e photo with your students. Conduct a class discussion to establish the attitudes of the time. You can also explore similar images.
- Bring the focus back to the original photo. Discuss who the people in the photo may be.
- Assign students to work in pairs. Each pair will represent a character in the scene. Roles/Characters can be chosen or assigned. Pairs will research their person by using the resources listed, their school library, and any other resources available to them.
- After students research, have them write a script for a conversation their character may have with other people in the photograph. They should incorporate as much factual information as they've been able to find.
- When the scripts are ready, students will practice their roles. When the class recreates the scene, one of the students will play their role (you can recreate twice to give both students an opportunity).
- Students will be set up as a tableaux. When each student is pointed to, they will bring the scene to life by presenting the prepared scripts. They will stop when they are finished or when the teacher points at them again.
The image of The Last Spike can be found by searching "the last spike" on The Canadian Encyclopedia or the Library and Archives Canada Image Search. Both of these resources are invaluable should you choose to select an alternate photo for your students to step into.
"The Last Spike"