American Studies: Images of the West
1850-1890
* based upon a webquest originally designed by David
Weir and Richard Moore
| Task |
Resources |
Evaluation |
Introduction
This quest will challenge you to create a historical timeline
of the American frontier in the era of 1850 to 1890 as seen through
the images created by American artists. Some of the areas you
may research will include the following:
- Homesteaders and Sodbusters
- Cattle Frontier
- Native Americans (Century of Dishonor)
- Indian Wars
- Trans-Continiental Railroad
- Cowboys and Gunfighters
- Lure of Western Landscapes
- Individual Western Characters
- Advertisements
Myth and Reality:
- Individualism
- Violence
- The Hero in Literature and Film
- Multiculturalism in Americans in the West
- Social Upheaval on the Western Plains
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Your Task
To create a visual presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint
of images of the West, time period 1850-1890. Included in your
presentation will be major historical events and personalities
as well as images of the West as viewed b the artists of the
period.
Historisity
The Turner Thesis: "Central
to Turner's frontier thesis is the notion that the development
of the American frontier helped to shape not only the character
of the American people but also the nature of its institutions.
More specifically, Turner claimed that traits and characteristics
which developed during the Nineteenth-Century push from East
to West -- individualism, nationalism, mobility, egalitarianism
-- not only deviated from the perceived standard American cultural
attitudes which prevailed at the time, but eventually came to
dominate the formation of the American character."
Process
You will need to identify the role of the American Frontier
in American History. Reference to Turner's Frontier Thesis. Responsibility
for the projects should be divided among group members including
historical research and artistic research. The final goal of
the group task will be to present a graphic history of the West
as viewed by American Artists.
Steps
Divide into groups of four
Assign responsibility for historical research and artistic research
Using listed resources, prepare a timeline of historical events
using graphics to enhance the timeline.
Prepare a PowerPoint visual presentation.
Evaluation
You will be evaluated on the following concepts:
Historical accuracy and research
Graphic Images
Documentation
Variety of Artists
Presentation |
Conclusion
We hope that "Images of the West" has been a useful
tool in the discovery of Western Art. This Webquest was designecd
to make the student more aware of the artistic history of the
west, along with the many great artis of the period. We encourage
you to explore other time periods and create your own timeline
using this Webquest as your model.
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General Resources |
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Westward Expansion
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The Western Frontier
Cattle Frontier
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Primary Sources |
Personalities |
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Maps
Gunfighters
Gunfight at the OK Corral
Saloons
The Pony Express
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Special Personalities
Myth and Reality
Dime Novels: Popular Depictions of the West
Dime Novels and Movies VS history
Other Westerne Writers
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Paintings
Currier & Ives
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Individual Artists
George Catlin
Frederic Remington
Thomas Moran
George Caleb Bingham
Charlie Russell
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Native Americans
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Native Americans-Social Conflict
Black Cowboys
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General Ghost Town-Websites
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