Title: The Tread of the Iron Horse -- Author(s): Kathlyn Fisher -- Grade Level: 4th and 8th -- Subject Matter: Social Studies/ELA -- Synopsis: Exposes 4th graders to issues, conditions and events in their community during the mid-19th century.

TitleIII Learning Experience

LE Title: The Tread of the Iron Horse	Author: Kathlyn Fisher
Grade Level: 4^th - 8^th Grade	School : Stockbridge Valley Central School
Topic/Subject Area: Social Studies/ELA	School Address: 6011 Williams Road, Munnsville, NY 13409
Email: kfisher@stockbridge-csd.moric.org	School Phone/Fax: (315) 495-4400 Fax: (315) 495-4492

LEARNING CONTEXT

Purpose or Focus of Experience

Often, students don't realize that history occurred in their own backyards. This learning experience exposes intermediate or middle school students to issues, conditions and events in their community during the mid-19^th century. Students then write a persuasive letter to the owner of a railroad encouraging or discouraging the development of a railroad through their township. Students learn how people affected decisions in the past. In retrospect, students speculate whether those decisions were wise ones.

This learning experience is locally relevant to school districts in the Madison Oneida BOCES, especially those near Oneida Lake and in the Stockbridge Valley. This is the terrain of the Oswego-Midland Railroad described in the poem "What Littlejohn Said".

"I will go from the lakes," he said.
"From the lakes to the great sea shore.
"Right through the heart of the Empire State.
"You shall hear the engines roar."

"There are hills between," they said.
"I will bridge the deep ravine,
"You shall hear the tread of the iron horse
"Through your hills and valleys, I ween."

The Oswego Midland railroad did not follow the engineers' planned route through Syracuse. The townspeople of Madison and Oneida Counties met with the railroad, raised cash, bonded their towns and struck deals. In the end they influenced Dewitt C. Littlejohn to diverge from the suggested route and construct the railroad by way of Oneida.

Connection to Standards

English Language Arts: Standard 1		Language for Information and Understanding
Students will listen, speak, read and write for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply and transmit information. Benchmark 2. Speaking and writing to acquire and transmit information requires asking probing and clarifying questions, interpreting information in one's own words, applying information from one context to another, and presenting information and interpretation clearly, concisely and comprehensibly. Students develop information with appropriate supporting material such as facts, details, illustrative examples or anecdotes and exclude extraneous material. (Intermediate)
English Language Arts: Standard 4		Language for Social Interaction
Students will listen, speak, read and write for social interaction. Students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for effective social communications with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views. Benchmark 1. Oral communication in formal and informal settings requires the ability to talk with people of different ages, genders, and cultures, to adapt presentations to different audiences, and to reflect on how talk varies in different situations. Students listen attentively to others and build on other's ideas in conversations with peers and adults. (Intermediate)
Social Studies: Standard 1		History of the United States and New York
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York. Benchmark 4. The skills of historical analysis include the ability to: explain the significance of historical evidence; weigh the importance, reliability, and validity of evidence; understand the concept of multiple causation; understand the importance of changing and competing interpretations of different historical developments. Students explore different experiences, beliefs, motives, and traditions of people living in their neighborhoods, communities and State.(Elementary) Students view historic events through the eyes of those who were there, as shown in their art, writings, music and artifacts. (Elementary)
Social Studies: Standard 3			Geography
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of the interdependent world in which we live - local, national, and global - including the distribution of people, places, and environments over the Earth's surface. Benchmark 1. Geography can be divided into six essential elements, which can be used to analyze important historical, geographic, economic, and environmental questions and issues. These six elements include: the world in spatial terms, places and regions, physical settings (including natural resources), human systems, environment and society, and the use of geography. Students study about how people live, work and utilize natural resources.(Elementary) Students locate places within the local community, State and nation. (Elementary) Students investigate how people depend on and modify the physical environment. (Elementary)
Math Science and Technology: Standard 2	Information Systems
Students will access, generate, process and transfer information using appropriate technologies. Benchmark 1. Information technology is used to retrieve, process and communicate information and as a tool to enhance learning. Students use a range of equipment and software to integrate several forms of information in order to create good quality audio, video, graphic and text-based presentations. (Intermediate) Prepare multimedia presentations demonstrating a clear sense of audience and purpose. (Commencement)

Essential Questions

How were the needs of communities satisfied by construction of railroads through Central New York?

How can individuals use persuasion to change the course of events?

Content Knowledge: Declarative, Procedural

Declarative Knowledge: Students will know or understand that…

The actions of local citizens can impact regional, state and national developments.

Railroads served both personal transportation and freight transportation needs in central New York.

Geographic and economic factors influenced the success and failure of railroading in central New York.

The rise and decline of railroading in the local area mirrors the rise and decline of railroading in the nation.

Procedural Knowledge: Students will be able to…

Write a persuasive letter through the eyes of an individual from the past.

Use information from a variety of sources to understand the role of railroads in the local economy.

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE

Students know how to write a business letter. Students may have already studied the construction of the NY Canal System and the transcontinental railroad system.

PROCEDURE
(Chronologically ordered description of all teacher & student activities and interactions.)

1. Exploratory Activity (optional): Students may use the software simulation -Transcon (The Learning Company) - to learn about the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad.

2. Initiating Activity: "What Littlejohn Said". Students silently read the poem "What Littlejohn Said" while the teacher prepares to project the poem, the railroad timetable, the list of stations and junctions, and several different maps of central New York on the wall. The teacher then guides a group discussion of the poem, helping students identify what the poem describes, the historical time frame, the geographical context (using the maps and other resources), etc. Students are encouraged to identify and locate familiar place names. Students are told that they will learn more about the development of railroading in central New York. This should happen during the week preceding the guest speaker's visit.

3. Guest Preparations: Give students the "Ask the Expert" 5Ws graphic organizer. Explain to students that they will have a guest visitor who will tell them about railroading in their community. Students work together, in groups of 3-4, to formulate "5W" questions to ask the expert; questions that will provide them with details to write a persuasive letter to the railroad. The teacher leads the class in sharing questions, identifying exemplar questions that will lead to getting the information needed for the writing exercise. The teacher collects the questions and formulates a list to prepare the expert. On the day of the expert's visit the teacher returns the questions to the students, reminding students of their mission to gather information for their persuasive letter.

4. Guest Expert: A local railroad historian, the town historian or other "expert" is invited to address the class. The expert describes conditions in the community during the mid-19^th century and identifies how the railroad might help meet the needs of the community. The expert also identifies problems associated with railroads including maintenance, accidents, fires, and local conflicts. Students formulate and ask questions of the guest speaker, using their "5Ws" graphic organizer to take notes during the speaker's presentation. Students may also gather information on local railroading history from books and web sites.

5. Persuasive Letter: The teacher presents a lesson, or review, on writing for persuasion using a "Constructing Support" graphic organizer. Students use their notes from the speaker's presentation to complete their own "Constructing Support" graphic organizer, in preparation for writing a persuasive letter to the owners of a railroad in the mid-19^th century. The objective is to convince them to build (or dissuade them from building) a railroad through the student's community. Students write a draft of the letter in class, completing it for homework. Students then type the letter using the Alpha Smart portable keyboards. In pairs, students exchange Alpha Smarts. They proofread and suggest revisions to their partner's letter. After revision, students transfer the letter to the computer for final publishing using a word processor. The teacher scores the writing exercise using the rubric below.

Several student volunteers share their letters aloud. The class takes the role of the railroad. After hearing arguments from both sides, they indicate by a thumb up or thumb down whether or not they would build the railroad in their community.

6. Follow Up: Project several types of maps to show students the planned route of the Oswego Midland railroad and the final route by way of Oneida. Discuss the successes and failures of the Oswego Midland and its successor, the O&W. Ask whether the class thinks that building the railroad through Oneida and the Stockbridge Valley was a good idea. Discuss their reasons. Speculate on how the community might be different if the railroad had made the other decision.

7. Post Activity: Take the students on a virtual field trip of New York's existing railroad stations by visiting the web site http://ny.existingstations.com/

EXTENSION

A field trip to a local railroad station, either currently in use or one from the past, would be a logical extension to this lesson. Some stations may offer train rides, museums and/or presentations. See Photos and Statistics on New York's Existing Railroad Stations. http://ny.existingstations.com . 3 May, 2000.

INSTRUCTIONAL/ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATIONS

The guest presentation may be videotaped for review and notetaking. Allow resource students additional time to complete the graphic organizer and persuasive letter with the help of their resource teacher. The Alpha Smarts are particularly helpful here as students can take their keyboard with them to resource period. Although the unit was written for a computer projection system (LCD), overhead projection could be used equally well.

TIME REQUIRED

This activity takes place over a period of two weeks utilizing one period each day. One class period is used for the initiating activity, one class period for the graphic organizer, and one period for the guest speaker. One to two class periods are used to present skills and knowledge related to writing a persuasive letter and two to three class periods to use the writing process to compose, revise and publish the student's persuasive letters. One class period is required for the follow-up activities.

RESOURCES

BOOKS:

Helmer, William F. O.&.W. (The Long Life and Slow Death of the New York, Ontario & Western Railway). Berkeley, CA: Howell-North Press, 1959.

Taibi, John. Railroading in the Stockbridge Valley. Middletown, NY: Ontario and Western Railway Historical Society, 1996.

Taibi, John and A. Bruce Tracy. When Railroads Went to the Beach. Loveland, Ohio: Depot Square Publishing, 1999.

Giambastiani, Barbara J. Country Roads Revisited. Oneida, NY: Madison County Historical Society, 1984.

SOFTWARE:

Lionel Trains Presents Trans-Con! "A Historical Simulation of the Transcontinental Railroad". Torrence, Ca: Knowledge Adventure, 1999.

INTERNET:

Midland Poem "What Littlejohn Said", First published in the Oxford Press, circa 1868. http://kodtrak.railfan.net/poem.htm. 3 May, 2000.

New York and Oswego Midland Railroad January 1, 1869 Map. http://nyow.railfan.net/nyow/nyom-map/home.html . 3 May, 2000.

Color Relief Map of New York State with Counties Superimposed. http://fermi.jhuapl.edu/states/maps1/ny_c.gif .3 May, 2000.

Black and White Relief Map of New York State. http://fermi.jhuapl.edu/states/maps_bw/ny_bw.gif . 3 May, 2000.

"The Old and Weary Car Shop". Source for publications on the Ontario and Western Railroad. http://www.theoldandwearycarshop.com/publications.html. 3 May, 2000.

NY O&W: A History. http://www.nyow.org/midland.html . 3 May, 2000.

The following two sources provide place names and distances for mapping routes. They could also be used for a variety of math activities.

The First Public New York and Oswego Midland RR Timetable, 1873. http://www.newvispub.com/ImageDetail/Detail-134.htm. 3 May, 2000.

List of Stations, Towers and Junctions on the NY O&W. http://www.nyow.org/nyowlist2.html . 3 May, 2000.

Photos and Statistics on New York's Existing Railroad Stations. http://ny.existingstations.com . 3 May, 2000.

ASSESSMENT PLAN

The following rubric is used to assess the students' persuasive letters.

Persuasive Writing Rubric

Task Components	4	3	2	1
Opening	Clearly and completely states an opinion or point of view on the issue or topic.	Clearly states an opinion or a point of view on the issue or topic.	States an opinion or a point of view on the issue or a topic but it many not be stated as clearly as it should be.	States no opinion or point of view on the issue or topic or states one so un-clearly the position is unknown.
Support	Provides well-developed, logical and historically correct support (Examples, details, and reasons) for opinion or point of view.	Provides logical and historically correct support (examples, details, and reasons) for opinion or point of view.	Provides some support (details examples, reasons) for opinion or point of view but has some illogical or historically incorrect support.	Provides little if any appropriate support (examples, details, reasons) for opinion or point of view.
Conclusion	Constructs a clear sentence that fully reinforces the original opinion or point of view.	Constructs a sentence that reinforces the original opinion or point of view.	Constructs a sentence that does not fully reinforce the opinion or point of view.	Constructs no concluding sentence.
Mechanics	Independently uses correct mechanics of standard written English.	With minimum assistance uses correct mechanics.	With maximum assistance uses correct mechanics.	With maximum assistance does not use correct mechanics.

STUDENT WORK

This learning experience is under construction. No student work is available at this time.

REFLECTION

Several years ago, I went for a walk in my neighborhood and came upon the Munns Station, which Mr. John Taibi had painstakingly restored, filling it with memorabilia and artifacts of the O & W railroad. Over the years there was an open house at the station, then news in the Post Office that Mr. Taibi had written a book on Railroading in the Stockbridge Valley. Later, Internet searches for the word Munnsville turned up photos of trains running through the valley and a visit to Sylvan Beach happened to coincide with a presentation on When Railroads Ran to the Beach. My chance encounters with local railroading history slowly grew into fascination.

As the instructional computing specialist for a K-12 school, my job includes helping teachers find ways to integrate technology into lessons that meet the NYS standards. One day this year, fourth grade teachers were in the computer lab, browsing the Internet for primary sources to use in lessons on New York State history. I knew there must be a way to integrate technology into a meaningful lesson that would bring local railroad history to life for fourth grade students. This effort addresses that ambition.

This experience could be used as written or adapted for other localities. The learning experience could also be part of a larger thematic unit on the rise and decline of rail transportation in Central New York and across the nation.