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Summary and Objective
Students will understand that surviving a New England winter with only a handful of tools, as the earliest settlers had to do, was and is very difficult. It takes careful planning, good decision making and thoughtful gathering of supplies. This lesson can be used in a science class (plant life) or a Geography class (reading the landscape) or in an English Language Arts class in conjunction with reading Thoreau's "Walden" or Jon Krakauer's non fiction book "Into the Wild."
Teaching Plan
Step 1.
First have the students brainstorm a particular time in the early formation of the nation, or a particular group of early settlers in New England. Discuss what winters are like in the region and have students come up with a list of tools that they feel would be crucial for survival in the wilderness.
Step 2.
Divide the class into small groups of three to five students. Each group may take a particular time period, and or ethnic group, for example Native Americans, Pilgrims, or hunters and trappers.
Step 3.
Next, have each group choose up to ten artifacts from those offered here from the online collection.
Step 4.
Students may either orally report on the tools they have chosen explaining why they have chosen certain items and how they could be used, or they may write a short scenario of the tools being put to use for survival.
Step 5.
Optional: Compare/contrast the students' conclusions with Thoreau's methods for survival and/or with the protagonist in "Into the Wild."
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