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Visit a County in the Ozarks

Lesson Author
Sutter, Kate
Course(s)
American History
Required Time Frame
2-3 Class Periods
Subject(s)
Civil War
Grade Level(s)
11
12
Lesson Abstract
Students will do online and offline research to determine the historical, cultural, and economic aspects of a county in the Ozarks.
Description
  • Students will do online and offline research to determine the historical, cultural, and economic aspects of a county in the Ozarks. 
  • Students will use this information to create a pamphlet to attract tourists to a county in the Ozarks region.  They may work alone or as partners.
Rationale (why are you doing this?)

To have students research the historical foundations and events of a region as well as its modern status and economy

Lesson Objectives - the student will
  • Research one area of a region to determine its past and present
  • Consider the process of tourism
  • Determine how geographical and economic features make a region prosperous (or not)
District, state, or national performance and knowledge standards/goals/skills met

Show Me Standards

  • 2. continuity and change in the history of Missouri, the United States and the world
  • 3. principles and processes of governance systems
  • 4. economic concepts (including productivity and the market system) and principles (including the laws of supply and demand)
  • 5. the major elements of geographical study and analysis (such as location, place, movement, regions) and their relationships to changes in society and environment
  • 6. relationships of the individual and groups to institutions and cultural traditions
  • 7. the use of tools of social science inquiry (such as surveys, statistics, maps, documents)

Course Level Expectations

  • 3aA: Motivations and Challenges for Immigrants
  • 3aJ: Apply the major economic concepts in context
  • 3aN: Economic development of the United States
  • 3aT: Understanding the concept of Place
  • 3aU:Understanding relationships within places
  • ·         3aV: Understanding relationships between and among regions
Secondary materials (book, article, video documentary, etc.) needed
  • www.ozarkscivilwar.org pages
  • Internet research
  • Available pamphlets and tourist paraphernalia
  • Various local history books available to be photocopied in the Missouri Room of Lebanon-Laclede County Public Library
Primary sources needed (document, photograph, artifact, diary or letter, audio or visual recording, etc.) needed
  • Original maps found online if desired
  • Photographs found online if desired
  • Laclede County Historical Society materials and the Old Jail historic site
Fully describe the activity or assignment in detail. What will both the teacher and the students do?
  • The teacher will gather as many local pamphlets and local history books as possible, including what is available at the local historical society
  • The teacher will gain access to computers and the internet for students
  • The yeacher will provide a method for assigning counties to students for research or allow students to choose their own.
  • Students will take notes over research they find to complete their project and use this information to complete a pamphlet highlighting important information about their county.
  • When complete, students will conduct a Gallery Walk to see their classmates’ work.
Assessment: fully explain the assessment method in detail or create and attach a scoring guide

Tourism Pamphlet – A County in the Ozarks

 

You will create a pamphlet that could be used for tourists visiting a county in the Ozarks’ region.

For your pamphlet, you must do the following:

c  Fold your paper into thirds like a business letter, which gives you 6 “sections” to fill out (3 on the front, 3 on the back). 

c  The finished project must be on unlined paper that meets one of the following:

  1. 1.      Computer graphics and text (may be combined with hand-written work or coloring)
  • ·         Computer graphics may be printed in black and white if done at school
  • ·         Color in as much as possible after printing
  • ·         If pictures are glued on, they must be done so very neatly.
  1. 2.      Very carefully printed and/or drawn

c  Include contact information for tourists who want to find more information. Find real websites, addresses, and phone numbers.

c  Include the following 6 sections in any order (except cover):

  1. 1.      Eye-catching cover page that attracts visitors
    1. a.       Make sure it relates to the county
    2. 2.      Written and visual directions to the county or major city, geographical features and/or natural resources
    3. 3.      History of the county and/or main city
    4. 4.      Economy and Industry
    5. 5.      Tourist destinations and attractions (some suggestions below)
      1. a.       Museums
      2. b.      Outdoors’ activities
      3. c.       Cultural or sporting events
      4. d.      Shopping
      5. e.       “Local favorites” – restaurants places to stay, etc
      6. 6.      A topic of your choice that you find interesting (some suggestions below)
        1. a.       More details about one of the above sections
        2. b.      An interesting story or place you want to tell your tourists about
        3. c.       Famous event or person from that county
        4. d.      Local festival or celebration

Grading:

Points

0-1

2-3

4-5

Appropriate finished product

Few or no colors used, pencil markings are noticeable, may be incomplete

3 or fewer colors other than black/white used, may fill up the space appropriately, may show lack of effort

4+ colors other than b/w, professional looking, complete, good use of “white space”

Information given

Incomplete or lacking important details, shows lack of effort, does not follow given directions

AUTOMATIC GRADE FOR PLAGIARISM

May have incomplete or incorrect information, may not have referred to the requirements

Information is accurate, show good summaries, all required information is present

Visuals and Text and/or layout

Carelessly done, shows lack of effort, many grammatical mistakes

Visuals and text are neat, correct, relate to the topic, do not look “unnecessary,” may have too much or too little text

Visuals and text are pleasing, increase reader’s understanding, adds to the product

 

                                                                                                Total Points: _____ / 15

Counties you may choose from:

 

Missouri (28)

Barry County
Barton County
Bates County
Camden County
Cedar County
Christian County
Dade County
Dallas County
Douglas County
Greene County
Hickory County
Howell County
Jasper County
Laclede County
Lawrence County
McDonald County
Newton County
Ozark County
Phelps County
Polk County
Pulaski County
St. Clair County
Stone County
Taney County
Texas County
Vernon County
Webster County
Wright County


Arkansas (12) 

Baxter County
Benton County
Boone County
Carroll County
Fulton County
Izard County
Madison County
Marion County
Newton County
Searcy County
Stone County
Washington County

Kansas (8)

Allen County
Anderson County
Bourbon County
Cherokee County
Crawford County
Labette County
Linn County
Neosho County

A great website to start finding the history of a county is:  www.ozarkscivilwar.org

  • Rubric for the pamphlet is on the same page as the assignment for students to see.
  • An assessment can be conducted during or after the Gallery Walk by having students write a paragraph regarding questions such as the following:
  • If you were the mayor or county commissioner, which pamphlet would you approve to be used for an official tourist product?
  • Which pamphlet most convinced you to visit the county and why?