Activity 8: Memoir Writing (GLEs: 6, 15, 67)
CC: Provide students with maps of Louisiana, Spain, and France for this activity. Allow students to write as individuals, pairs, or in groups to role-play (in writing) a one- to three- paragraph "memoir" of each of the following perspectives:
Have students write as if they were O'Reilly looking back at his mission to remove (resist) French power and French law from this now-Spanish colony. What did he do, and why did he do it? What locations and physical features affected historical events and settlement for the Spanish? What were the benefits and challenges of the Louisiana environments as compared to those of Spain?
Have students write as if they were Carondelet. Why did he seek support among the Indian tribes and improve safety of New Orleans? What locations and physical features affected historical events and settlement for the French? What were the benefits and challenges of the Louisiana environments as compared to those of France?
Have students compare what is similar to the perspectives of O'Reilly and Carondelet and what is different. Then have them list and discuss how each figure represented a pro-Spanish or pro-French bias. Have students discuss the differences between opinions, propaganda, and bias and discuss how each might have affected the actions of the two figures. An additional pair to use in a compare-and-contrast format are Bienville and Miro, and major issues could include recruiting relations with the Native Americans, slavery, recruiting settlers, foreign relations, and handling disasters and adversity.
Expand the activity to include contemporary history by comparing and contrasting the techniques and plans used by John Law's Company of the West and Huey Long's Share Our Wealth Program. A mini-lesson about Long's program would be necessary. The major emphasis would be on the use of propaganda, techniques, purposes, degree of reality / exaggeration and results. Inspiration Template - Law vs. Long
Use MS Word to create the two - three paragraph memoirs written from the perspective of O'Reilly and Carondelet or Bienville and Miro. Then, use the Inspiration Venn diagram to compare and contrast similarities and differences between the individuals within each set.
Web Resources: Log in to World Book Online and search for the historical event or "Louisiana" select the "Louisiana" article, then select the "Louisiana History subsection". http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Home This article and its subsections will be used in multiple Units and Activities.
The Louisiana State Museum (The Cabildo) contains several sections dedicated to our state's history: http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/index.htm Louisiana Timeline at: http://www.enlou.com/time/timelineindex.htm |