The Early Years: Geography and Life at the Turn of the Century

Overview:

This lesson introduces students to Robert H. Jackson’s early life. Students will explore historical maps, analyze photographs, and discuss how Jackson’s childhood helped to shape his future career as Supreme Court Justice and Chief Prosecutor for the United States at Nuremberg.

Learning Goals:

  1. Identify key towns/cities on a map and understand their significance
  2. Examine life in small-town America in the 1890s and early 1900s through historical photographs
  3. Understand how Robert H. Jackson’s childhood in Pennsylvania and New York shaped his values and future career

Learning Standards:

  • New York State
    • Social Studies: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 3.1, and 5.1
    • ELA Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies: RH1, RH2, and RH7
    • ELA Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies: WHST3, WHST4, WHST6, and WHST7
  • Pennsylvania
    • History: 8.1.3, 8.1.6, 8.1.9, 8.1.12, 8.2.3, 8.2.6, 8.2.9, 8.2.12, 8.3.3., 8.3.6, 8.3.9, and 8.3.12
    • Civics and Government: 5.2.3, 5.2.6, 5.2.9, and 5.2.12
    • Reading in History and Social Studies: 8.5.6-8G, 8.5.9-10G, 8.5.11-12G. 8.5.6-8J, 8.5.9-10J, and 8.5.11-12J
    • Writing in History and Social Studies: 8.6.6-8B, 8.6.9-10B, 8.6.11-12B, 8.6.6-8E, 8.6.9-10E, 8.6.11-12E, 8.6.6-8H, 8.6.9-10H, and 8.6.11-12H

Assessment/Evaluation:

  • Class participation in discussions
  • Worksheet from photo analysis
  • Reflection Activity – See suggested grading rubric.

Materials Needed:

  • For Students:
    • Map(s) of NY/PA – See included maps. Google Earth has a good zoom level where you can see all three towns/cities at the same time.
    • Historical photographs to analyze
    • Worksheet for students for photograph analysis
    • Social Media Template or online tool for social media mock-up
  • Teacher Resource: Excerpts from Gail Jarrow, Robert H. Jackson: New Deal Lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, Nuremberg Prosecutor (Calkins Creek, 2008)
  • Teacher Resource: Background information about life in 1890-1920 in small-town America
  • Grading Rubric

Lesson Flow

Introduction

5 min
  1. Map Activity: have students locate Spring Creek, PA; Frewsburg, NY; and Jamestown, NY on a map.
    1. Discussion:
      1. How did travel from one of these places to another look in Jackson’s day?
      2. How long would it take to get from Spring Creek to Jamestown in 1900?
      3. What would be different economically or socially about living in Spring Creek v. Frewsburg v. Jamestown?

Historical Photo Analysis

10 min
  1. Break students into groups and assign them each a town
    1. Use historical photographs from the Robert H. Jackson Center’s collection of Spring Creek, Frewsburg, and Jamestown
      1. Discussion:
        1. What do you notice about the towns?
        2. How are they different today?
        3. What can you tell about transportation, work, or community?
      2. Bring the class back together to compare and contrast the towns.

Robert H. Jackson’s Early Life

10 min
  1. Read excerpts from Gail Jarrow, Robert H. Jackson: New Deal Lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, Nuremberg Prosecutor (Calkins Creek, 2008) to discuss Jackson’s childhood.
    1. Discussion:
      1. How did Jackson’s childhood influence his work later in life?
      2. What values did he learn from his childhood?
      3. How does Jackson’s story compare to your own experiences growing up?

Making Connections

10 min
  1. Reflection Activity:
    1. Write 10 social media posts (draw/include pictures to go with them if you want) that Jackson may have posted if he had social media when he was growing up.
      1. Example posts might include:
        1. Describe a typical day in young Jackson’s life.
        2. Imagine Jackson reacting to a historical event from his time
        3. Post a “throwback Thursday” where Jackson reflects on something that happened earlier
      2. To integrate technology into this activity, you could have students use Padlet, or Google Slides.
Grade Level:
4, 7-8, 11
Lesson Length:
45 Minutes

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Copyright Robert H. Jackson Center 2024 | All rights reserved
heart linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram