Lesson 2: Kansas Territory Matrix Overview: This lesson teaches the history of Kansas Territory (1854-1861) through the types of settlers who moved there. Kansas earned the name “Bleeding Kansas” as a result of conflict among these people. Using primary source materials and reproduction objects from the trunk, students work in groups to complete a wall-sized graphic organizer (the Kansas Territory Matrix) identifying the motivations behind five groups of settlers. Seventh-Eighth Grade Standards: Kansas History, Geography, and Social Studies Standards Standard #1: Choices have consequences Benchmark 1.2: The student will analyze the context under which choices are made and draw conclusions about the motivations and goals of the decision-makers. Standard #2: Individuals have rights and responsibilities Benchmark 2.2: The student will analyze the context under which significant rights and responsibilities are defined and demonstrated, their various interpretations, and draw conclusions about those interpretations. Kansas College and Career Ready Standards RH.6-8.1: The student cites specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources. RH.6-8.2: The student determines the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provides an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions. RH.6-8.6: The student identifies aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts). Kansas Territory Traveling Resource Trunk 9 Kansas Historical Society ©2010 Objectives: Content The student identifies five types of settlers who wanted to live in Kansas Territory. The student analyzes the settlers’ motivations for coming to Kansas Territory. The student compares the different positions on slavery held by Kansas settlers. Skills The student reads primary source documents from the era. The student gathers and organizes information from primary and secondary sources. Essential Questions: Why did people settle in Kansas Territory? Why was the issue of slavery so controversial in Kansas Territory? Trunk Materials Needed: Kansas Territory Matrix Worksheets (one of each per student): o #1: Decoding Evidence o #2: Matching Beliefs Photos: o Photo #1: Frederick Douglass o Photo #2: Sack of Lawrence For Part 1: Introduction/Belief Statements: o 5 “Belief Statements” matrix pieces For Part 2: Settlers’ Biographies, Documents, Articles and Objects: o 5 “Biographies” matrix pieces o 5 Matrix Documents o 5 “Documents” matrix pieces o 5 Matrix Newspaper Articles o 5 “Articles” matrix pieces o 5 “Objects” matrix pieces o Trunk Objects: Printing press type “Admit me Free” flag “Southern Rights” flag Slave Shackle Corn Husking peg Materials to Supply: Pencils Whiteboard/markers Kansas Territory Traveling Resource Trunk 10 Kansas Historical Society ©2010 Advance Preparation: Put up the Matrix fabric panel Display photos (Frederick Douglass, Sack of Lawrence) Make one copy per student of “Decoding Evidence” worksheet Make one copy per student of “Matching Beliefs” worksheet Review Background to Territorial Kansas’ History (pg. v of this manual) Review Prior Knowledge for Students (below) and determine if students need further introduction to Territorial Kansas before beginning the lesson. Prior Knowledge For Students Students should be familiar with the following information before beginning the “Kansas Territory Matrix” lesson. If they are not, use the “Content Background for Teachers” (in this manual) or Chapter 4 of The Kansas Journey, a textbook for middle school students to introduce the history of Kansas from 1820 to when it was organized as a territory in 1854. o Kansas was a territory before it was a state. o Many American Indians lived in the area prior to 1854. The United States government had moved many of them there from their homes in the East. o The 1820 Missouri Compromise stated that new states would be free or slave states based on 36’30” rule. o The Compromise of 1850 admitted California as a free state and instituted the Fugitive Slave Act among other actions regarding slavery in the West. o The 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed residents of new states to vote on the slavery issue rather than determine the issue by the 36’30” rule, thus introducing the concept of popular sovereignty o Many settlers came to Kansas. Some came to support or fight against the issue of slavery; many came for the cheap farming land. o People across the country were interested in the outcome of the “fight over Kansas.” o American Indians in Kansas Territory had to deal with settlers squatting on their land. Part 1: Kansas Territory Introduction/Belief Statements Introduction: Kansas was a territory before it was a state. Territories allowed settlement of an area in preparation for statehood. Settlers decided to move to the new territory for different reasons. Some came because they supported or did not support Kansas becoming a free state (no slavery permitted). Some came to Kansas to escape slavery, and some were there as slaves. Many new Kansans, regardless of their political opinions, were there to start new lives as farmers. Belief Statements Explain that the class will study five groups (abolitionists, freestaters, proslavery, African Americans and frontier settlers) by creating a matrix. They will examine Kansas Territory Traveling Resource Trunk 11 Kansas Historical Society ©2010 the beliefs of each group and use different kinds of primary sources to complete the matrix. Pass out the Belief Statements matrix pieces to five students. Have one student at a time read their card aloud. Lead the class in a discussion about which group the card describes. If this is the first time the students have discussed Kansas territorial history, you may need to tell the students which group each card describes, then discuss the reasons why. As you decide which group is described in each card, place the card in the appropriate square on the wall matrix. Part 2: Biographies/ Documents/Articles/Objects Introduction: Each of these five groups left their mark on Kansas Territory—either by the people in the group, written documents they produced, or objects they used. We’ll look at biographies, primary sources and reproduction objects from the Kansas Territory time period. Divide students into pairs. Give each pair one or two of the 20 remaining matrix pieces (five each of Biographies, Documents, Articles and Objects), and the corresponding document, newspaper article and/or object). Give each student one “Decoding Evidence” worksheet. Explain to the class what is being handed out. o Biographies each name a real historical representative of one of the five groups. o Documents are samples of actual documents written by or about one of the five groups o Articles are samples of actual newspaper articles published in Kansas Territory by one of the five groups o Objects are reproductions of objects that would have been used by one of the five groups. Have the pairs of students examine their matrix pieces and corresponding document, article, or object, and determine which category it describes. Then, using the information in the Belief Statements, complete the corresponding section of the Decoding Evidence worksheet and determine which of the five Settlers groups the card best illustrates. o For Biography cards: Students use the clues about the card’s historical figure to decide which group that person represents. o For Documents and Articles: Kansas Territory Traveling Resource Trunk 12 Kansas Historical Society ©2010 The points made in the documents and articles align with one of the five groups’ Belief Statement. Students read and decide which group their document or article represents. o For Objects: The front of the “Object” matrix pieces show the object and its name. The back gives important information about that object. Instruct students to study their object and its card. Using the information on the back of the card, have students decide which group would have used it. Some objects have several correct answers. The students should decide which group is the best match for the object. When all pairs have finished, ask for pairs with Biography pieces to stand up. One pair at a time, students should explain their rationale for matching the piece with a group. As a class, discuss the students’ decisions. o For Biography cards: Do the actions of the representatives on the cards fit with the group’s belief statements? Continue with the rest of the primary source categories and discuss the students’ decisions until all cards are attached to the matrix. o For Documents and Articles: Do the points made by the author align with the group’s belief statement? o For Objects: Why does this object represent this group? Have students pass in their worksheets for evaluation. Part 3: Comparing Settlers on a Scale Quickly review each group’s beliefs. Ask students for one issue that the majority of the groups had strong feelings on (slavery). Affirm that slavery was the one most important issue in Kansas Territory. By creating the matrix, the class has explored the beliefs of each group. Now they will compare them. Draw a long horizontal line on the board. At the left end, write “Strongly Support Slavery”, and on the right, write “Strongly Oppose Slavery.” Strongly support slavery Strongly oppose slavery Split students into groups of three to five. Kansas Territory Traveling Resource Trunk 13 Kansas Historical Society ©2010 Students will use the information they’ve collected on the matrix to determine where all of the settlers fell on the issue of slavery. If desired, they can draw their own scale on a piece of paper. Conduct a class discussion to decide where the five groups fall on the scale. Write the group names on the scale. Conclusion After completing all parts of the lesson, have students complete the Matching Beliefs worksheet and answer the question at the bottom of the page as an exit ticket.