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Using Primary Sources: You are the Curator

Overview: Participants are divided into groups. Each group examines a set of primary source materials related to migration to Ohio. Each group chooses a theme and selects five representative items to illustrate a narrative of a migration experience, which they then cut out and paste on a poster board adding descriptions and titles. Then, each group must nominate a spokesperson to give a guided tour through their completed museum exhibit panel.

List of Materials:

Instructions:

  1. Show the PowerPoint that corresponds with this activity.
  2. Print enough primary source materials and instruction pages for each student or group.
  3. Divide the class into small cooperative groups. Distribute the primary source and instruction page packets to each student or group.
  4. Explain to the students that they will be curators of a museum and will be creating exhibit panels about migration.
  5. Instruct students to examine images and read the documents, using transcripts if necessary, and draw inferences.
  6. From these materials, the group will select the topic for their panel, select five representative documents, and write appropriate narratives interpreting the migration theme.
  7. The group will design and prepare a museum exhibit panel using the documents, titles, narrative text, and the provided craft materials.
  8. Each group will select a representative to   present and interpret their panel to the class.
  9. As an extension, the class might stage an "exhibit opening" where all exhibit panels would be displayed around the room and participants could move from panel to panel and write an exhibit review.

Primary Source Materials:

These pages show the primary sources in more detail; including description, creator, creation place and date for each source. For ease in application of the You are the Curator Activity, all sources have been converted into one PDF document that will print one source per page (see Packet of Primary Source Materials).

United States Map, 1835

A Map of Part of the N.W. Territory, 1796

Connecticut Reserve Map, 1826

Farm Scene

Connecticut Land Company, 1795

Moses Cleaveland Speech to the Six Nations

Virginia Land Office Military Warrant

Pennsylvania German Barn

Mathews House, Painesville, Ohio

Matilda Thomas Birthday Fraktur

Zoar Villagers Harvesting Crops photograph

Fairview Inn, National Road painting

Flatboat Engraving

Canal Boat in Cleveland Stereograph

Early Steamboat Engraving

First Train into Wheeling

Family Letter to Thomas Bissell in Monoghan, Ireland

John P. Cockey Letter

 

© Copyright 2007 Ohio Historical Society. All images and documents provided for educational purposes only. Any commercial or resale use of OHS material is prohibited without the express permission of the Ohio Historical Society.

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