tlp_09_dcorleto

=Teacher Lesson Page=

Debbie Corleto, McGlynn Middle School, Medford


Debbie's Primary Source Page

**Essential Question:**
How did immigrants contribute to a growing nation? “How did Immigration affect the American concepts of ‘We the people’ ?”
 * “How Did America identify itself as a nation through its Narrative paintings and bird’s eye view maps and portraits?**

**Standard(s):**
USI. 28b, 23

**Guiding Question:**
1. How did artists affect the concept of immigration and expansion? 2. How did artists let people back East know about the people and culture found in the west? 3. What were the beliefs and aspirations for Life in America? 4. How were these beliefs and aspirations portrayed by artists in their paintings and in bird’s eye view maps? 5. How did these beliefs and aspirations for life in America become the basis for landscape paintings that were used as travel brochures. 6. How did the artists and cartographers contribute to the immigration movement west? 7. How did portraits help the immigrants get a feel for what lies west of the Mississippi?

**Title:**
“ Bird’s eye View Maps and Landscapes; A new way to visualize migration westward ”

**Introduction:**
“Go West, young man!” In the 19th century, as the people pushed westward, American artists and cartographers went with the migration and recorded first hand the scenery and land forms. For many Immigrants as well as Americans, this was their only connection to the expansion of the country. The art world saw landscape painting become more recognized as an art form and as a way of getting the images out to the people. The art world saw the emergence of bird’s eye view maps as works of art. The immigrants as well as established settlers were introduced to new ways in which artists communicated ideas, feelings. New first hand accounts of what lies west of the Mississippi were becoming available to the average immigrant/settler through images.

“Artists' fascination with the West mirrored the nation's determination to settle the continent coast to coast. First explorers and trappers, then settlers and immigrants were drawn to the lands and opportunities for a new life in the American West. Artists were quick to discover new and exciting subjects in the vast wildernesss, mountains, and prairies, as well as in the native and Hispanic peoples who lived beyond the Mississippi River,” says Elizabeth Broun, director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

The question at hand is can an artist/cartographer create accurate landscape paintings and bird’s eye view maps that may influence people deciding to migrate westward. Can these landscape paintings and bird’s eye view maps be used as primary source visual documentation of what lies westward?
 * Artists were soon hired by the government to travel along on railroad surveys and to live among the native peoples. Their paintings, sketches and maps, gave the government and the American people first hand accounts pictorially, of what lies in the West.**

Imagine living in the United States in the 1860s. The nation now owns land all the way to the West Coast. People are coming from the East to settle this land. They view it as a wilderness that needs to be developed to become useful to them. How do people decide where they will settle. What information do they have about this wilderness and what will greet them upon arrival.
 * TASK**

//You are faced with the decision of where to settle. What area is best suited for your family in regards to work, land and opportunities. You have heard and read stories of the vastness of the west. You are considering migrating westward, however, you have no way to know what the area is like. You have seen topographical maps but they are difficult to understand. A friend has recently introduced you to paintings and bird’s eye view maps as seen in travel brochures and advertisements..// //Can you trust these maps and paintings to give you a view of the American West? Are the artists and cartographers giving a clear picture? Do these allow you to see a picturesque yet realistic view of the area you are considering? Do these paintings and bird’s eye view maps and portraits give you an idea of the nation? Will artists and cartographers help your family decide which area to settle in? You must consider the area, churches, schools, activities and the treatment of immigrant/migrants there.// **The question at hand is** “How did Immigration affect the American concepts of ‘We the people’ ?”
 * “How Did America identify itself as a nation through its Narrative paintings and bird’s eye view maps and portraits?**

1. You shall research artists, their paintings and / poems or journals and how they were used as travel brochures; Thomas Cole, John Mix Stanley, Flora Fanny Palmer, George Caitlin and Gustavo Oshon shall be studied. 2. Why did they paint these landscapes, portraits or bird’s eye view maps? How could these serve as brochures for travelling and incoming immigrants? What would be changed or added to make the areas seem more inviting?
 * Lesson Process:**

3. Next you will Study bird’s eye view maps; What is included? Why is it included? Who may have commissioned the birds eye view map? What is not included? Why? What would be included to push the westward movement. 4. After reading the collected poems and verses of Thomas Cole, you shall determine if these are a primary source and how they might be used as part of a brochure. 5. You shall read journals and accounts of people who have migrated west before you.

**Conclusion**
In conclusion, you will be able to discuss and answer the essential question “How did Immigration affect the American conceptions of ‘We the people’ ?” After completing the activities and the worksheets, you will see the importance of the artists and cartographers of the time and how their works influenced migration westward. You will be able to assess the usefulness of bird’s eye view maps in relation to travel brochures and migration. You will be familiar with the works of American landscape artists and will be able to pick out geographical locations from looking at landscapes. You will be able to assess the type of location and whether or not the painting or bird’s eye view maps are primary sources or not.

Finally, you will want to think about the importance of bird’s eye view maps for migration/immigration and whether or not they would be a viable source of information today or not. You may want to try and find some post 1920’s bird’s eye view maps of your town or state and decide if they are primary sources or not. You should begin to question the use of google maps as a source of bird’s eye view maps. What is seen, what is not seen.

**Assessment**
Becoming America Rubric Debbie Corleto
 * || **Beginning**
 * 1** || **Developing**
 * 2** || **Accomplished**
 * 3** || **Examplary**
 * 4** || **Score** ||
 * Bird’s eye view maps || Students cannot identify the bird’s eye view maps and cannot state the purpose of the map. || Students identified a 1-2 aspects of the bird’s eye view maps but cannot state the purpose of the map. || Students identified most aspects ( 3 or more) of the bird’s eye view maps and can state the purpose of the maps most times || Students identified all aspects of the bird’s eye view maps and can state the purpose of the map. ||  ||
 * Artworks/Map || Students identified no aspects of the bird’s eye view maps as related to the painting. || Students identified a few ( 1-2 ) aspects of the bird’s eye view maps as related to the painting. || Students identified aspects ( 3 or more) of the bird’s eye view maps as related to the painting. || Students identified all aspects of the bird’s eye view maps as related to the painting. ||  ||
 * Projects || Students were not able to complete the projects in the unit with creativity and originality. || Students were able to complete the projects in the unit but lacked creativity and originality. || Students were able to complete part of the projects in the unit with creativity and originality. || Students were able to complete the projects in the unit with creativity and originality. ||  ||

**Resources** Worksheets/handouts used in the lesson (You may also refer to Document Analysis Worksheets on National Archives site: []) Copies of bird’s eye view maps; from the cd New York V1, Panoramic Maps, 2004, Historic Print & map Company,[|www.ushistoricalarchive.com]

1. San Francisco, 2. Catskills, 3. Larchmont, 4. Hicksville, 5. Chatham, 6. Mt. Rainier and Puget Sound 7. Lake Chautauqua, 8. sarasota,NY

Read the poems by Thomas Cole "Autumn" p. 90, 132 & 133(collected verses of Thomas Cole). Copies of Thomas Cole Paintings "Kaaterskill Fall "
 * Copies of Thomas Cole Poems**,

painting Minehaha Falls, John Mix Stanley Mt. Rainier, Gustav Oshon “Across the Continent- Westward the Course of the Empire Takes Its Way” Frances Flora Bond Palmer( for Currier and Ives)
 * other paintings;**

Websites
[]) [] [] [] [] [] [] [|pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/five/railact.htm] [|**http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/photos/advertising.shtml#1**] [|**http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/photos/maps.shtml**] [|**http://maps.bpl.org/**] [|**http://maps.bpl.org/search_advanced/?mhid=9**] **Bird’s Eye View Maps, BPL**

url}?f=print|print this page
 * Debra Block from BPL to do map lesson**