Pioneer Experiences & The Power of Different Perspectives

By Rachael Stratmeyer, Dawson Faculty

The ability to take an alternative perspective in a situation is woven throughout the Dawson experience. Recognizing that two people can see the same situation very differently helps students develop empathy, resolve conflicts, and build positive relationships. How do we teach students to see a situation from a different point of view, particularly when they are emotionally invested in a situation? Like all skills we wish to make automatic, we start by practicing outside of emotionally-charged situations. In the early grades, we expose students to diverse literature and experiences to build awareness that we are part of a vast world filled with unique individuals. We also spend time discussing similarities and differences in an attempt to help students recognize that while two people’s experiences may be very different in some ways, they also have many things in common.

In the fourth grade, we try to unlock the power of perspective-taking. One strategy we use is examining optical illusions. For example, one traditional optical illusion is an object that appears to be a bird or a rabbit. We use these images to show students the mental power they have over situations. By simply telling their minds to see a rabbit, they are able to change how they see the image. Nothing else has changed; they merely changed the way they chose to interpret the image. Once students are exposed to the power of perspective-taking and have concrete experiences where changing their perspective literally changed what they saw before them, they are better equipped to utilize this skill in higher-stakes situations. We practice these skills with hypothetical situations during morning meetings and coach students to consider other perspectives when resolving social conflicts. We also apply these concepts to deepen our content learning.

Fourth-grade students at Dawson and across the country focus on learning state and regional history. Traditionally, fourth-grade social studies instruction at Dawson has focused on famous Nevadans and the pioneer experience. Through research and class simulations, students took on pioneer identities and learned about this pivotal time period in our country’s history. This is a memorable piece of the fourthgrade Dawson experience, and years later, students can still recall the terrible fates they encountered and whether they survived the journey. Having not grown up in this region, my knowledge of the Oregon Trail experience was limited to the popular computer game simulation of the 1980s. As a teacher new to Las Vegas and Dawson over the last few years, I was learning alongside my students. What I noticed was we were only telling part of the story: While we touched on the experience of Indigenous Peoples, most of our social studies learning was from a single perspective. Knowing the power of perspective-taking, and with a desire to deepen student learning and understanding, I set out to help students discover more about the accurate pioneer experience from a variety of perspectives, thereby expanding our understanding of westward expansion. I double majored in elementary education and history as an undergraduate student, so I was excited to dig into resources and get started on this research. Aside from information on the traditional lives of Indigenous Peoples, what I initially found was there is a shortage of resources, particularly student- friendly resources, from diverse perspectives on the topic of westward expansion. Although I was not surprised, I was disappointed. However, as I dug a little deeper, I discovered recently created resources focused on Black pioneers, Chinese immigrants, and the first Mexican Americans. New this year, in addition to our traditional pioneer simulation, fourthgrade students examined quilts from the James Museum that were commissioned to celebrate Black pioneers. They also studied primary sources and learned about specific pioneers through lessons designed by the non-profit organization Oregon Black Pioneers. Groups of students became experts about different pioneers and presented what they learned to the rest of the class. Students discussed similarities and differences between the various pioneers’ perspectives, journeys, and experiences.

Thinking about perspectives helped us in social studies when we were learning about the Oregon Trail and pioneers. A lot of pioneers had a hard time…. Some perspectives were harder than others. – Cash

Back then, it was really different from now. If we didn’t understand perspectives, we wouldn’t understand what things were like back then. There were many differences.

Juliana

We were trying to be in the perspective of the people who were there, so we were trying to imagine their point of view.

Ava

We also studied the book Coolies when learning about the vital role Chinese immigrants played in building the transcontinental railroad. Additionally, we learned a little bit about the MexicanAmerican War and the experience of over 100,000 people who became American citizens by conquest. To facilitate this learning, students worked in groups to find text evidence to support inferences about these diverse immigrants’ experiences. This allowed students to make cross-curricular connections and engage in authentic skills practice by stating generalizations and inferences and supporting them with evidence. The ability to support an argument with evidence and examine the reasoning and evidence of others is a competency that will be useful to students in Middle School and beyond. Students also dove deeper into their study of Indigenous Peoples by exploring traditional life, historical changes, and current efforts to respect, celebrate, and continue traditions today. As part of this learning, students created proposals for a monument or mural to be installed on campus to recognize and acknowledge local Indigenous Peoples. At the culmination of our study of westward expansion, students were asked to reflect on the big ideas from this unit. They identified the diverse groups of people involved in this piece of history, as well as the concepts of danger, inequity, and perseverance. Students also used their knowledge of perspectivetaking to solve other problems at school, including and especially interpersonal conflicts. This is uniquely important because it provides real-world opportunities for the authentic application of many of the 21st-century skills kids need to be successful in school and the workforce.

Exploring diverse social elements through partnerships is important for our students’ collaborative endeavors and helps to enhance their communication, leadership, flexibility, social skills, and more. What happens outside of the classroom can importantly impact what happens inside, and this is often where some of the most deep, reflective learning takes place for young students.

I like taking a different perspective. It helps me in arguments. – Jude

When I am mad at a friend, I try to see their perspective and then I know how they feel.

– Taylor

Taking a different perspective means to me that, when you feel like someone did something and they feel like they didn’t do it, then you have to look out of their eyes. – Charles

Taking a different perspective means thinking in a different way to find a solution.

– Ben

When I tried taking a different perspective, I got into less fights and felt more calm.

– Andrew

My intended outcome is that by learning about significant historical events from multiple perspectives, students can deepen their understanding of the subject and be able to better seek multiple points of view to broaden their understanding across several contexts: personal, social, historical, and current events. While students still remember the challenges of their simulated pioneer journey and their final fate, they took away a broader understanding of the diversity, inequity, and perseverance that existed during this notable time in our country’s history. Hopefully, as they learn and grow in the future, they will continue to consider whether there are multiple sides to one story. We live in a complicated world, and we are doing a disservice to students when we oversimplify complex topics. As a teacher, I am dedicated to reflecting on my practice, continuing to learn, and improving the work I do with all students. I am certain student learning will continue to evolve as we uncover further resources and seek additional perspectives. This is one of the best parts of being a teacher at Dawson.