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Video Conferencing From The Durham Museum

The Durham offers a variety of video conferencing opportunities in conjunction with our National Partners, visiting scholars, and other content providers to enhance your students visit to the museum or to enrich your curriculum right
in your schools classroom. Whether you visit the museum or schedule one of our distance learning programs for your school or classroom, the museum offers a fascinating look at the history of the region as well as a broad-range of traveling exhibits covering subjects ranging from history and culture, to science and industry. Video conferencing connections may be tailored to add content and engage your students.

Who can participate in Durham’s Distance Learning Programs?
We deliver our videoconferences to audiences all over the country. Any school or library or any other educational non-profit organization that has an IP videoconferencing system can connect with us to receive programs. Programs may be scheduled by calling or e-mailing Mike Irwin, distance learning coordinator at mirwin@durhammuseum.org and (402) 980-1728. To schedule on –line go to www.cilc.org
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Video Conferencing Sessions you can bring into your classroom:

1) Building of the Transcontinental Railroad (Grades 4-8)
Description
One day, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln sitting at his desk in the White House in Washington DC, signed a document that fixed the eastern terminus of the proposed rail route at Omaha, Nebraska Territory. Within a short time dirt was flying in Nebraska and California.

Thousands of workers, large numbers of teams, many supply trains, and vast quantities of equipment and supplies were employed in caring this stupendous project forward. Each month the gap between the two construction forces became shorter, and finally, on May 10 1869, after six years of strenuous effort, the rails were joined at Promontory, on the Utah desert.

This endeavor was the 1800's equivalent to the United States putting a man on the moon 100 years later.
This session is loaded with original documents, photos and artifacts from the Union Pacific Museum to provide your students with historical accurate “primary” information. Each teacher will receive a packet of resources and activities to use to prepare students for the connection as well as provide you with “follow-up” support material to help you to continue to explore the building of the Transcontinental Railroad as well as Westward Expansion.

In this video connection students will be receiving information on the Economic, Environmental, Cultural, and Political Landscape surrounding this monumental task supporting our nations’ westward expansion. In this session artifacts including documents and photos from the Union Pacific Railroad Museum will be examined and explained by the Union Pacific's outreach coordinator and expert on the topic.

To schedule on –line go to www.cilc.org and sign up or contact the Durham’s distance learning coordinator Mike Irwin, mirwin@durhammusuem.org or call 402-980-1728

Program Format
1) Program opens with a basic explanation and introduction of the topic
2) We will begin interactive discussion on the building using a variety of photos,artifacts and documents
3) We will show a video on the importance of this endeavor
4) Time is set aside for questions at the closing (as well as throughout the presentation.

Objectives
1) Understand the need for a Transcontinental Railroad,
2) Appreciate the effect the railroad had on American life from a variety of perspectives (promoters, settlers, Chinese immigrants, American Indians),
3) Become analyzers of primary source material.
4) Be able to utilize video conference references and recourses provided to form opinions and communicate their perspective of one aspect (cultural, political, environmental, economic) of the building of the Transcontinental Railroad.

National Standards to which this program aligns
G1.1.2 Geographical Inquiry and Analysis
G1.1.3 Geographical Understanding
E1.1.1 Individual , Business, Government Choices
E1.1.3 Prices, Supply, and Demand
K1.4 Analysis events and circumstances for the vantage point of others
K1.7 Integrate concepts from at least 2 different disciplines
P1.2 Analysis point of view, context, and bias
P1.4 Communicate clearly
P2.3 Know how to find and organize information from a variety of resources
P2.4 Use multiple perspectives and resources to identify and analysis
U4.2.3 Westward expansion
U4.2.4 Consequences of expansion
U6.1.1 Systems of Transportation
U6.2.1 US History Investigation Topic and Issue Analysis, Past and Present

2) Train Robbers of the Old West (Grades 5-8)
Description
With great expansion and settlement of the West also came something a little more undesirable; the Outlaws. As soon as the tracks were laid bad guys began turning their attention from robbing banks to the railroads crossing vast open country carrying money, goods and passengers, with only the train’s crew as defense.

In this session we will explore the following robberies out of the many that took place in the old west.
1. The Rock Island James Gang Robbery in 1873, Adair Iowa. First Moving train robbery and first train robbery west of the Mississippi. This session will include a virtual visit to the site and a student CSI activity.
2. Big Nosed George’s attempted robbery in 1878 at Medicine Bow Wyoming. In this failed robbery the consequences for the robbers were almost unbelievable. (Teacher discretion is advised).
3. Tipton Wyoming Union Pacific train robbery. A well documented robbery by the Hole in the Wall Gang in 1899.. Part of the Movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” was based on this robbery.

All “events” discussed are supported by original documents, photos and artifacts not even available to the general museum public, as well as video trips to the original James Gang and Council Bluffs robbery sites.
Student participating will be provided with a CSI grid and follow along gathering clues using the “crime solving tools of the times - “the power of deduction, observation, community involvement and logic to capture the criminals.
Students will also investigate the “accuracy of information gathered” and how it continues in our internet times as well as the “Hollywood” interpretations.

Program Format
Open program with part of a Thomas Edison 1903 silent movie based on the Wild Bunch Tipton train robbery and a discussion on how Americans have been enamored with this criminal element for a long time and what impact these illegal activities had on westward expansion.
Next, using very interesting artifacts, we’ll explore Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’s train robbery and those who chased them. Along with your students, we’ll discuss the accuracy of the Hollywood’s movie on robbery.
We’ll take a video trip to the Jesse James rain robbery site and the students will fill out a CSI matrix to analysis what they have learned about “who done it, and where the robbers were headed.
We’ll discuss the unsuccessful robbery by Big Nosed George and show what happened to Big Nosed George using his “remains” and photographs.

Objectives
1) Analysis a train robbery crime scene and discuss clues gathered
2) Explore three train robberies to determine effect they had on the past and present populations.
3) Discuss how train robberies effected westward expansion

National Standards to which this program aligns
K1.4 Analysis events and circumstances for the vantage point of others
K1.7 Integrate concepts from at least 2 different disciplines
P1.2 Analysis point of view, context, and bias
P1.4 Communicate clearly
P2.3 Know how to find and organize information from a variety of resources
P2.4 Use multiple perspectives and resources to identify and analysis
U4.2.3 Westward expansion
U4.2.4 Consequences of expansion
U6.1.1 Systems of Transportation
U6.2.1 US History Investigation Topic and Issue Analysis, Past and Present.

Coming Soon
3) Art Deco Architecture (Shapes Patterns and Colors)

4) Byron Reed Collection

5) How Steam Engines work

6) Plains Indians

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Upcoming lectures/ exhibit and special one time distance learning connections.
If you have a specific request not already listed or have an area of interest that you would like to explore, contact Mike Irwin at the Durham Education Department (402) 444-5027. A Video Conferencing session must be booked two weeks in advance. To receive e-mail notices of video conferencing events in the future, e-mail Mike Irwin mirwin@durhammuseum.org.