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Read Kansas! Middle School - M-19 Depletion of the Buffalo

This middle school lesson uses the buffalo as the object of conflict among the Plains Indians and buffalo hunters on the western frontier. The lesson encourages students to compare and contrast different cultural views. Students work with an 1872 diary to understand the point of view of a buffalo hunter. The lesson is written for two class sessions but can be adjusted to meet individual classroom needs. Select each image to see a PDF with the front and back of each card.

M-19 The Depletion of the Buffalo
mp3 audio

M-19 The Depletion of the Buffalo
mp3 audio

Lesson plan

Kansas History, Government and Social Studies Standards:

Standard #3 Societies are shaped by beliefs, ideas, and diversity.

  • 3.2: The student will draw conclusions about significant beliefs, contributions, and ideas, analyzing the origins and context under which these competing ideals were reached and the multiple perspectives from which they come.

Kansas College and Career Ready Standards:

  • RH.6-8.2:  The student determines the central ideas of information of a primary or secondary source, provides an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.