Grades 9-12 Lesson Plan - Values from the Columbian Exposition in Communities Today

Map 17 Main Page

Core Map: Indexed Standard Guide Map of the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago (Chicago: Rand McNally, 1893). Newberry Library call number: Map 2F oG104.C6:2W6 (Printable PDF version of the Core Map)

Overview
In this lesson, students investigate the community values evident in the map of the Columbian Exposition. Students examine maps of current world cities for contemporary evidence of the influence of the fair.

Objectives
By the end of this lesson students are expected to:

1. identify evidence of cultural features on a historic map.
2. determine community values expressed by those features.
3. identify expressions of those community values on maps of cities of today.

Key Terms
community, cultural features, exposition, natual features, values

Materials
Overhead of the core map, access to current maps of major world cities (either hard copies, a reference or road atlas, or through access to web sites on the Internet)

Time
45 minutes in class, additional time for research and homework

Getting Started

1. Brainstorm with students what they expect to see on different kinds of maps of communities (such as your town or city).

2. Record these ideas in a random order on either a board or overhead.

3. Discuss possible categories for the things they expect to see on maps.

4. Point out that two major categories are natural and cultural features.

1. Present the core map but do not give any background information, other than title and date.

2. Have each student make a list of the cultural features they see on the map.

3. Move students into pairs and have them share their lists with each other.

4. Ask pairs to examine their lists and deduce the values of the people who designed the fair. Encourage them to click on images of the fair and excerpts from the guidebook text provided with this module (see also Resources).

5. Conduct a class discussion as each pair shares one of the values that they see in the fair design. As they discuss the values they have identified, they should add the evidence that supports thier judgements. (The curator's notes contain information about the community values expressed on the map. Some of these include; perfecting nature, entertainment, promotion of certain social values, and growth as good. There are many more and other, more specific values that your students could identify. Evidence may be gathered from names, relative location of fair features, sizes of buildings, uses of transportation, and other map features.)

6. Give each student access to a map of an American community of today. There are many sources for these maps on the Internet, compact discs, and hard copy atlases. Many electronic maps allow the user to zoom in or out and better identify specific features (see Resources for links).

7. Have students identify at least four cultural values from the Columbian Exposition that are expressed through features found on maps of these communities. They should be specific about what features are indicative of each value. Evidence of these values could include images. If your students are able to take photographs, slides or digital images, these could be included as part of their presentation. Hard copies could be created to be included in their reports. These findings can be shared through writing, charts, diagrams, and/or through oral presentation.

For 4 points, the student identifies four cultural values on their assigned map and links each value with appropriate evidence found on their assigned map.

For 3 points, the student identifies three cultural values on their assigned map and links each value with appropriate evidence found on their assigned map.

For 2 points, the student identifies two cultural values on their assigned map and links each value with appropriate evidence found on their assigned map.

For 1 point, the student identifies one cultural value on their assigned map and links that value with appropriate evidence found on their assigned map.

Extensions

1. Locate maps of other world's fairs or expositions (See Resources). Have students compare the values evident on those maps with the Columbian Exposition.
2. Have students determine four cultural values that are important to them and create a site plan for a proposed fair that would express those values. Modify the handouts Requirements for a World's Fair Proposal and Proposal for a World's Fair for this extension.
3. Washington D.C. is a city that was created to project certain values important to a nation. Have students analyze the design and the components of the design (placements of buildings, street names, et al.) and identify the values that they see there.