The Web-based Kelsey family letters, photographs and map study activities are recommended for grades 4-8.
The activities address understanding the life of Jane and James Kelsey, early pioneers who settled near Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Activities require students to work as museum curators. They will interpret artifacts such as historical letters, photographs and maps to discover the story these resources contain.
Following the scientific method, students will start by forming hypotheses or "guesses" about the meaning of an object. Their hypotheses will then be tested by consulting sources of evidence that either confirm or disprove their "guesses"
For each source, suggested questions are provided on the classroom activities page. These can be adapted and applied to other artifacts as the teacher chooses.
Explore the following teaching and learning resources on the Kelsey family.
Activity Summary:
Letter reading activities are designed to help students interpret 19th century letters as primary sources of historical information. The Documents page provides a complete list of historical resources including the letter reading activities. These activities will also help students to develop questions that illuminate the life of a pioneer farm family. Students will interpret historical facts and concepts as they apply the elements of historical inquiry.
The investigation is guided by a spectrum of questions that range from the general to the specific. For a more general approach, younger students can answer questions such as: Who wrote the letter and why was it written?
For more involved investigations, older students can seek answers to the specific "ask the curator" questions inserted within each letter on post-it notes.
This web activity can be used to teach or supplement units on:
Notes Regarding the Letters
The letter dated 02/16/1849 was written by John H. Kelsey to his brother James who was still living in Lewiston, Niagara County, New York. Their parents were Charles Pemberton and Rachel [Sutphen] Kelsey.
John was born in 1819 and James in 1821 at Mound Farm, Niagara County, N.Y. James followed John to Linn County in 1851 and bought the farm John had purchased. James returned to New York in 1853, married Harriet Jane Rogers and brought his bride back to the "Cottage Home" he had built at a bend in the Red Cedar River. Jane was born in 1823 at Pekin N.Y.
They had an early Post Office called Mon Dieu in their home, thus the reference in the letter dated 07-04-1854 about putting up the mail. The close-up view of the 1859 map shows the location of the Post Office.
The letter dated 07/04/1854 was written by Jane to her sister Mary.
Based on the information found in the Kelsey letter of February 16, 1849, select from the following activities based upon the themes found in the Kelsey letters.
Based on the information found in the Kelsey letter of July 4, 1854, select from the following activities based upon the themes found in the Kelsey letters.
Based on the information found in the Kelsey letter of September 20, 1863, select from the following activities based upon the themes found in the Kelsey letters.
Activity Summary:
Acting as curators, students will be asked to explore the four maps listed below. Initially, no dates will be provided. By looking for geographic detail, using map color clues, and searching for evidence of community development from one map to another, students will discover the order in which the map were created.
1859 Kelsey Bend Map
J.C. (James Cooper) Kelsey land with Post Office Mon Dieu in relation to Cedar Rapids and Red Cedar River.
Map of Linn County Iowa, compiled and published by Mc.Willimas & Thompson, 1859
1859 Close Up Map
Close up of 1859 Kelsey Bend Map
Map of Linn County Iowa, compiled and published by Mc.Willimas & Thompson, 1859
1906 Color Map
Kelsey land (144 ½ acres) now owned by H.M. (Heinrich) Kelsey, Jane and James' son. Also shows Stony Point school.
Clinton Township, Atlas of Linn Count: Davenport: The Iowa Publishing Company, 1907
plat map 2001
Activity Summary:
Students will work with a learning partner and review the 1880's cottage photo and discuss observation and interpretation questions using the photo analysis guide.
The Field Trip Guide provides things to do before your class visits the History Center and activities for your class to do after visiting the History Center and extension ideas.
The following supplemental activities could be part of learning centers, post fieldtrip activities or assigned as homework to extend learning beyond the letters, maps and photos provided on the History Center Excursion.
Write a letter to a museum curator with questions or intriguing observations about a pioneer exhibit and request professional expertise on the topic.
Use Pioneer Farms and Farming resources and American Memory to develop a poster or PowerPoint presentation illustrating the daily life of a pioneer family.
Research who came to the Midwest as immigrants and where they settled in the state.
Explore your community for resources on pioneer artifacts and create a photo book of the artifacts.
Create 10- to 20-second news flashes about an aspect of pioneer life (journey to or the settling of an area in the Midwest or life of the pioneers--fires, locust, etc.). The news flashes could be designed as audiotapes for radio or video files for television news.
Research and plan a pioneer journey from Cleveland, Ohio to Cedar Rapids, Iowa including mileage/day, cost, supplies, total costs, etc.
Find recipes used in pioneer times; research the ingredients used and theorize why these ingredients were used. Select and prepare one of the recipes.
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