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Lesson Plans
| Topic |
| Census Data and New Hampshire History |
| Focus Question |
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Boundaries |
X
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Technology and Science |
|
X
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Natural Environment and People |
X
|
Nongovernmental Groups |
|
X
|
Cultures, Races and Ethnic Groups |
X
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Material Wants and Needs |
|
X
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Politics |
|
Self-Expression |
| Era |
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Beginnings to 1623 |
Different Worlds Meet |
|
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1623-1763 |
Colonization and Settlement |
|
X
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1763-1820s |
Revolution and the New Nation |
|
X
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1801-1861 |
Expansion and Reform |
|
X
|
1850-1877 |
Civil War and Reconstruction |
|
X
|
1870-1900 |
Development of the Industrial United States |
|
X
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1890-1930 |
Emergence of Modern America |
|
X
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1929-1945 |
Great Depression and World War II |
|
X
|
1945-early 1970s |
Postwar United States |
|
X
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1968-present |
Contemporary United States |
| Social Studies Standards |
| Economics 6, 9; Geography 10, 11, 13, 14, 15; History 16, 17 |
| Grade Level |
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Elementary |
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High School |
X
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Middle/High School |
| |
Middle |
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Elementary/Middle |
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All |
| What Students Learn |
| This lesson may serve as an introduction to the study of New Hampshire
history or as a culminating activity in such study. Students graph population growth in selected communities and
hypothesize reasons for the growth pattern in a given community and for differences among several communities.
As a follow-up activity, if they are concentrating on the history of a given community, students demonstrate their
knowledge of influences on New Hampshire's growth by illustrating the graph to show their understanding of events
that influenced growth or decline within the town or city. |
| Procedures |
For use as an introductory activity, students receive an overhead
transparency marked with gridlines. If students have access to the Internet, let them each gather historical census
data for a particular town from the New Hampshire Office of State Planning's site (http://webster.state.nh.us/osp/planning/SDC/sdcEsts.html).
Otherwise, provide them the census data. They plot their data on their grid as a line graph with dates on the x-axis
and population on the y-axis and label the graph with the town's name at the top. Students should cover the name
of the town and turn in the completed graph.
The task is for students to make reasonable guesses about the identity of each town from its pattern of population
growth as the graph is displayed on an overhead projector. Begin with Manchester and see if students can identify
the city. What can they hypothesize about its dramatic population growth, for example? Have them make any suggestions
that come to mind. At this point in their studies, nothing is wrong. Then have them try to identify Berlin, which
will be much more of a challenge. Perhaps some students will guess at the city's location in the North Country
because of its late growth and be able to guess at the lumbering influence. Continue this activity using prominent
towns and cities throughout the state or various towns in your area.
As a follow-up activity to a study of New Hampshire history, students illustrate the graph of a community's population
history in such a way as to demonstrate their understanding of the reasons behind its growth or decline (e.g.,
farming, sheep herding, industrialization, ethnic migration, tax policy). The Timeline of New Hampshire History
poster may prove useful for this task. (Students may also perform this activity with a graph of the census data
for the entire state.) |
Bibliography
Most entries listed below, as well as other teacher resources, are available through the New Hampshire Historical
Society's Tuck Library and its
museum store. Links to outside web sites are provided for the
convenience of New Hampshire educators and students. The New Hampshire Historical Society is not responsible for
content once you leave our site. |
Moyer, Judith. Timeline of New Hampshire History. [poster]
Concord: New Hampshire Historical Society, 1996.
New Hampshire Office of State Planning. "New Hampshire State Data Center Estimates" [accessed 12 October
2000]. Available on the World Wide Web:
(http://webster.state.nh.us/osp/planning/SDC/sdcEsts.html). |
| Assessment Tools and Techniques |
| There is no specific assessment for the introductory activity other
than observing whether or not students take part in discussion. For the follow-up activity, students should be
assessed on their demonstrated understanding of New Hampshire history, the accuracy of the material presented,
the appearance of their graph, and their ability to follow directions. The graph should present illustrative examples
from five of the eight eras covered. The illustrated graph should be accurate, understandable, insightful, creative,
colorful or otherwise pleasing to the eye and demonstrative of good space utilization. |
| Credit |
| This is an adaptation of a lesson created by William Murphy, a
participant in the New Hampshire Historical Society's 2000 Summer Institute for Teachers. |
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