Grades 6-8 Lesson Plan - Cities as Transportation Centers

Map 10 Main Page

Core Map: Mitchell's Map of the United States. Philadelphia: S. Augustus Mitchell, 1835. Newberry Library call number: H6083.58 (Printable PDF version of the Core Map)

Resources related to Map 10.
Curator's Notes for Map 10.

Overview
Using the core map, and other materials, students working in small groups will identify some of the major transportation centers, recommending two as possible sites for a national political convention based on population density and the travel networks available in 1835.

Objectives
During the course of this unit students will:

1. identify and explain major symbols on the core map.
2. describe and analyze transportation networks in the eastern United States extant in the 1930s
3. discuss the effectiveness and geographical extent of the various modes of transportation in the country in the late 1830s.
4. use historic maps to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the geographic location and transportation networks of a city.

Key Terms
population density, site, central location, inset map, view, mode of transportation

Materials
computer image or overhead of the core map, List of State Populations and Sizes, List of City Populations in 1830 and 2000, Chart of Canal and Rail Routes, Gazetteer Descriptions of Cities, modern United States wall map, history text book.

Time
Three hours

Getting Started

1. Discuss with students the origin and maker of the core map (see Curator's Notes).

2. Identify the symbols the Mitchell map uses for the following geographic features: the railroad, canals, roads, cities, state borders, rivers, lakes, and the ocean.

3. Using a color projection or copy of the core map, have students identify the major cities and the major transportation routes in the United States in 1835.

4. Call attention to the inset maps on the core map. Select "city views" from the menu on the core map and click on the highlighted areas on the core map to see views of the major cities. For each city view, discuss which mode of transportation is emphasized. Using the Curator's Notes for guidance, discuss with the students how the location of major transportation routes and major cities were related in 1835.

5. Compare the populations provided on the List of City Populations. Identify which cities are new to the 2000 list, which cities from the 1830 list no longer appear on the 2000 list, and which cities are on both lists. How do the cities that are new to the list differ from the old ones? (They are more widely distributed throughout the Eastern United Stated rather than clustered on the Atlantic coast and on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.)

Developing the Lesson

1. Determine the six most densely populated states using the core map and the List of State Populations and Sizes (or see Resources for web sites where students can search for this information).

2. Place students into small groups and assign each group to three cities on the 1830 section of the List of City Populations (some cities may be assigned to more than one group). Present all the groups with the following statement: "The year is 1835 and it is time to organize a national political convention to be held in 1836. You have been invited to propose a site for the convention. While most of the criteria for choosing such a site are political, practical considerations also play a part. Your task is to propose two cities based on those practical criteria, like availability of transportation, centrality of location, possible accommodations and so on."

3. Using the core map, the Chart of Canal and Rail Routes, the Gazetteer Descriptions of Cities, a history textbook, the findings from Developing the Lesson Step 1, and library resources, have each group evaluate the available data, choose two cities and write up a justification for their choices.

4. Have each group present their recommendations with supporting evidence to the class.

Evaluation
Using a 1-4 scale (4=excellent, 3=well done, 2= satisfactory, 1=poor) assess student performance as follows:

For 4 points, the student has gone beyond the assignment; i.e. he or she synthesizes more information than expected, or shows particularly incisive analysis. He or she works well with other group members in researching for and writing the justifications.

For 3 points, the student has done all that was asked for in the assignment in a thorough manner. The analysis is sound, supported by specific examples, and clearly organized. The work is correct and neat, and exhibits few if any spelling or grammatical errors. He or she works well with other group members in researching for and writing the justifications.

For 2 points, the student has done most of what was asked for in the assignment in an acceptable manner. The analysis is sound with only minor flaws, if any; is supported at least in part by specific examples; and is organized well enough so that one is able to follow the presentation. The work is, for the most part, correct and neat, and may exhibit some spelling or grammatical errors. He or she contributes to the work of the group.

For 1 point, the student does very little of what was asked for in the assignment. The analysis contains numerous spelling or grammatical errors, is not well organized, and does not use specific examples to support the selection of the two cities. He or she does not significantly contribute to the work of the group.

Extension

1. Compare the area covered by the core map briefly with the same areas on a modern United States map. Discuss with the students how the location of major transportation routes and major cities are related for the time period of the modern map.
2. Using the core map and the tables that it includes, students can construct on an outline map isochromes [lines of equal travel time to or from a specific point, analogous to lines of elevation on a topographical map] of travel times to Boston, New York and Washington. Use increments of either 12 or 24 hours, as the tables supplied with the core map provide insufficient information to plot places that are more than 24 hours away. This is probably best done as a class project or in several large groups with each student finding part of the necessary information. Isochromes of travel times to the same places, but reflecting modern means of transportation, could be added in different colors for comparison.