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Objectives for Students - What skills and information
will the students learn? Materials Needed - As needed in addition to the radio series and Countdown To Millennium web site at www.frognet.net/countdown. Activities - Includes: [Activities based specifically on
the radio program] core activities, discussion starters, questions. Activities -
Possibilities to extend concepts, think critically, and explore new avenues. We encourage
classes to generate additional activities and invite you to share your successes (and
not-so-successful efforts) with us. Our e-mail address is ctm@frognet.net. |
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#1 Union organizing in the coal fields.
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At the turn of the century SE Ohio was a "hotbed" of union organizing. Thousands were employed in the coalfields and they soon began organizing to improve working conditions. SE Ohio was in the forefront of this movement. |
#2 Ethnic Mix
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The booming coal mining communities that were spawned throughout southeastern Ohio attracted their share of the eastern European immigrants that were coming to America in this period. Ethic enclaves of Hungarians, Poles, Yugoslavians, etc. could be found in almost every coal mining community. We will explore how this ethic immigration became part of the fabric of Appalachia. |
#3 Company Towns |
Many of the communities in Appalachian Ohio were started as "company towns". Economic forces outside of the region come here to mine for coal and clay. Often the most economical way to do so was to build houses so that the workers had somewhere nearby to live. Another interesting aspect of "company towns" that we will explore is the equalitarian aspect that most of them possessed. Since there was only one industry and primarily one class of citizenry, the workers, people who grew up in these communities didn’t have as much of a "class system" as other communities did. A study of the socio-economic structure of these communities is a fascinating one. |
#4 The Brick Industry. |
Coal wasn't the only industry that flourished in SE Ohio. At the turn of the century there were numerous brick plants, iron plants and clay manufacturing facilities that took advantage of the natural resources in the area. We will look at the variety of industries that were here and how they influenced lifestyles in the region. |
#5 Moonshining |
The Prohibition Era brought an unanticipated boon to southeast Ohio. The residents here were isolated enough and had the know-how to make homemade liquor - moonshine |
#6 The 1937 Flood |
The river is a major influence to the region. Its impact has been felt in all aspects of the local environment, culture and socio-economic levels from flooding to tourism. We’ll talk to local residents about floods like the 1937 Ohio River Flood and the more recent ones. |
#7 The Impact of Radio |
Today we take radio for granted. But many people in this region remember the impact that this technology had on their lives. In this area radio was introduced before most homes had electricity. It’s coming changed social habits and ,for the first time, people in the area were connected by voice to places outside of their own community |
#8 New Deal Programs |
The rural nature of the region mean that many families were self-sufficient and here the depression didn’t hit as hard as in many urban areas. But New Deal programs have left their impact. The WPA built many of the bridges in the area. The CCC had camps here helped to build the state parks we now use. |
#9 The Millfield Mine Disaster |
This event brought southeast Ohio in the national spotlight. It made national headlines and showed the hazards of gas in the mines and problems of working in non-union conditions. |
#10 WWII-Contributions of the rural home front |
Since the 50th anniversary of WWII the American public has heard a lot about the war and about how folks on the home front helped. What we haven’t heard much about is the impact of the war on rural areas and how rural residents contributed to the war effort. This feature will share those stories. |
#11 The Family Farm |
Farming, as a way of life, will be explored through memories of many that grew up and grew old on a farm. The 1950s are an appropriate time in which to frame this look back. In the period after WWII the WAY that people in this region farmed changed drastically. The industrial know-how that had been centered around creating machines for WWII was switched over to produce bigger and better farm machinery. Farmers who had worked co-operatively with neighbors for years, sharing harvest and planting chores, how bought their own equipment. But at what price? .... |
#12 The War On Poverty |
During the 1960’s Appalachia once again gained national visibility as President Johnson declared "war" on poverty. His speech that launched the Appalachian Regional Commission was made at Ohio University. Many VISTA workers who came to the region at this time. Some are still here and will talk about the emotions, challenges and tensions of that period. |
#13 Consolidation of Schools |
Partly as a result of Johnson’s New Society programs a number of school reforms were made during this period. Many township schools were closed and school districts were consolidated into larger districts. For many communities this took away one of the main pillars of the community. Ramifications (failure to pass school levels) are still seen today. This consolidation had been done before, in the 1930 and 40s one-room schools were abandoned in favor of township schools. We’ll look at these trends in education and the impact that they have on communities as well as education. |
#14 The Back To the Land Movement |
For the first time this century Southeast Ohio saw sizeable numbers of people move INTO the region. These were not natives who were returning to their roots. These were young people who were fired up by the "back to the land" movement and were looking for inexpensive land and small towns to try out their ideas about living simply. The Mother Earth News wrote an article listing Athens as one of the "10 best places to live" and people came – sight unseen, from as far away as California. Their coming created a vibrant "counterculture" that, in some areas, has become the mainstream culture. |
#15 The Environmental Movement |
The issue of Jobs vs. the Environment butted head to head in the early 70s, as people in the area became aware of what strip mining was doing to the region. The issues continue today as some groups try to clean up effected watershed and a newer form of mining, long wall mining, threatened property values as well as homes. |
#16 Sustainability |
The excesses of the boom and bust period in Appalachian history are directly responsible for one of he newest movements - sustainability. Worker owner networks, small businesses, micro enterprises - these are the most recent trends in the region. We’ll look at the work that local non-profit groups are doing with eco-forestry, AceNet’s work in trying to create markets for local businesspeople and we’ll talk to local residents themselves about their views for the future of these new economic concepts. |
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| What Is Oral History? |
Why Use Oral History? | Lesson Plans |
Radio Series | Preparing
for the Interview | |
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