Starry second graders are diving into our second social studies unit over a ghost town named Buxton, Iowa. This former mining town thrived in the early 1900s but is now deserted. The purpose of this unit is for students to learn how Buxton was a unique community.
Many members of this community worked in the coal mines. Students have studied the importance of air quality and its dangerous effects on workers. Though coal mining was a paying job, it did come with the risk of cave-ins, exposure to poisonous gasses, and other job hazards.
Students have observed past and present maps to help in finding the location of Buxton as well as compare how life is different today than it was in the past. Students are discovering Buxton, Iowa by looking at artifacts and primary sources from that time. They also learn about important community members who impacted Buxton and its success. They are asking and answering questions like geographers, economists, historians, and medical professionals. At the end of the unit students will show what they have learned by writing about how Buxton was a unique community from the past.
