A r a b i a C u r r i c u l u m | 2 WELCOME! Thank you for choosing to bring your class to the Arabia Steamboat Museum. It is our mission to provide students with a memorable experience that will ignite their imaginations, increase their appetites for knowledge, enhance their school work, and impact their future careers. The following lesson plans were designed to support state standards and Common Core in social studies and science, while preparing students for the visit. There are various lessons designed to accommodate your time allotments. Together, we can bring history and science to life for our students. PRE-VISIT LESSON PLAN FOR GRADES 3-5 BACKGROUND INFORMATION Time: 15-20 minutes Objectives: Learn vocabulary words that will be used in the tour; become familiar with the story of the Arabia’s sinking and excavation Missouri State/Common Core Standards Supported: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4-5.4: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text Activity: Have students read the story below (or read it to them). Use the Glossary at the bottom to discover key vocabulary words. Vocabulary Frontier Snag Erosion Cargo Excavate Artifacts Preservation A r a b i a C u r r i c u l u m | 3 The Fall and Rise of the Steamboat Arabia The Steamboat Arabia traveled on the Missouri River over 150 years ago carrying passengers and supplies to towns on the Western frontier. On its last trip, the Arabia left from St. Louis and reached Kansas City on September 5, 1856. The steamboat had just left Kansas City---headed for Council Bluffs, Iowa---when disaster suddenly struck. The boat hit a tree snag just outside the town of Parkville, Missouri. When the boat hit the tree, it began to sink and settled onto the river bed in just a few minutes. Luckily, all of the human passengers made it off the boat to safety. The crew rowed the passengers to the shore, except for a mule who was left behind. No one could save the cargo because the boat sank into the Missouri River mud too fast! All was lost until 1988. With the help of an old river map and a strong metal detector, the Arabia and all of her treasures were found. The Hawley family and their friends began to excavate the boat from under a cornfield in Kansas. Since the river’s path had changed over the years due to erosion, the Arabia was found a half mile from the current river’s edge. The Arabia had become quite a legend. Over the years, several groups tried to uncover the boat, but no one could do it until the Hawley family and their friends found the artifacts and began the challenge of preservation in the museum. Today, visitors from all over the world come to see the archaeological treasures of the Steamboat Arabia. Glossary Frontier: Western settlements in the 19th century, where adventurers were traveling to find new opportunities Snag: a tree that was growing beside the river, but fell into the water because of erosion and became stuck in the river bottom Erosion: the movement of dirt over time, due to natural forces like wind and water Cargo: goods carried by steamboat (or any other form of transportation) from one place to another Excavate: to uncover treasures by digging or removing dirt Artifacts: treasures from the past Preservation: cleaning artifacts and making sure they last for a very long time Archaeology: the science of discovering and studying artifacts to learn more about the past A r a b i a C u r r i c u l u m | 4 ACTIVITY IDEAS Here are some simple activities to perform before or after the visit. Cookie Excavation Time: 15-20 minutes Objectives: Learn about archaeology Missouri State/Common Core Standards Supported: SS.7.1.10: Identify and create artifacts Activity: Excavating artifacts is a delicate process. To demonstrate this, have students excavate a chocolate chip out of a cookie using only toothpicks. The object is to remove the chip without damaging it. When all students are done, enjoy the cookie! Mapping the Arabia’s Journey Time: About 15 -20 minutes Materials: Map or atlas (from school library or Internet), pens (red, blue, black) Objectives: Connect the Arabia to an understanding of Midwestern geography Missouri State/Common Core Standards Supported: SS.5.1.4, SS.5.1.5, SS.5.1.6, SS.5.1.8: Construct and interpret maps; locate cities of Missouri; use geographic research sources to acquire information and answer questions. SS.5.3.8: Use geography to interpret the past; SCI.5.2A: Bodies of water/erosion. Activity: On next page A r a b i a C u r r i c u l u m | 5 Mapping the Arabia’s Journey On the map below, use blue to draw: The Missouri River Make red dots to locate the major towns where the Arabia was supposed to stop: St. Louis, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri Omaha, Nebraska Sioux City, Iowa Draw a black X to mark the town where the Arabia sank: Parkville, Missouri If you finish early: add a compass with cardinal directions. Identify other towns along the Arabia’s path. Write a pretend newspaper story about one of the merchants who did not receive cargo in one of the towns. Map source: https://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ A r a b i a C u r r i c u l u m | 6 Make Your Own Steamboat Board Game Time: about 30-60 minutes Materials: Cardstock or poster board (large rectangle for board plus extra for cards and game pieces), markers (or crayons, colored pencils, etc.) Objectives: Apply knowledge of maps and geography, gain understanding of hardships of steamboat travel Missouri State/Common Core Standards Supported: SS.5.1.4, SS.5.1.5, SS.5.1.6, SS.5.1.8: Construct and interpret maps; locate cities of Missouri. SS.5.3.8: Use geography to interpret the past; SCI.5.2A: Bodies of water/erosion. Activity: Design your own board game based on your knowledge of steamboats and the Missouri River. 1. Draw a picture of the Missouri River on your board. Divide it into spaces. Draw it big enough to fill the board and wide enough for the game pieces to land. 2. Make sure your game has a start and finish. (Example: St. Louis and Kansas City). 3. Draw hazards like snags and sandbars. Draw symbols or write words on some of the spaces, indicating events that might be positive or negative on a steamboat journey (Examples: Find extra coal; move ahead 2 spaces. Spring a leak; skip a turn.) 4. Make cards to control movement of game pieces. You can write messages (move ahead 1 space) or use colors or shapes (green card = move to nearest green space). 5. Cut out circles or squares for game pieces and draw different symbols on them (steamboats, anchors, paddlewheels, compasses, passengers, etc.). 6. Draw scenery along the banks of your river to make the trip interesting. 7. If you finish early, you can draw a compass with the cardinal directions, make extra cards or pieces, add more decorations to your board, or team up with a partner to play each other’s games. A r a b i a C u r r i c u l u m | 7 WRITING OR DISCUSSION PROMPTS Time: 30 minutes-1 hour (can use some or all, depending on time available) Materials: Writing materials Objectives: Connect an understanding of Missouri River steamboat travel with larger trade and migration patterns. Missouri State/Common Core Standards Supported: SS.3.1.6, SS.3.1.8: Westward Expansion; SS.4.3.8: Interpret past consequences of economic decisions; SS.6.1.9: Describe how ideas, concepts, and traditions have changed over time in the United States; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4-5.10: short, discipline-specific writing. Activity: This advertisement for the Steamboat Arabia appeared in the July 14, 1853 edition of a Pittsburgh newspaper: Imagine you are a steamboat owner. Create an advertisement to entice settlers to pick your steamboat for their journeys. Draw a picture of the boat and give it a name. How will you convince passengers that your boat is safe? What other features would passengers be interested in? (Many steamboats had delicious meals for wealthy passengers. Cabins were also available for those willing to pay for them.) The Arabia was carrying an assortment of goods going to the frontier to be sold in general stores. List 10 items you would want to buy if you lived on the frontier. Check your list after your visit to the museum. How many of these items did you see? Pretend you took a steamboat journey west to visit relatives. Write a letter back home to your family describing your adventure. Discuss the daily chores of children in 1856. How are they different from chores today? A r a b i a C u r r i c u l u m | 8 For a more in-depth activity, consider creating: A LIVING MUSEUM State History: A Living Museum is primarily a lesson designed by Sharon Sumner from Sullivan Elementary in Jefferson City, Missouri. This lesson and many others can be found at www.SuccessLink.org. Some adaptations have been made. In this lesson, students research either a famous person from their state (4th grade) or someone significant during the Westward Expansion era (5th grade).