Students in Mrs. DelToro's 7th grade History class recently finished reading the historical fiction novel Jayhawker by Patricia Beatty, which helped them wrap up their study of Bleeding Kansas and how this conflict created a boiling point that contributed to the start of the Civil War. This learning then launched our exploration of the Frontier Era, including the rise of cattle towns, the expansion of railroads, and the growth of Kansas.
On Thursday, March 5th, students participated in “The Iron Road Quest.” The classroom was transformed into five different learning stations (depots), each designed to help students experience what railroad life might have been like in the late 1800s.
1) Sound:
Students explored the sounds travelers might have heard while riding a train beginning in the 1870s. They listened to the song “The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe” written by Johnny Mercer and identified the cities and states mentioned in the lyrics. They also discussed what the celebration might have sounded like at Promontory Point, Utah, when the final Golden Spike was placed, connecting the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads.
2) Smell:
Students identified several smells connected to railroad life, including coal from the engine room, cut grass and sage from the Kansas prairie, and leather from workers’ gear.
3) Touch:
Students lifted two 30-pound weights to simulate how heavy a four-foot section of rail would have felt to workers. They also created their own track ballast, learning about the rock base that railroad ties and rails are laid upon.
4) Taste:
Students sampled foods that were common staples for railroad workers and travelers, including hardtack, beef jerky, and peppermint.
5) Sight:
Students compared maps of Kansas from 1860 and 1890, observing the dramatic growth of towns and railroads over 30 years and discussing the reasons behind that expansion. They also examined maps showing buffalo populations and discussed the causes of their decline.
On Friday, March 6th, students participated in the Kansas Railroad Simulation Game. Before beginning the game, they created a plat map for one of five Kansas railroad cowtowns: El Dorado, Junction City, Halstead, Abilene, or Dodge City.
Throughout these two days, students engaged in cross-curricular learning that included math, science, health, history, art, reading comprehension, and more.
Actual Primary Source Image taken at Promontory Point, UT on May 10, 1869 - photo below.
Mrs. DelToro and her students even had some fun recreating an iconic historical photo using AI!
