard 2:  Students know how to use the processes and resources of historical inquiry. 

Expectations:  Gather historical data from photographs, use available technology to obtain historical information, identify, analyze,

and make generalizations about life in Colorado history using primary sources.

 

Reading and Writing Standard 5:  Students read to locate, select, and make use of relevant information

from a variety of media, reference, and technological sources. 

Expectations:  Take notes, outline, and identify main ideas in resource materials, sort information as it relates to a specific topic or purpose.

 

Standards Addressed:

Geography Standard 2.3:  Students know how culture and experience influence peopleís perceptions of places and regions. 

Expectation:  Identify characteristics of the lifestyles of peoples who live in particular regions.

Geography Standard 4.2:  Students know the nature and spatial distribution of cultural patterns. 

Expectation:  Understand a greater number of the elements of culture, and how many of them are shaped

by the geography of the region where people live (recreation, etc.)

Geography Standard 4.3:  Students know the patterns and networks of economic interdependence. 

Expectations:  Identify major economic activities in Colorado.

Reading and Writing Standard 2:  Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences. 

Expectations:  Generate topics and develop ideas for a variety of writing purposes, organize their writing,

choose vocabulary that communicates their message clearly and precisely, create readable documents.

Assessment:  Students take notes, and then write a letter home describing their visit to Grand Lake at the turn of the century. 

They must include references to what life is like at the time, and to various activities available in the area. 

Look for examples and details supporting main ideas in the finished letter.

 

Materials/Teacher Preparation

Possible Procedure:

First Session:

  1. (Students should already be somewhat familiar with tourism as an economycommon to many Colorado locations, as part of the Colorado History curriculum.) Show your photo album, or have a few students share their vacation photos.  Stress that these are primary source materials, as they are the original artifacts of events.
  2. Explain that much can be observed and learned from photos:  the type of activity, the season and place the event occurred, how the people felt about the activity, etc.
  3. Challenge students to observe carefully a series of photos (student brought or teacher-provided) and infer as much as possible from the clues in the photos.  Discuss and enjoy.
  4. Explain that the class will be taking a photo trip to Grand Lake, Colorado.  Use landform map materials to learn a bit about the Grand Lake landscape and elevation.  Ask what the students might expect to see there today, what the climate might be, and other information accessible through map-reading.
  5. Explain that, since Grand Lake is in the Rocky Mountains, it is a vacation spot for people because of its lakes, mountain trails, and western flavor.  Ask what students might do for fun in a visit to Grand Lake: e.g., hike mountain trails, horse-back ride, swim, boat, play in snow, enjoy beautiful surroundings.  Review how important tourism is in the economy of many places in Colorado.
  6. Ask what students might see there if it were possible to go back in time to the turn of the century -  what would be the same (e.g. landforms, climate) and what would be different (e.g. people's lifestyle details).
  7. Students access www.kauffmanhouse.org and ìtourî the Grand Lake olden-days information, looking carefully at the photos.  Stop them occasionally to share what they have noticed that is interesting or unexpected.

 

 

 

Second session:

  1. Discuss a bit about what students noticed in Session 1.  What would they have liked to do if they were on vacation in Grand Lake then?  What seemed the same as today, what seemed different?
  2. Explain that students are to revisit the Grand Lake olden-days photos, and are to take notes on what they observe.
  3. Brainstorm and chart some important areas to record (e.g. Grand Lakeís landscape and why people came to visit, how people dressed, where they lived, what they did for fun, how they traveled.)
  4. Review and/or set up note-taking procedures, using Two-Column Note Sheet if desired.
  5. Students revisit www.kauffmanhouse.org, taking notes as they observe culturally significant details in photos.

 

Third Session:

  1. Review friendly letter form, and the requirements of the assessment.  Emphasize how important it is to include details of daily life as well as vacation activities, so the reader of the letter gets the flavor and feeling of both the Grand Lake area and the lifestyles of the turn of the century.
  2. Students write.  Students share their letters.

 

Support Materials:  Visiting Grand Lake in the Olden Days: Two-Column Note Sheet

 

 

 

Name

 
Visiting Grand Lake in the Olden Days:  Two-Column Note Sheet

 

Grand Lake landscape

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How people dressed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where people lived

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fun Activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travel to Grand Lake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other information

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visiting Grand Lake in the Olden Days

Assessment Rubric*

 

Student's Name:

 

 

My notes show that I carefully examined the pictures of Grand Lake life at the turn of the century.  I was careful to write details and examples in my notes to show what life was like at the time, and the activities that were available for visitors and residents.

 

My letter home told enough of the details about life in Grand Lake.  The reader will get the flavor and feeling of the Grand Lake area lifestyle at the turn of the century.

 

My letter home told enough of the activities that were available for people in Grand Lake at the turn of the century.  My examples will help the reader get the flavor and feeling of the Grand Lake area lifestyle at the turn of the century.

 

 

 

*For teacher evaluation of final product, or student self-evaluation.