1. Lesson Plan Template
based on Understanding by Design by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins
Title of Lesson: Homesteaders
Author: J. Hermes Grade Level: 10
School: Crosby HS Time Estimated: 2 days
Brief Overview Using primary sources, students will be able to describe the life of a
homesteader in 1860’s.
Historical Inquiry What was life like for the people of Nebraska in the 1860’s?
Question
Content Knowledge What specific content knowledge will students acquire as a result of this
lesson?
As a result of this lesson, students will know: about diseases, religion, social
customs and physical elements experienced by Nebraska homesteaders.
Skills What are the specific skills developed by this lesson?
As a result of this lesson, students will be able to: describe life on the
Nebraska prairie based on visuals and contemporary letters.
CT Standards 1.5 Describe the interaction of humans & the environment
Addressed 1.6 Describe patterns of human movement across time & place
1.13 understand the characteristics of and interactions among culture, social
systems and institutions.
2.1 Access & gather information from a variety of primary & secondary
sources (maps, charts, graphs, images & print materials).
Prior Knowledge Homestead Act, Mormons, textbook account of Homesteading life, friendly
letter format
Resources needed Library of Congress Resources
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2. http://memory.loc.gov/learn
(with title and permanent URL (include thumbnail image of resource))
copies of hand-outs at the end of the lesson, found at:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award98/nbhihtml/pshome.html
Process of Lesson .
Hook/Warm Up: What was life like for the Homesteaders? Your book
describes a life of successful farming, but was that true for everyone?
Inquiry Activity: Opening Up Textbooks-Articulating Silences
Application Activity: Students, in pairs, will read/view primary sources to
extract information on daily life, religion, courtship, disease and community
of Nebraska settlers.
What will students create to demonstrate mastery of material?
Students will create a 5 paragraph letter to a cousin back east describing the
lifestyles they have observed. The letter will include a salutation, date, 5
paragraphs and closing.
Evaluation Students will first read their letter to a peer for editing and accuracy. The
final draft of the letter will be assessed according to the rubric.
Possibilities for How can this lesson be adapted for different learners (Visual, Spatial, etc.)
Differentiation or different classes (Honors, Special Education, English Language
Learners)?
Population statistics, sets of letters, banking records, general store records,
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3. shorter or longer texts, actual copies (not texts) of letters.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award98/nbhihtml/pshome.html
[Letter from John Verity to Mattie V. Thomas, August 29, 1862]
New Carlisle
Aug 29th 62
Much Respected Cousin
Your kind Letter of the 11th to John And Elizabeth {Begin inserted text}Stafford{End inserted
text} was duly received to day And read with much interest and After your discription of the
family before The boys Left and how Lonesome you now Feel reminds me of how suddenly I
was Left alone and though we never had Any acquaintance since reading your Letter I feel
as though we are intimate Friends since writing that Letter to Uncle william sometime ago
which spoke of those minatures I have had some Taken from one that I had which was
Taken five or six years since and they Answer very well so you Can say to Aunt Margaret
she need not send Them in but is quite welcome to keep them and I will send you some
Photographs which was copyed From the one I have
My House stands desolate and alone No one haveing Lived in it yes it is probable I Shall
rent it before Long something I did Not expect when it was built
I should Like very much to see you all But it is uncertain when I shall unless you Come in I
have not gone to war yet not thinking myself fit for its hardships I have been quite unwell
thre or four weeks but think I Shall bee better before Long I am troubled some with pain in
the breast war with all its horrid consequencies is the topic of Conversation Dayly and
hourly and the draft takes Place Sept 3rd our township has sent over 200 now our full quota
some say But we shall know soon
To uncle wm and aunt margaeet I would Say I Should be glad to here from them at any
time I used to here There names mentioned so often and If we never see each other again I
want To so Live as to meet my Little family agan who have gone before
Since I commenced this Letter Samuel has enlisted and gone to camp at Piqua and his
mother takes it very hard Indeed She is one of those Who has a very strong Attachment to
her Children and never beeing Accustomed to have them away from home much Makes it
harder to part with them
The friends are generaly well as far as I know Some of the family will write before Long So I
will not add anything further at present
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4. I will give you the inscription on the tomb And the verse we selected Margaret Wife of John
Verity died March 17th 1862 She has gone to A mansion of rest From A region of Sorrow
and pain To the glorious Land of the blest Where She never will suffer again
May it be our happy Lot to all meet her again yours affectionately
John Verity
Answer as Soon as convenient
November 12th A.D. 1865
Morristown Minn
Dear Mattie
I am compelled to use the pen once more in addressing you, but I hope the next time will be
by the word of mouth.
Since I last wrote you I have been out on the western frontier of the U.S. and a wild beatiful
looking landscape it is and but sparsely settled and then only by half civilized people. last
monday night while on the frontier I stayed all night with a frenchman who had a squaw for
a wife there were about 15 men stayed there beside myself and in the assembly there were
Norwegians Irish Scoth Indians halfbreeds and french and there was card playing and
swearing going on at a round rate but no liquor for the very good reason there could be
none obtained nearer than 4 miles and all were two lazy to go after it and I tell you I
heartily wished myself away from the place but there was no decent house to stay at nearer
than ten miles and consequently I was elected to stay all night and sleep on the floor with
one blanket and my great coat for covering and next morning paid my host 80 cts for
staying and I tell you I bid farewell to the place as soon as I swallowed my breakfast. and
you my naturaly guess I did not want land in such a community and after looking at the
country next day I started to return and am this far on my way and will probably remain
here a few days and then trudge homeward and no preventing providence I will spend two
weeks from this date with Mattie and then I will tell the whole history of my travels more
satisfactory than pen can describe. I am staying today with a Methodist & last sabbath with
a disbeliever I not traveld on sabbath since I left home nor will not unless compelled. Mattie
I was far away when the quarterly meeting was in progress but my affections were there I
should like to have been with you but it {Begin deleted text}wall{End deleted text} was willed
other wise but I prayed for the success of our cause and that it might cease till the world of
mankind were brought to see the truth and be saved. and if we never meet in this world let
us try to live here that we may, on lovelier grounds with all the redeemed of earth and there
without the {Begin deleted text}absce{End deleted text} absense of one loved face sing
{Begin deleted text}pray{End deleted text} praises to the Havenly Ruler and enjoy celestial
bliss throughout Eternity.
Excuse my bad writing for my ink so poor it will hardly write at all I am enjoying perfect
health and we are having beautiful weather, and hope these may find you {Begin deleted
text}eng{End deleted text} enjoying the same blessings
No mor but remain in spite of everything to the contrary your devoted love
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5. Uriah
Transcription of envelope
Miss Mattie V Thomas
Onward, Cass Co
Indiana
Transcription
Sep 6th 18681
Dear Brother
we received your letter a few days ago I will now answer about those Feathers it would be
useless for me or any person to try to get that amount we have been trying to get 6 lbs for
some time for our own use and have not succeeded yet and we will have to pay 75 {Begin
inserted text}cts{End inserted text} per lb fo new Feathers About the Election your vote will
be needed But if you are in any Buisness theat pays I would not advise you to leave Just on
account of the state or County Election But the Township is what aught to bring you home
as I am the Candidate for Assessor which maks it very important.
This is all about the Elecshun We are getting along finely with our seeding the weather has
been very nice for the last few weeks with occasional showars Corn is not very good will not
average more than half crop wheat is about half crop Potatoes are very scarce John Wolf
had one of his Boys almost torn in Pieces the other day. he steped over the knuckes of one
of those tumbling rod Thrashing Machines while runing, one of the pin s through the
knuckle caught his Clothes and instantly wraped and dashed him to the ground brakeing
both leags and bursting his head, his head would strike the ground every time the rod
turned round which was not less than eight or 9 tines
no more at preset
Jake Murray
if you come cone 20 day if before Election write Soon
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well Uriah I will try and write some their has ben Quite arain of children in the last fiew
weaks sabra has another boy and hettie has one to Abes maid amistake and heirs is a girl.
we wer to at a picnic a fiew days ago up to bunker and I saw Mattie theire she looks all
right yet and said she was coming to bord with me we were over to John cooks they wer
tolerable well aunt wanders why you doe not rite doe you heare from fathers we do I
suppose they dont care about us and we will stop riting to them Fanny Sutton is marraid to
Jentry the one that farms barkers plaice lile {Begin deleted text}a{End deleted text} Army is
marraid to Joe Shurly so good by lile
I will have to Stop writing as iam to tred to rite good dont forget to fetch then flours and if
potatoes ar very plenty fetch some of them{Begin deleted text}n{End deleted text} abox full
anyhow
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6. So no more
Sarah Murray
write soom
Editor's note(s)
1. Jacob and Sarah Murray share this letter. Jacob writes first; however, his section is
unsigned.
2. Sarah Murray begins writing here.
Nels Hall, Round Valley, Custer County, Nebraska.
John Delane Wagon Shop, Broken Bow, Custer County, Nebraska.
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7. "Three motherless children and a caved-in soddy"
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8. Transcription
Fillmore Co Neb1
Nov 24th1874 Tuesday evening
Dear Father & Mother & Bro & Sister
This is a late hour to commence writing but I thought it about time we were writing t[o] you
again and I thought perhaps there might be some one going up to town [tom]orrow so that
we can send to the office had a chance this morning but no {Begin deleted text}letter{End
deleted text} letter ready for you I was quite sure we would get a letter from home to day
but was disappointed Well we slaughtered our old sow to day Nett I am allmost vexed at
you here we had butchering on hands and you never offered once to help me Well as there
was only one set of gutses guess you thought it no use well you could have pulled at one
end of the gut while I pulled at the other end but I expect our tounges would have worked
faster than our fingers had we been together Our hog was in tolerable good order was not
near as fat as she would have been had we had corn to feed her I tell you wheat does not
put the fat on like corn does do not know how much lard I will have as I have not fried it
out yet have two pots full on the stove now The old sow would we{Begin inserted text}i{End
inserted text}gh close on to two hundred we have another shoat to kill after while How
many hogs are you fattening this fall and how many are you going to salt down Nett as you
did not offer your services to me I will not offer mine to you and it might be so cold that I
could not go over Well Uriah is reading to Ella has gone to bed but there seems to not be
much sleep about her for she is singing & cutting all kinds of monkey shines She had quite
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9. a time to day as there was nothing escaped her notice she was bound to see her Pa kill the
old sow when he went out she wanted to go too I told her she must not as it was too cold so
she went to the north window and climbed up where she could see the whole performance
and she never flinched I guess she would have stood right by him had I let her when I went
to clean the entrails (as she calls them) she had more questions to ask than a Philadelphia
la{Begin deleted text}y{End deleted text}wyer could have answered she thought the paunch
was an awful nice thing for the old sow to keep her dinner in but she thought the entrails
did stink awful bad She asks so many questions that I sometimes get tired of answering
them so the other day I was trying to make her stop asking so many as I did not want to
answer them & she told me to get the question book then I could answer them and now
when I tell her to stop asking so many questions she will say Well ma guess you will have
to get the question book She is better of the whooping cough coughs some yet as she has
taken a little cold and I expect it will be that way all winter with her Did not get any of that
medicine for her as we had no money at the time and she was getting better thought she
would not need it I have quite a time {Begin deleted text}yester{End deleted text} to keep her
in the house yesterday she was standing in the door watching the birds and she says oh
ma I want to gou out of doors & be gay like the birds She thinks there is nothing nicrer
t[ha]n a bird
Mr Macbeths buried their babe yesterday died of the whooping cough was about nine
months old and they have another child that is very bad with it Macbeth is a brother of Mrs
Furgison & lives nine miles from here Furgisons went down yesterday and we sent them
that recipe They are the only children that have been dangerous with it They are very poor
folks and like the rest of us see pretty hard times and it seems hard to see their child taken
away but I suppose it is all for the best as it is the Lords will to remove those that he sees
fit to remove from earth to heaven I have said nothing about being at church for a long time
Well {Begin deleted text}h{End deleted text} we have had no meeting for quite a while as our
old minister had quite a hard spell of sickness this fall and has not been able to preach
since some thinks he is done preaching We are getting real hungry for meeting I think if
there was ever a missionary needed there is one needed here there is a plenty of work to do
There are but few men here that can preach and support their famlies too and the people
are not fore handed enough to hire a minister How I would like to be in [a g]enuine old
methodist meeting once more I suppose it will soon [be] time for you to have protracted
meeting again how I would like to attend s[om]e of them
I see by the Journal that they were talking of sending help to the Grass hopper region from
Cass Co well all the help that can be sent will be needed for there are many needy person
that will suffer unless they are helped west of us they are a great deal worse off than
through here and many in this County have applied for help and they realy need it people
in the east have no idea how bad it is for there are so many come here as we did with but
little and have had no chance to gather any thing ahead and to help matters along the
merchants in Sutton have all Combined and will not trust another person if they do it is
fifteen dollars fine I think it a little mean of them and they will not pay hardly any thing for
what a person has to sell wheat is only 45 cts I sent some butter up two weeks ago and
Uriah could not find any one a buying at all I suppose they all had a pound ahead he
brought the butter back & I was as mad as a wet hen I have about 10 lbs packed and Ill bet
if we was not compelled to sell it they would pay a good price before they would get it
{Begin deleted text}It{End deleted text} They were paying 20 cts to day Ill bet they will pay
more than that before three months guess I will send some up and get a little coffee and the
rest I will keep awhile I have used a lot of butter as I had no lard
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10. Well now Nett there was another whack in your last letter about me making my dress in to
a wrapper well it is not made at all yet only the skirt do not know just how I will make it yet
You did not tell me how you made yours and I did not know as it was necessary to tell how
I thought of making mine But I assure I make no more wrappers I have cut up my old yaller
took part of it for lineing for Ellas flannel dress and made an apron of the rest guess I will
get it wore out by & by We had quite a snow last week a Friday moring there was about 4
inche on the ground and the most of it is laying on the ground yet snowed a little last night
I wonder if we are going to get all the snow again this winter & you get none if so why just
ship your sleighs and come over for we have the nicest roads here to sleigh ride on that you
ever seen for they are always smooth
Well Charlie how do you manage the fire buisness this winter Do you take turn about with
Father & Mother & Nett or do you have the turns all to to [sic] your self I wonder if will
builds the fires at Millers if I was you I would make him build them when he comes home
Do you and Nett sleep together or do you take seperate beds I dont see as there is any use
of keeping up three beds for 4 persons Charlie why dont you write to us any more hope you
are not offended now I want a great long letter want you to tell about every thing and what
you think Docs future destinations is and what does Mrs Dunn call her boy guess you
know or have you let some of them fellows take Tilla away from you if so tell me where you
think of stopping at this winter and spending your sunday evening I suppose Father will do
the chores once in a while for you & I reckon Mother thinks you are old enough by this time
From what the Journal says I think Uncle Toms must be living in a very fine house now I
suppose there must be quite a contrast in their house and ours How in the world did Uncle
Tom ever squeze out so many dimes think he must have been trying to excell some one or
got very liberal all at once Does Aunt Sallie stop there yet Well as it is getting late I guess I
will close for this time and let this do until we can hear from you Uriah says guess he will
not write any to night We {Begin deleted text}al{End deleted text} are all well and hope this
[will] find you the same Do you send papers any more have not received any this long time
Our love to all inqureing freinds and we are as ever yours truly
M V Oblinger
Ella sends a kiss to all of you
Thursday moring
guess we will have a chance to send to the office to day as Uriah has been writing to his
Father he will not write any this time to you I made a nice little lot of {Begin deleted
text}sop{End deleted text} soap last week the fir{Begin inserted text}s{End inserted text}t I
have made with ashes since I have been here I have enough grease yet to make a kettle full
I have not bought any soap since I have been here
We are all well I inted to wash bed clothes to day would like to borrow your washer I
washed two blankets a monday when I washed I hope we will get a letter from home to day
Ella is anxiously waiting for the pencil she sends Grandpa & Ma a curl of her hair she
wanted to send a big curl but I thought that would be too much
Editor's note(s)
10

11. 1. Some text in this letter is missing because of rodent or insect damage. Missing letters or
words have been supplied with square brackets and in some cases, with square brackets
and a question mark where supplied characters were questionable.
Letter-Writing : Homesteaders
Teacher Name: J Hermes
Student Name: ________________________________________
CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Content Accuracy The letter The letter The letter The letter contains
contains at least 7 contains 5-6 contains 3-4 less than 3
accurate facts accurate facts accurate facts accurate facts
about the topic. about the topic. about the topic. about the topic.
Sentences & Sentences and All sentences are Most sentences Many sentence
Paragraphs paragraphs are complete and are complete and fragments or run-
complete, well- well-constructed well-constructed. on sentences OR
constructed and (no fragments, no Paragraphing paragraphing
of varied run-ons). needs some work. needs lots of
structure. Paragraphing is work.
generally done
well.
Format Complies with all Complies with Complies with Complies with
the requirements almost all the several of the less than 75% of
for a friendly requirements for requirements for the requirements
letter. a friendly letter. a friendly letter. for a friendly
letter.
Grammar & Writer makes no Writer makes 1-2 Writer makes 3-4 Writer makes
spelling errors in grammar errors in grammar errors in grammar more than 4 errors
(conventions) or spelling. and/or spelling. and/or spelling in grammar and/or
spelling.
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12. Length The letter is 5 or The letter is 4 The letter is 3 The letter is less
more paragraphs. paragraphs. paragraphs. than 3 paragraphs.
Date Created: Apr 01, 2011 03:08 pm (CDT)
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