 |
 |
The Seafood Industry in Biloxi: Its Early History, 1848-1930 lesson plan
Karla Smith, Biloxi, Mississippi
OVERVIEW
In the 19th century, a large seafood industry developed on the Mississippi
Gulf Coast due in large part to new canning methods, production of commercial
ice, financial investors, and the development of the railroad in the
region. By the early 1900s, the coastal city of Biloxi became known
as the “Seafood Capital of the World.” Workers migrated
to the city for seasonal work in the factories, settled in the area,
and added to the cultural landscape. Remnants of this once flourishing
industry can still be seen today in the few seafood factories that remain,
the local cuisine served in popular restaurants, the Blessing of the
Fleet, and the Biloxi Seafood Festival.
CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS
Mississippi Studies Framework: Competencies 1 – 4.
TEACHING LEVELS
Grades 7 through 12.
MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
| |
Mississippi History Now article, “Seafood
Industry in Biloxi: Its Early History, 1848-1930” |
| |
Unlined paper |
| |
Rulers |
| |
Markers/colored pencils |
| |
Poster board |
| |
Chalk/chalkboard |
OBJECTIVES
Students will:
| |
construct a timeline that shows the development
of the Biloxi seafood industry. |
| |
write a newspaper advertisement that seeks seafood
factory workers for a cannery. |
| |
create a poster that illustrates the heritage and importance
of the Biloxi seafood industry. |
OPENING THE LESSON
The teacher will ask the students how many of them enjoy seafood. The
teacher can ask for student volunteers to share what type of seafood
dishes they enjoy. The teacher will then ask the students what Mississippi
city was once known as the “Seafood Capital of the World.”
The teacher will tell the students that the city of Biloxi received
this distinction in the early 1900s and that today’s lesson will
focus upon this once flourishing coastal industry.
DEVELOPING THE LESSON
| |
Instruct the students to construct a timeline
that lists ten major events in the development of the Biloxi seafood
industry that are outlined in the Mississippi History Now
article. Students may choose a partner to work with on this class
assignment. There may be a need to review the process of creating
a timeline with the students.
|
| |
After the students have completed the timelines,
ask for volunteers to share major events they have listed on their
timelines. The teacher can draw a timeline on the chalkboard and
allow student volunteers to come to the board to list their events.
|
| |
The teacher will lead a discussion of the timeline
events that lead up to the decline of the Biloxi seafood market
after World War I. The teacher will emphasize that citizens created
the Seafood Festival to emphasize the significance of the seafood
industry in Biloxi. |
|
The teacher will allow the students to continue working with
a partner for this portion of the lesson. The students will be
instructed to design a newspaper advertisement for seafood factory
workers that might have been placed in a newspaper around the
turn of the century. The student advertisements can be displayed
along with the student timelines on a classroom bulletin board.
|
CONCLUDING THE LESSON
Place the students into groups of three. Instruct the students to design
a poster that advertises the Biloxi Seafood Festival. Tell the students
that the poster should convey the heritage and importance of the seafood
industry to the city of Biloxi. Poster board or unlined paper may be
used to create the poster. Allow the students to display their posters
in the classroom or hallway.
ASSESSING STUDENT LEARNING
| |
Class participation |
2. |
Timelines |
3. |
Newspaper advertisements |
4. |
Posters |
EXTENDING THE LESSON
| |
Plan a seafood festival. |
| |
Create a seafood cookbook. |
| |
Compare and contrast the seafood industry of
today with the industry of the 19th century. |
4. |
Research the Blessing of the Fleet ceremony. |
5. |
Take a field trip to ride on one of the Biloxi schooners. |
6. |
Research cultural groups that migrated to the area to work
in the seafood industry. |
7. |
Create a diary entry for a factory worker. |
8. |
Participate in efforts to rebuild the Seafood Museum in Biloxi
that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. |
|
