Oracle Bones and Writing Stones: Teaching the Geography of Script

The public lands of the United States cover more than six hundred million acres and include national parks, national seashores, national wildlife refuges, wilderness areas, national forests, monuments, select lakes and seashores, underground mineral reserves, marine sanctuaries, historic and scenic trails, and national grasslands.

Why am I here? Where do I come from? Who am I? Questions like these are answered in part through stories handed from one generation to another.

There is a direct relationship between culture and folktales.

Cowboys are found in many countries around the world.

While their urban counterparts were restricted to more traditional female roles in the late 1800’s, women of the American West were roping and riding broncs.

Dime-store novels and Wild West television shows helped construct the stereotypical images of the “white” cowboy and the red-skinned Indian “savages.

The cowboy is viewed as an American icon: rugged rider of the range; champion of the good.

Clay has been used for many things throughout history, including writing surfaces, money, cooking vessels, and building materials.

In the primary grades, maps are useful tools to help the young reader put stories into perspective and develop a sense of place.