The Mother Road, Route 66, is an iconic part of the history in the United States. This road provided a way for people to visit the west and often conjures up nostalgia times of adventurous travelling. But this was not the story of everyone who travelled the Mother Road or lived near it. This unit is designed to help students examine various experiences on Route 66 in particular the White, African American and Native American experiences. The lessons provide an opportunity for students to examine racism through a well known landmark. This is a website that has been developed in collaboration with Northern Arizona University teacher candidates, classroom teachers, NAU Cline library and NAU faculty. But do note that it is a website in progress. We hope that you will use the lessons, but moreover add your modifications, and new lessons. this project supports the Route 66 Corridor project.
The website has three sections and can be done virtually as well as face to face. Though the lessons were originally taught face to face, they can be easily adapted to an online format. Click on the bolded
Unit #1: Traveling the mother road This unit consists of 3 lessons for each state. The lessons all follow a similar format with similar objectives and standards, but are contextualized to each state.
Lesson #1: In this lesson students will design a trip through their assigned state. This will help students examine the history of Route 66 in their state.
Lesson #2: In this lesson, students will have an African American family travel on the route designed in Lesson 1. They will be engaging in the primary source, the Green Book.
Lesson #3: In this lesson, students will compare and contrast various experiences on Route 66 and then illustrate their understanding in a multiple voice poem.
Unit #2: Examining Native Americans narrative along Route 66
Lesson#1: Students will examine photos and what they communicate about the narrative that Route 66 perpetuated.
Lesson #2: Students will compare and contrast tourist documents from a city perspective and compare it to narratives from the Alaska Native tourism board document.
Lesson #3: Students can share their understanding through various projects.