Downtown Denver Then And Now

Grade Level/Subject:

9-12 Grade Geography

Focus:

• Students will be able to apply knowledge about urbanization and industrialization concepts to a local setting (Denver, Colorado).
  
• Students will be able to observe and analyze a variety of photos of Downtown Denver from two categories, 1. (Late 1800's to 1920's) 2. (Late 1990's to present day).
  
• Students will be able to use observation skills to gather data/information about human activities in an urban setting.
  
• Students will be able to organize information, draw conclusions and present findings to class/instructor.

Prior Knowledge: Student will need an overview of basic human geographic skills in cultural, population, political, urbanization, industrialization, and economic principles. Students will need an overview of settlement patterns in Colorado past and present and the historic motivation of settlement and migration in the Western U.S.

Time:

Two 50 minutes periods.

Standards Addressed:

Colorado Geography Standard 4: Students understand how economic, political, cultural, and social processes interact to shape patterns of human population interdependence, cooperation, and conflict.

Standards Assessed:

Colorado Geography Standard 6:Students apply knowledge of people paces and environments to understand past and present and to plan for the future.
o 6.1 Apply geography regarding the past.
o 6.2 Apply geography regarding the present/future.

Assessment:

Students will demonstrate their knowledge and observations by presenting their findings and conclusions about Downtown Denver to the class/instructor.

Materials/Teacher Preparation:

• Internet Access, one computer for each OR work in partners.
• Photo analysis guide from the National Archive and Record Administration, several copies for each student.
• Student Handout with photograph URL's and questions, one for each student.
• Have photographs of downtown Denver from the present day of industry, commerce, buildings, transportation, clothing, etc, or find comparable photographs in books such as "Colorado 1870 to 2000" by John Fielder.
• Pencil and paper.

Support Material:

• Geography text
• Demographic data from era to examine both past and present trends. Ex. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08/08031.html and http://www.denver-rmn.com/millennium/0601mile.shtml
• Heritage Colorado Database, http://www.cdpheritage.org
• Denver Public Library Western History and Genealogy Department, http://www.photoswest.org
• Library of Congress Memories; www.memory.loc.gov

Possible Procedures:

• Use as an activity after basic introductory concepts of human geography.
  
• Prior knowledge should include a basic introduction to urbanization and industrialization.
  
• Prior knowledge should include cultural, economic, political, and population geography.
  
  
• As a part of the lesson have the students read (handout or website) about western expansion along with a historic chronology related to the settlement of the Western U.S., specifically Denver, Colorado).
  
• Give students/partners handouts with the URL's for Group One; (late 1800's - 1920's) and the print outs of Group Two; (1990's - present).
  
• Direct the students to the print out of the photo analysis guide.
  
• Using the photo analysis guide, examine each photo in Group One, (late 1800's - 1920's).
  
• Complete the photo analysis guide for each picture in Group One.
  Answer the following questions:
  1. What can you say about the types of buildings/ structures in this picture?
  2. What examples of transportation are found in this picture?
  3. How does the clothing/dress reflect the era?
  4. What are examples of daily business activities?
  5. What are some indications of what the time of the year was this picture taken?
  6. What's going on in this picture? Give examples of human geography.
  7. Use five words or less to "Title" this picture.
• After looking at ALL photos in Group One answer the Comparison Questions.
  1. Which photo bets reflects the use of technology? Why?
  2. Which photo represents the most prosperous times? Why?
  3. How have social views changed from photo to photo?
  
  
• Examine each photo in Group Two, (late 1990's - present).
  
• Using the photo analysis guide, examine each photo in Group Two, (late 1990's - present).
  
• Complete the photo analysis guide for each picture in Group Two.
  Answer the following questions:
  1. What can you say about the types of buildings/ structures in this picture?
  2. What examples of transportation are found in this picture?
  3. How does the clothing/dress reflect the era?
  4. What are examples of daily business activities?
  5. What are some indications of what the time of the year was this picture taken?
  6. What's going on in this picture? Give examples of human geography.
  7. Use five words or less to "Title" this picture.

• After looking at ALL photos in Group Two answer the Comparison Questions.
  1. Which photo best reflects the use of technology? Why?
  2. Which photo represents the most prosperous times? Why?
  3. How have social views changed from photo to photo?
  
  Drawing Conclusions: Final questions.
  1. Now that you have seen Denver past and present, what can you identify as major factors that best describe the changes in Downtown Denver?
  2. What changes in urbanization and/or industrialization (both positive and negative) did you notice in this time period.
  3. Can you identify and discuss patterns and trends that developed in the era?

Photo Group One, (late 1800's - 1920's).

1. Blake Street, 1925 <http://www.photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?10021814+X-21814>
Full Record: http://photoswest.org:8080/cgi-bin/cw_cgi?fullRecord+17484+594+623631450+1+0

2. Market Street, 1905 <http://www.photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?10028857+X-28857>
Full Record: http://photoswest.org:8080/cgi-bin/cw_cgi?fullRecord+14650+594+623842823+1+0

3. Wazee Street, between 1892 and 1910? <http://www.photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?10019550+X-19550>
Full Record: http://photoswest.org:8080/cgi-bin/cw_cgi?fullRecord+10214+594+623672259+1+0

4. Wazee Street, between 1920-1930 <http://www.photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?10024571+X-2457>
Full Record: http://photoswest.org:8080/cgi-bin/cw_cgi?fullRecord+10214+594+623728763+1+1

5. Union Station, between 1894 and 1906 <http://www.photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?00070283+MCC-283>
Full Record: http://photoswest.org:8080/cgi-bin/cw_cgi?fullRecord+28520+594+737608+1+0

6. 16th and Wazee, 1901 <http://www.photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?10018904+X-18904>
Full Record: http://photoswest.org:8080/cgi-bin/cw_cgi?fullRecord+6309+594+623630152+1+0

-Greg Chapman, Lincoln High School, Denver, CO.