Classroom Activities
Hot Dog!
In Hot Dog!, set in 1955, picky eater Allen is challenged by a Maxwell Street vendor to earn a free lunch if he can find out why hot dogs are so important to Chicago’s history. The unit uses sensory learning and primary source materials in integrated social studies and language arts lessons to build students’ understanding of the history and legacies of the Union Stockyards and the Maxwell Street Market.
Lesson 1: Tactile Shopping Bag
By engaging students with a tactile “shopping” bag and a focused conversation
to build knowledge of story setting and time period, students will
learn about the history of the Maxwell Street Market and the meatpacking
industry in Chicago.
Lesson 2: History Detective
This lesson explores Maxwell Street locations then and now, introduces
the concept of change over time, and challenges students to make predictions.
This lesson was designed as a two-day activity but may be altered at
will (see Lesson 3).
Lesson 3: History Detective (Part 2)
This lesson explores Maxwell Street locations then and now, introduces
the concept of change over time, and challenges students to make predictions.
This lesson was designed as a two-day activity but may be altered at
will (see Lesson 2).
Lesson 4: Problem Solving
By exploring some of the challenges brought about by the stockyards
and the meatpacking industry, students will grapple with the concept
of controversy and the notion that institutions can have both positive
and negative effects.
Lesson 5: Weiner Mobiles
This lesson deals with the idea of the Maxwell Street Market as a “melting
pot” of foods, flavors, music, and people. The importance of the railroad
and Chicago’s role as a transportation hub are also explored.