Themes
Consider assigning students themes to follow throughout the DVD. For example: transportation changes, architecture, business leadership, fads and fashions.
You might also have students find out where names for streets, streams, mountains, towns came from. A good source to get started is Wyoming Valley History Revisited by Sheldon Spear or The Town History page.
The teacher might also consider using past National History Day themes for students to explore on a local history level. See the Appendix for the list of themes. The teacher can also their website for more information.
Books
Books such as the ones listed below are examples of what students might use to create book talks—a performance of a character of the book or a review of the book itself.
Luke Swetland's Captivity by Edward Merrifield Scranton, Pa 1915. This was written by the great-grandson of Luke Swetland from the recollections of his mother and aunt who spent many hours listening to their grandfather's life story.
Voices of the Knox Disaster by Robert P.Wolensky, Kenneth C. Wolensky, and Nicole H. Wolensky. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commision 2005. This book is a compilation of the stories, remembrances, and reflections of the anthracite coal industry's last major catastrophe, January 22, 1959.
Growing Up in Coal Country by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston 1996
A Coal Miner's Bride, The Diary of Anetka Kaminska Lattimer, Pennsylvania 1896 by Susan Campbell Bartoletti Scholastic Inc. New York. Part of the Dear America series, this fictionalized account is steeped in strong factual roots about the life of a young bride from Poland who comes to Lattimer in the latter 19th century.
Cemeteries "A Must See"
Although not usually on a field trip itinerary, a cemetery can be an interesting place given different tombstone designs and the hidden stories of the people buried there. Students may be interested in taking tours of the cemeteries of Forty Fort, Hollenback, or Hanover Green. Students might be interested to find out the reasons behind the design of Hollenback cemetery, where the orphan section is located, and what local celebrities are buried there. Contact the respective places or the Luzerne County historical society to find out more information.
Coal
Students could investigate the types of coal such as bituminous and anthracite. What geologic stresses created the coal? What are the fields of anthracite coal located in Luzerne, Lackawanna, Schuylkill, Carbon, Dauphin, Lebanon counties? What are the anthracite veins in Wyoming Valley? Does the type of rock in-between the layers hinder or help the extraction of coal?
Drama
Skits, plays, poetry are all good teaching tools. Have students create their own scenarios. Radio scripts reminiscent of the 1920's, 1930's, or 1940's could be written to include sound effects.
Digital
How about a podcast or green screen creation? There are many topics that lend themselves to these activities. Moving from Connecticut in the late 1700's could be a potential podcast or skit!
The teacher might also consider using a program like Google Treks to map out where town theaters, railroads, or monuments were located. There are many possibilities.
Improvisation
The teacher can divide the class into groups of two or three and give each group a scene to write dialog and then act out.
Nathan Denison and Lazarus Stewart argue in Forty Fort about whether or not to attack the British who have arrived in Exeter.
- The Swetland family living in Connecticut are planning a move to Wyoming Valley, but not all of the children want to go.
- Armed sheriff deputies plan to stop a march of unarmed striking miners in Lattimer (near Hazleton). Not all of the deputies agree with the use of force.
- Wilkes-Barré mayor Dan Hart believes that Prohibition is a law that can be broken. Others in his administration disagree saying once one law is broken, respect for all law and order begins to break down.
- During the Great Depression of the 1930's, teachers in public schools must decide if they will continue working without pay or stop school.
- During the Civil War, miners in Wyoming Valley recognize that they have a unique opportunity to address the issue of wages and working conditions. They know the North depends on the coal they mine to fuel ships, factories, and homes. If they strike, they may be able to get their issues resolved. On the other hand, they could be seen as unpatriotic if they go on strike. Could that be seen as an abuse of their power?
Geography
The teacher might also consider using a program like Google Treks to map out where town theaters, railroads, or monuments were located. There are many possibilities.
Students could make 3-D models of the Wyoming Valley and present how geography played a role in the occupations and settlement patterns of the people who moved here.
What features were important to the inhabitants? How did they exploit the geography to their benefit?
Maps of the canal systems and subsequent rail systems could also be assigned. Students will probably be familiar with the Erie Canal; have them find out how canals are dug, the role of locks. Students could also investigate the Durham boats and steamboats that traversed the river to carry passengers and freight. See Appendix for maps.
Labor
Our area was a hotbed for union activities. Min Matheson was one such labor organizer with International Ladies Garment Workers Union; Alec Campbell with the United Mine Workers Union, Terrence Powderly of the Knights of Labor were others. Students could examine why unions were so popular at various eras. What were the issues? Who were the leaders and how did they try to accomplish their goals? How were women and children involved, and how does the issues from then compare to those of today? What role did immigrants play in our labor force, and the development of unions? What about communists?
Museums
Using various artifacts a student posing as a curator could present how that artifact played a role in the building of our home area. For example, a piece of coal could be used to demonstrate how that tied into employment, its uses, the growth of the canal and rail systems, and the market it encompassed. Using yarn or some other connection idea, connect the lump of coal to a sprag or railroad tie to link to the lumber industry. (A sprag is a wooden stick thick in the middle and thinner on the ends thrown into the wheels of a mining car to slow it down) You might use a mining cap for another link, a safety lamp for another, and a rail car for another. With each link—perhaps as many as ten—you will need to write two to three sentences explaining the link.
This could also be done with a photo or drawing as well that is hung on a bulletin board or tri-board and yarn or string used to make the connections showing how that person's life is connected.
A piece of wood could be used to start a presentation on the lumbering industry and its importance to the coal and rail industry. A canal barge or Durham boat model could serve as a connection to the transportation industry as well.
Ice could be used to illustrate a way to preserve food before refrigeration.
In addition, students could dress the part of an individual and become a living museum. When visitors approached, the student could begin talking with the visitor about life in their particular era and area.
Music and Entertainment
Music played a great role in the lives of our residents. The musicians in your class might like to recreate some of the popular tunes from the era they are studying. Coal mining songs are also available from King's College in Wilkes-Barre as well as the Smithsonian Institute. Lyrics often tell what people in that era found amusing, current, or sang just for fun.
Entertainment venues such as Poli's, The Savoy, and the Music Hall as well as theaters such as the Comerford Theater, the Forty Fort theater, and the American Theater in Pittston are just samples of a variety of entertainment venues. Students might be interested in the Black Diamond film company located in Forty Fort that created silent films and used area venues for backdrops. Amusement parks at Sans Souci, Hanson's at Harvey's Lake, and Fernbrook Park and the zoo at Kirby Park are other examples of how people were entertained. The Giants Despair Hill Climb, sporting events, and enjoying a boat or trolley ride are other possible projects to examine.
Notables
Students can research and possibly role-play the various personalities of Wyoming Valley history. Some suggestions are: Pete Gray—one-armed professional baseball player, Herman or Joseph Mankiewicz—Hollywood writers and directors, Frank Carlucci, Dan Flood, Medal of Honor winner Eugene Beaumont, Min Matheson labor organizer, Esther Tinsley Pittston Hospital administrator, Frances Slocum, Edgar Patience—coal sculptor, Ham Fisher—cartoonist of Joe Palooka, and many others. The notables can be used in a roundtable discussion, “wax” museum, or a variety of other settings. A host can ask questions such as the following:
- What was your most significant accomplishment?
- What were the two greatest challenges of your time period?
- What do you think were the greatest challenges that you personally faced?
- How did you address those challenges?
- What did you like about your life?
- If you could live in another time period, which one would you choose and why would you want to live during that time?
Picture Books
The student artists and writers in the class might consider teaming together to create a picture book and or a coloring book depicting a story of our local history or pictures to color.
Photographs
Choose five to seven photos all from one period of time that the students have been studying and make a story that connects them. You might want to turn it into an iMovie.
Choose five to seven photos from various time periods that have been studied or will be during the year and make a story that connects them. This, too, could be turned into an iMovie.
Choose one photograph or artifact and make a tri-board display or a 3-D display of the ripple effect of that artifact or photograph. What is it connected to? Who is it connected to?
Primary Sources
All local libraries and societies have various reserves of print archives. Osterhout has an extensive collection of Wilkes-Barre newspapers from 1949 - to present. They have online links to other libraries on their website. (Osterhout has newspaper holdings to current time such as the Citizen Voice, Sunday Independent.)
At Luzerne County Historical Society:
- There is an index of LCHS proceedings that list many papers given about Native Americans as well as listing artifacts that the society holds
- The LCHS also has many articles on geology and also holds examples of material culture
- LCHS will have a listing of their newspaper holdings on their website soon.
LCHS newspapers holdings run from 1820's to 1949; some examples of the LCHS newspaper holdings:
Daily- Wilkes-Barre Record (starts in 1872)
- Wilkes-Barre Leader
- Wilkes-Barre Times (later the Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader)
- Hazleton Sentinel
- Luzerne Union
- Mountain Echo
- Pittston Gazette—this is online at the West Pittston Historical Society site
- Union Leader
- Church publications (many) are also available in the LCHS; cemetery records
- City Directories listing businesses 1871 - 2004
- Secondary files: Newspaper “clippings file” gives information for where to look for more
- Transcriptions of court cases such as the Knox Mine Disaster Yearbooks from various schools
- Letters to and from Zebulon Butler (commander during Wyoming Massacre) (indexed)
- Denison papers deeds, letters, survey (indexed)
- Hollenback (mostly Matthias) letters, ledger books, accounting (indexed)
- Charles Miner (U.S. representative) diary, letters (indexed)
- Correspondence is also available from those involved in various wars including Civil War (Butler brothers-one fought for the North and one for the South), photocopies of Civil War letters by Levi Lewis
- Photos, drawings, maps are also available. All are indexed.
Artifacts
There are over 65,000 artifacts in the holdings of the LCHS. There are also smaller historical societies in the valley that have all sorts of primary documents such as West Pittston, Greater Pittston Historical Society, Nanticoke, St. David's Society, and nearly 20 others.
If the item is not on display, a formal appointment would be needed to see the artifact.
Some examples are:
- Archaeology artifacts
- Captain's silver set from USS Wilkes-Barre
- Desk that was used to bar a door during an Indian attack with hatchet marks
- Frances Slocum moccasins and shirt
- Fell grate where coal was first burned
- Giant's Despair
- Letters from George Washington
- Original sketches for what becomes Mr. Peanut
- Military uniforms
- Money from the Wilkes-Barre and Easton turnpike company
- Quilt that includes a Wyoming Valley sketch as part of a promotion during the 1930s by a New York newspaper for sites around the country
- Ration books from World War II
- Robert Bruce Ricketts Civil War battle flag (guidon)
Roundtable Discussions
A group of three to five students would assume various personalities to research and then present their “personality” in front of the class about how their story was interwoven with the others. The teacher might consider having a host who could ask questions to keep the dialogue flowing. See Notables for suggestions.
The Largest, the First, the Oddest
Our valley was once home to the largest silk lace manufacturing plant in the world. We also sit on top of the largest anthracite deposits in the world. And, perhaps the first lawsuit ever filed in the U.S. about bartenders serving visually intoxicated persons was done here—back in the 1800's! Frederick Douglass said the Wilkes-Barre would be as famous as Boston in the cause of the abolition of slavery. Perhaps the class could compile 50 or 100 of these tidbits of “did you know?”
Weather
Budding meterologists or those who are interested in weather related events can look into the flood of 1936, the Agnes flood of 1972, the tornado of 1896, and the rise of the river in January of 1959 that contributed to the Knox Mine Disaster to see what impact weather had on those who lived in our valley. What role, if any, did the government play to assist the people?
What would you do scenarios
William Gildersleeve was an abolitionist who lived in Wilkes-Barré prior to the Civil War. He was often harassed, his house was broken into on several occasions, and he was beaten. In an imagined scenario, write a skit about how the mothers of breaker boys might respond to Gildersleeve's plea to help the runaway slaves. Why might the mothers voice objection?
During 1902, the anthracite miners decided to go on strike to protest wages and working conditions. This, of course, would cause great economic disruption to their families as well as to the country that depended on the coal as fuel for homes, hospitals, rail service, factories, and schools. If you were a miner, would you join the strike? How might each of the following react: a rail owner; a hospital worker, a home owner, the President of the U.S.?
There are many other stories that can be turned into these kind of scenarios.