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Grades One and Two: Lesson Two - Experience Two
Few stories are more dramatic than the true story of The Reuben Wells. This not-so-little engine made a big difference for two Indiana towns, Madison and Indianapolis. It was the most powerful locomotive of its time. It was named after the man who designed and built it, Reuben Wells. Today, this historic locomotive is on display at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. The Reuben Wells The best way to experience this historic engine is to plan a visit to the museum. The Reuben Wells sound and light show in the All Aboard! gallery plays every 30 minutes. Students can stand near the massive engine and hear the sounds a departing steam locomotive would make. They can hop on the tool car for a simulated ride or play computer games that allow them to see what it would be like to operate a steam train. They can also view an amazing collection of model trains, including some that move through miniature landscapes of the past.  The Reuben Wells: The great size of the Reuben Wells can be seen as men pose with the locomotive in Madison, Ind. This photograph was probably taken after 1886 when the engine number was changed from 35 to 635 and other modifications were made. At The Children's Museum, the Reuben Wells has been restored to its original condition. Objectives: Experience Two will enable students to:  Learn the words big and bigger and sort objects into these two categories. Apply these words to trains and other objects from everyday life.Participate in reciting a poem and identifying its characteristics.Write simple rhymes and poems.Improve their reading and writing skills as they learn the story of The Reuben Wells and its importance to Indiana.You Will Need... Materials: Visual 11: The Reuben Wells; Visual 12: Portrait of Reuben Wells; Visual 13: The Ballad of The Reuben Wells; construction paper.Time:Two 30-minute periodsWords: More powerful than a locomotive... Cargo, riverboat, mechanic Focus Questions: Use these questions to help students focus on the key ideas in Experience One. Why is The Reuben Wells famous?Why was it important?
Indiana Academic Standards: Grade One: Language Arts - Standard 1: Reading (1.1.7); Standard 2: Reading Comprehension (1.2.3, 1.2.7); Standard 5: Writing Applications (1.5.3). Social Studies - Standard 1: History (1.1.2). Grade Two: Language Arts - Standard 1: Reading (2.1.1); Standard 2: Reading Comprehension (2.2.5); Standard 3: Literary Response (2.3.4); Standard 5: Writing Applications (2.5.4). Procedures: Day One: Read the poem, The Ballad of The Reuben Wells, Visual 13, to students and ask them if they can tell who or what the poem is about.Explain to students that this poem tells a story. It is based on the true story of a famous locomotive and the man who built it. Both were named Reuben Wells.Show students a portrait of Reuben Wells and a picture of the locomotive. Long ago, Reuben Wells and his locomotive were very important to Madison, Indianapolis and other Indiana towns. Does the poem tell why?Place the poem on the overhead projector and read it to students again. Ask students who, what, when, where and why questions to identify events in the story.Help students remember what they have previously learned about trains and how they help people in communities. Can they think of ways that The Reuben Wells helped people in Madison long ago? How could it have helped people in other towns? Do they think people still depend upon trains for the same things today? Ask students to think about the man, Reuben Wells. How did he make a difference for people in the community?Use details from the poem to help students compare similarities and differences in daily life today and in the past. For example: Ask students to compare how people traveled long ago and how they travel today.Don't tie poems to the page, let them rage, turn them loose, Stomp, clomp, and growl, then shake your caboose. - Sara Holbrook Wham! It's a Poetry Jam, page 8 Day Two: Place the poem on the overhead projector and ask students to listen to the rhythm and rhyming sounds.Using the overhead, help students identify rhyming words and identify the letters in the words that are the same and letters that are different. (Note: In some rhyming words the vowels and final consonants are the same, as in "hill/thrill." In others, the vowels do not match exactly, but the final consonants have the same letters or have a very similar sound, as in "cried/pride" and "line/time." This is called "approximate rhyme.")Help students to identify sets of rhyming words, such as "down/town," "away/day," "bells/Wells." Have students see how many other pairs of simple rhyming words they can write down. (Simple three-letter words might be "cat/bat," "car/far.")Day Three: Introduce students to the process of writing rhymes and poems by helping them construct a group poem about The Reuben Wells.Using the chalkboard or a wipe- off board, write the first line. The line might be: "A story I will tell." Ask students to think of words that rhyme with "tell." With prompting they may think of words, such as "well," "bell," "swell" or "Reuben Wells."Use student words to construct a rhyming line, such as "about The Reuben Wells."Continue to prompt students by asking questions about what The Reuben Wells did and helping them to identify possible rhyming words that could be used. It is important for students to understand that words don't have to rhyme perfectly. In fact, some kinds of poems don't rhyme at all.With the teacher's help, the class should be able to generate a poem of a few lines. It might look like this:
A story I will tell about The Reuben Wells. It pushed cars up the hill. Then it rang its bell and brought the cars down to Madison town. Assessment: 
Make enough copies of the group poem or another simple poem for the class. Cut the poem into strips and give one set to each child. Have students reconstruct the poem by gluing the phrases to construction paper. Students may want to illustrate their poem with crayons or invent their own rhymes or poems.Train of Thought Journal: Have students choose one of these options for their journals: Choose one pair of rhyming words that you have discussed in class. Write and illustrate your own two-line poem about The Reuben Wells, such as "Reuben Wells/Ring your bell!"Think about this question: If you lived in Madison, Ind., long ago, how would your life be different from the way it is today? Draw a picture to show how your life might have been in Madison long ago.Tips for the Teacher: In Experience Two, younger students consider the power and size of a locomotive. They also have fun with poetry and develop their word recognition and writing skills while they learn about a historic engine that really made a difference for Indiana. Older students improve their reading comprehension, analysis and writing skills while they learn about the impact of The Reuben Wells. Many students today have never seen a real train. For students to actually understand the size and power of a locomotive, firsthand experience is crucial. To help students connect trains to their own lives, plan a field trip to a train station or museum where they can experience "the real McCoy." Bonus - Extending Experiences: Have students draw pictures of Reuben Wells, the man who designed the famous engine, and add him to a classroom display of individuals who made an impact on the state or regional communities. See The Children's Museum Web site for a portrait and biography. (Social Studies 2.1.2)Research on the museum Web site the story of how The Reuben Wells came to The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Write a thank-you letter to the museum and explain why it is important for the engine to be on display. (Language Arts 3.5.3)Help students turn "The Ballad of The Reuben Wells" into a song by singing it to the tune of the old folk song "Sweet Betsy from Pike."Trains with Famous Names: Most engines have numbers. Famous engines like The Reuben Wells and special trains have names. The names sometimes describe an important characteristic of a train, such as speed or elegance. Often trains are given names that relate to the routes they travel or the major cities that are their destinations. Ask students to consider the meaning of names from the past, such as "The Wabash Cannonball," "The City of New Orleans" and "The Twentieth Century." They may want to research Indiana trains and the stories behind the names or write a story of their own. (Social Studies 4.1.9, 4.1.12) |
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