Read Kansas! Middle School - M-19 Depletion of the Buffalo
This middle school lesson uses the buffalo as the object of conflict among the Plains Indians and buffalo hunters on the western frontier. The lesson encourages students to compare and contrast different cultural views. Students work with an 1872 diary to understand the point of view of a buffalo hunter. The lesson is written for two class sessions but can be adjusted to meet individual classroom needs.
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Kansas History Standards:
- Benchmark 3, Indicator 1: The student describes the reasons for tension between the American Indians and the United States government over land in Kansas (e.g., encroachment on Indian lands, depletion of the buffalo and other natural resources, the Sand Creek massacre, broken promises).
- Benchmark 4, Indicator 9: The student uses paraphrasing and organizational skills to summarize information (e.g., stated and implied main ideas, main events, important details) from appropriate-level narrative, expository, technical, and persuasive texts in logical order.
Common Core Reading Standards:
- RH. 6-8.2 The student will determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.