Lesson Plan for Teachers

Objectives

• To gather information through historic and current photographs of buildings.
• To utilize the Internet to gather historic information.
• To gain beginning understanding of the concept of historic landmarking and historic preservation.
• To identify buildings geographically and to gain knowledge of how building types are grouped geographically within a small area.

CDE Standards met

• History Standard 2
• Geography Standard 1
• Civics Standard 2

Procedures

1. Provide students with access to the Internet and give them the Web address for the Littleton Virtual Tour.
2. Select desired inquiry questions and assign to class as desired.
3. Have students present their answers to classmates.

Inquiry Questions

HISTORY/HISTORIC PRESERVATION

1. When was Littleton founded? Who was its founder?
2. What type of community was Littleton when it was founded?
3. What other types of commerce/industry has occurred in Littleton?
4. When did the AT&SF and the D&RG Depots get built? What significant role did they play in Littleton's history?
5. What are the architectural styles of the buildings on Main Street? On Alamo?
6. Which architect designed Town Hall? What other buildings did he design in Littleton?
7. What were the original uses of the buildings on the virtual tour? What are the uses today?
8. Select a building and compare the photographs on its Web page. Describe how the building has changed over time.
9. Which building on the virtual tour is the oldest? The newest?
10. Describe the difference between restoration and rehabilitation.

GEOGRAPHY

1. Using the map on the main page of the virtual tour, identify each building by original building type (commercial, residential, public, transportation or religious).
2. Using your map, look for patterns of building use. Describe at least two patterns.
3. Create a poster board using the map and the photographs from the Web site. Use string to connect the site location with the picture on your poster. (Supplies: poster board, string, glue, printed photos from Web site, printed map from Web site.)
4. Identify the original locations of the AT&SF and D&RG Depots. Explain why the depots were moved. Describe advantages of moving them to their current sites?
5. Explain why the locations for the Carnegie Library and the Arapahoe County Courthouse were selected for those buildings?
6. Visit the Westminster virtual tour site after visiting the Littleton site. Discuss how these communities are similar and/or different. How does their location create those similarities/differences? (For example, are they either industrial or agricultural communities? Do they both have a main street with commercial buildings? How are those buildings being used today?)

CIVICS

1. What is the purpose of the National Register of Historic Places?
2. What is local landmarking? What type of protection does a building have if designated in Littleton?
3. What is the process to designate a building as a local landmark?
4. What role did Littleton play in the formation of Arapahoe County after the creation of the City and County of Denver?
5. What is Home Rule?
6. What is the current use of the Arapahoe County Courthouse?
7. Select a building on Main Street and pretend that it is going to be demolished for a new building. Develop an argument as to why the building should not be demolished. Make sure you have two to four facts or points to back up your argument. Present your argument to classmates in a mock City Council hearing.

Photographs courtesy of the Littleton Historical Museum, unless otherwise noted; to order copies, contact the Museum at 303-795-3950.

Compiled by Kris Christensen

Last revised December 2003