Transcontinental RR!!!!

TRANSCONTINENTAL RR TIME

We're going to explore the construction of the Transcontinental Rail Road.  Get in your groups.  Go to library.  Stay in your groups.

You will be required to post a report, on ONE of your blogs.  Submit your group's work HERE


Tasks:

PART 1)
Get a map from me.  You're building a railroad.  For now, just map out your route.
Must go from coast to coast.  Brainstorm and DISCUSS and make a note of 3-5 things that would make building a giant rail road in the 1800's would be. (no more than 5 minutes)

PART 2)
Talk about the following questions as a group, and record your answers.  They will need to be published on your blog.  Answer each of these questions in your group, and write them down.
You can type them later.  Should be about (20 minutes total)


Hiring Workers:
What do you think the attitudes of the owners of the Transcontinental Rail Road were about their workers?  Who do you think they hired?

Dealing with Workers
-How do you think working conditions were?
-What should an employer do about dangerous working conditions?
-What should a worker do about dangerous working conditions?

Life in the Camp
-What do you think the camps where they built the RR's were like?

The Builders?
-Who do you think built the Rail Roads:  Government, states, or people?
-What do you think they did with their money?

Impact of Transcontinental Rail Road.
-what do you think the impact of the rail road would be?

PART 3)
Writing assignments
Divide up these assignments between the entire group. There are 5.  If you have a 4 person group, someone may have to do two.

Write your article, and publish the article on YOUR blog.  Make sure you have a title, author, and link to your source.  If you don't have a blog, see me, and I'll set you up to publish on a 'group blog.' You will get permission to be a contributor, you'll just need to give me your password.

Article Assignments:  
5 per group.  Each must have a good paragraph about it.  You must have a TITLE, and AUTHOR, and put a link to your source.  When done, you will give me all the links on ONE recorders blog.

Now let's find out more, and see how what we learn differs from what we thought.

Hiring Workers:
Read THIS ARTICLE.  It is about the workers.  Summarize.


Dealing with workers.
Read this article about conflict between workers and owners.  Report.


Life in the Camp
Read this article, and describe life in the camp.


Let's look at an owner.
Read this article, summarize it, telling me about the importance of the subject.  Also, tell me what do you think pros and cons of business owners were in 1800s?


Summarize the impacts of the Transcontinental Rail Road.
Read this article, and summarize the impacts of the transcontinental RR.

Part 4) Collaboration.
Read every one of your team mates posts, and post a friendly, respectful comment or question.

GRADING)
Group:  Organization:  (0-5)
All blogs are linked together on ONE recorders site, and I am given the blog address.
All links work.
General layout of this post is clean and easy to follow, with good organization, and a title.

Group: Content:
(20 points)
All 5 articles will be scored as a whole.
So help each other, and correct typos, make sure that each article is informative, and shows understanding of the issue.  One article will not ruin the group grade, but as a team, you must work together to improve each other's works.

Individual:
Your blog post (10 points).  Title, Author, link to source.  Clear explanation of the material presented.
Your comments (5 points).  Good, friendly thoughtful comments about each blog post your team mate writes.