Buffalo Bill (one-day lesson)
Overview
In this lesson, students will read about and analyze the performances of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and Annie Oakley. For homework, they will conduct further research on Buffalo Bill’s Wild West.
Learning Goals:
- Students will learn about Buffalo Bill’s Wild West.
- Students will consider reasons for the show's popularity with Eastern audiences.
- Students will conduct further research into the popular acts in Buffalo Bill's Wild West.
DAY ONE
Website Materials:
Additional materials:
- Ken Burns PBS documentary “The West.” Episode Seven: The Geography of Hope. Section: Gunpowder Entertainment.
Step 1: 10 minutes: Introduction
a) Show the first few minutes of “Gunpowder Entertainment.” Be sure to stop before the historian interpretation.
b) Ask students: Why might this show have been so popular in the United States at the turn of the century?
c) Elicit student responses.
Step 2: 30 minutes: Read documents
Pass out “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West” and “Annie Oakley” Have students read the document and answer questions.
Step 3: 10 minutes: Discussion
As a whole class, discuss the following:
- Why were Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and Annie Oakley so popular?
- Why does popular culture have a powerful influence on how we understand history?
Homework
Further research: Have students research another popular act in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West. In 2 paragraphs, students should describe the act and analyze why they think it was popular among turn of the century audiences.
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
For this homework assignment to meet standards, it must fulfill the following criteria:
- Written response must include accurate descriptive detail of another act in Buffalo Bill's Wild West.
- Analysis must reflect an understanding of the spectacle and romance of the Wild West Show.
- Analysis must reflect an understanding that audiences were largely Easterners who had often never been West.
- Writing must be clear.
