Home Interdisciplinary Connections
Interdisciplinary
Connections: “Orphan
Trains”/“One person can make a difference”
Interdisciplinary Connections
Social Studies:
~Look at the historical
aspects of Orphan Trains, why they occurred, causes of overpopulation, etc.
~Map an actual train route. Make a salt dough map of the United States, and
map the train route out west, labeling each stop.
Language Arts:
~Read a number of fictional
and factual books about the Orphan Trains.
~Write a poem about your
feelings when reading a particular story.
~Interview a grandparent,
elderly person, etc. and ask what they remember about the Orphan Trains. Even if they weren’t living, they probably
remember conversations about the trains. Write
a reflection about what was learned from the interview.
~Act out a scene from one of
the books.
Science:
~Explore how trains work -
between the difference of the trains that the orphans rode nad the trains that work today.
Math:
~For the dates in a factual
book, calculate how many years ago that was.
~Give fictional story
problems related to the Orphan Trains. For
example, there were 20,000 orphans given homes in 25 years;
how many orphans were given homes per year.
~Have children calculate the distance that orphans rode, the
time that it took, how much it would cost to feed them for the whole trip, how much
clothes would cost, etc.
Arts:
~Listen to music that was
composed during that time period and try to figure out the significance of the words.
~Create an art piece that
described your feelings when reading about the Orphan Trains. Trade with someone, and have them tell you what
your piece means.
~Create a class play about the Orphan Trains. Write the play as a class, and then distribute parts. It could be performed during lunch for the rest of the school.
Language arts:
Where Courage Is Like a Wild Horse: The world of an Indian Orphanage
A Small, Good Thing: Stories of Children With HIV and Those Who Care for Them
Adoption and Foster Care
Acres of Hope: The Miraculous Story of One Family’s Gift of Love to Children Without Hope
Just Here Trying to Save a Few Lives: Tales of Life and Death From the ER
The Orphan Train West Series for Young Adults:
Toddy
; Ivy & Allison; Kit; Laurel