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Was the Orphan Train Philanthropic?

Lesson 2:

From Unit Philanthropy and Children Who Are Homeless

Lesson

Handouts

Academic Standards

Philanthropy Framework

6th-8th Grade

Subjects:

Language Arts, Library / Technology, Philanthropy and Social Studies

Key Words/Concepts click to view

ELA:	Journaling; Non-Fiction Literature; Persuasive Techniques; Reading; Reflection
PHIL:	5 genOn; Homelessness; Human Rights; Philanthropic Act
SOC:	1 genOn; 10 genOn; Core Democratic Values; Inquiry; Orphan Train; Public Policy; Rights/Responsibilities

Purpose:

Students will exhibit empathy for the children who rode the Orphan Train through journal writing. They will read articles that are often first person essays about the children's experiences. The students will then determine what rights were denied homeless children in the late 1800s and early 1900s and take a stand on whether or not the Orphan Train was a philanthropic activity that met the needs of these children.

Duration:

One to Two Fifty-Five Minute Class Periods

Objectives:

The learner will:

give examples of groups denied their individual rights in history.
defend his/her point of view on whether or not the Orphan Train was a philanthropic activity that met the needs of homeless children.

Materials:

Several copies of four different articles taken from the Internet concerning riders of the Orphan Train, one for each student in class (See Bibliographical References from Lesson One: Traveling on the Orphan Train).
April 1998 issue of Cobblestone Magazine
Newsprint and markers
Core Democratic Values (Attachment One)
Question Sheet (Attachment Two)

Handout 1: Core Democratic Values
Handout 2: Question Sheet

Instructional Procedure(s):

Anticipatory Set:

You are a rider on the Orphan Train. Write a short diary entry to a friend back in New York City telling how you feel while riding the train. Are you frightened or excited? What do you hope will happen when you reach the station? What kind of home would you prefer? (10 minutes).

Using Core Democratic Values (Attachment One), go over the Core Democratic Values with the class. Make sure they understand all the terms and can give examples of each.
Divide the class into groups. Distribute the four different articles on the Orphan Train to the class. Each group will be reading a different article. Also distribute Question Sheet (Attachment Two) to each student. Each student should read his or her article silently before joining the group to fill out the question sheet. Tell students that they will be reading articles to determine whether or not the Orphan Train benefited children or denied them their rights.
Once students have read the article and formed groups, a recorder, a reporter and encouragers should be designated by the groups. Answers to the questions should be placed on newsprint to be displayed. Allow ten minutes for this activity.
Have students return to the large group and have reporters give information about their group's reading. Other students should take notes.
For homework, students should complete the Assessment activity.

Assessment:

Students should first determine what rights were denied poor children in the late 1800s and early 1900s in American society. They should then take a stand in an essay on this issue:

Were the Orphan Trains an example of a philanthropic action that met the needs of homeless children?

Curriculum Connection:

Language Arts: Have students read A Faraway Home: An Orphan Train Story by Janie Panagopoulos. Ask them to present the philanthropic aspects of the book to the class.

School/Home Connection:

This lesson lends itself to discussion with parents on the rights of homeless people in American society today. An interview sheet could be sent home with students to be filled out with parents concerning the Orphan Trains or homelessness.

Bibliographical References:

The Kansas Collection Web site
http://www.kancoll.org/articles/orphans/index.html
Panagopoulos, Janie Lynn. A Faraway Home: an Orphan Train Story. EDCO, 2006. ISBN0974941263

Lesson Developed By:

Judy Krak
St. Charles Community Schools
Anna M. Thurston Middle School
St. Charles, MI 48655

Pat Grimley
St. Charles Community Schools
Anna M. Thurston Middle School
St. Charles, MI 48655

Handouts:

Handout 1Print Handout 1

Core Democratic Values

Core democratic values are the fundamental beliefs and constitutional principles of American society which unite all Americans. These values are expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution and other significant documents, speeches, and writings of the nation. Below are some examples of core democratic values.

Fundamental Beliefs	Constitutional Principles
Life	The Rule of Law
Liberty	Separation of Powers
The Pursuit of Happiness	Representative Government
The Common Good	Checks and Balances
Justice	Individual Rights
Equality	Freedom of Religion
Diversity	Federalism
Truth	Civilian Control of the Military
Popular Sovereignty
Patriotism

Fundamental Beliefs

Life: The individual's right to life should be considered inviolable except in certain highly restricted and extreme circumstances, such as the use of deadly force to protect one's own or others' lives.

Liberty: The right to liberty is considered an unalterable aspect of the human condition. Central to this idea of liberty is the understanding that the political or personal obligations of parents or ancestors cannot be legitimately forced on people. The right to liberty includes personal freedom: the private realm in which the individual is free to act, to think and to believe, and which the
government cannot legitimately invade; political freedom: the right to participate freely in the political process, choose and remove public officials, to be governed under a rule of law; the right to a free flow of information and ideas, open debate and right of assembly; and economic freedom: the right to acquire, use, transfer and dispose of private property without unreasonable governmental interference; the right to seek employment wherever one pleases; to change employment at will; and to engage in any lawful economic activity.

The Pursuit of Happiness: It is the right of citizens in the American constitutional democracy to attempt to attain - to "pursue" - happiness in their own way, so long as they do not infringe upon rights of others.

Common Good: The public or common good requires that individual citizens have the commitment and motivation - that they accept their obligation - to promote the welfare of the community and to work together with other members for the greater benefit of all.

Justice: People should be treated fairly in the distribution of the benefits and burdens of society, the correction of wrongs and injuries, and in the gathering of information and making of decisions.

Diversity: Variety in culture and ethnic background, race, lifestyle, and belief is not only permissible but desirable and beneficial in a pluralist society.

Truth: Citizens can legitimately demand that truth-telling as refraining from lying and full disclosure by government be the rule, since trust in the veracity of government constitutes an essential element of the bond between governors and governed.

Popular Sovereignty: The citizenry is collectively the sovereign of the state and holds ultimate authority over public officials and their policies.

Patriotism: Virtuous citizens display a devotion to their country, including devotion to the fundamental values and principles upon which it depends.

Constitutional Principles

Rule of Law: Both government and the governed should be subject to the law.

Separation of Powers: Legislative, executive, and judicial powers should be exercised by different institutions in order to maintain the limitations placed upon them.

Representative Government: The republican form of government established under the Constitution is one in which citizens elect others to represent their interests.

Checks and Balances: The powers given to the different branches of government should be balanced, that is roughly equal, so that no branch can completely dominate the others. Branches of government are also given powers to check the power of other branches.

Individual Rights: Fundamental to American constitutional democracy is the belief that individuals have certain basic rights that are not created by government but which government should protect. These are the right to life, liberty, economic freedom, and the "pursuit of happiness." It is the purpose of government to protect these rights, and it may not place unfair or unreasonable restraints on their exercise. Many of these rights are enumerated in the Bill of Rights.

Freedom of Religion: There shall be full freedom of conscience for people of all faiths or none. Religious liberty is considered to be a natural inalienable right that must always be beyond the power of the state to confer or remove. Religious liberty includes the right to freely practice any religion or no religion without governmental coercion or control.

Federalism: Power is shared between two sets of governmental institutions, those of the states and those of the central or federal authorities, as stipulated by the Constitution.

Civilian Control of the Military: Civilian authority should control the military in order to preserve constitutional government.

Source: CIVITAS: A Framework for Civic Education, a collaborative project of the Center for Civic Education and the Council for the Advancement of Citizenship, National Council for the Social Studies Bulletin No. 86,1991.