Introduction Extra, extra, read all about it.  The American West was a wild place.  America was growing and changing as a country and for many, the west was a place of mystery and intrigue.  You and your journalist team are traveling back in time to 19th century to report on some of the most significant people and events that characterize this period of history.  Task Your task is to cover four major aspects of the west.  You can capture this by writing articles that capture the essence of: Conflict and/or Cooperation, Social/Cultural Issues of the West, Technology and Industry of the 19th Century, and People and Personages of the West.  In addition to these 4 major articles, you must also include an obituary, political cartoon, editorial, and 3 historically appropriate advertisements.    Process ·        Brainstorm possible article ideas based on interests in the 4 themes you need to cover. ·        Research selected topics for the articles you will be writing in a journalist approach to answering the questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? ·        Write your articles. ·        Revise and edit your articles. ·        Publish your newspaper using Microsoft Publisher. Evaluation For evaluation, your newspaper must have the following for each person involved in the project (hint, if you are working with a partner, you each individually have to contribute the following making it a total of eight major articles not four, you get the idea). ·        Four articles, one for each of the themes studied: (1) Conflict/Cooperation (2) Social/Cultural (3) Technology/Industry (4) People/Personages of the West Editorial ·        Minimum of 1 Obituary, 1 Political Cartoon, 3 Historically Appropriate Advertisements ·        Please click on the rubric to see evaluation specifications.  Conclusion After researching, writing and publishing your newspaper, discuss in your group and in the class, what life was like in the West during the 19th Century and compare and contrast with life today in America. Resources The following resources might be helpful in accomplishing your task: Westward Newspaper Student Checklist: Did you misplace your student checklist?  No worries, you can print out another copy! Westward Newspaper Teacher Rubric: Don't let it be a mystery, see how Ms. Manwell will be grading your project.  Double check your work to make sure your project meets the quality level you are shooting for. Jessica and Angel's Newspaper:  So you want to see what someone else has done on this project? Get a good look at a student work sample. Ms. Pappas' Newspaper: You requested it; a great work sample. Newspaper Planner:  Plan out the essentials of your four major articles.  This planner will help you cover the story the way a journalist would approach the topic. Publisher Newspaper Template: This optional template has the major article layouts that you need to cover the pressing news in wild west. Bibliography Patterns:  Did you misplace your Bib. Sheet? Print another copy right now! Picture Bibs:  Don't forget to give credit for the pictures and images you use. Citation Machine: Get basic help compiling your MLA bibliography. Railroad Advertisement: The assignment description for creating your transcontinental railroad ad.   Western Links: New Perspectives on the West:  This Ken Burns inspired PBS website is a gem; a great place to start the treasure hunt of westward research. HarpWeek:  Harper's Weekly has a wonderful archive of political cartoons from the 19th century, complete with explanations.  This is a great place to gain an understanding of the reasoning behind the artist's cartoons.  A Brief History of Political Cartoons:  This brief history is informative and beneficial in understanding the key elements of political cartoons. Lewis and Clark: Yet another Ken Burns production.  This site has some great resources including journals and maps. Central Pacific Railroad: A great online museum that explores the history of the railroad. The Suffrage Movement: Brush up on the progress made in women's rights during the 19th Century. Eureka!  Find out about the gold rush. The Donner Party: A pioneer trip gone wrong. 101 Milestone American Documents: A wide variety of key documents that played a significant role in this time period. US National Archives:  Are you curious about what happened in our past, need some documentation?  See if you can find it here. African American Mosaic: Find out more about the controversies around slavery.