Michigan Curriculum for Social Studies

Perspective: Geography

• Strand: II All students will describe, compare, and explain the locations and characteristics of ecosystems, resources, human adaptation, environmental impact, and the Interrelationships among them.
• Benchmark: III.  Describe the major physical patterns, ecosystems, resources, and land uses of the state, region, and country and explain the processes that created them.

Take out logo drawings and quiz students on recognition to see what logos they are most familiar with. Ask the students to take a look at their clothing.  "What kind of brands are you wearing on your shoes, or on your jeans?"  Discuss how these logos, such as Nike, relate to trademarks made on logs in Michigan History.  Logos on our products represent companies, just like the log markings represent logging companies.

Objectives:

1. Students will be able to state the importance of log markings during the 1800's and the impact of log marks on the present logging industries.
2. Students will create their own log markings using a given foundation, and they will be able to explain the significance of that specific marking.

Overview
The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate the importance of location from a geographic perspective. For example, landforms and the environment had an effect on certain types of industries, such as the forest industry.  In this lesson, students will create their own unique log markings.  ìThe log mark was first used near Muskegon in 1842.  Each owner registered his mark with the county government.  Log piracy was one of the earliest types of ëindustrialí crime in Michigan.  Log thieves sometimes waited for the spring log drives and pulled choice logs from the river.  They cut off the log ends and remarked the logs with their "own marks." (Log Marks Activity, pg. 1) 

Materials:

Potatoes, map of logging camp, paint, paper, writing and carving utensils

Hands on Activity:

Students will examine various log marks used by Michigan logging companies.  Discuss the different symbols.  Have students to use potatoes to make their log markings by cutting a design in the potato and dipping it into dye.

Closure and Reflection:

Ask students the following questions to help them reflect on what they have learned.
1. How did log markings affect the logging industry?
2. What would happen if log markings were never utilized?
3. If you could redesign one of the Michigan log markings, how would you design it so it looks different?
4. Which part of the lesson did you like the best? Explain
5. What are differences between the logging process in today's society, in comparison with how logging was done in the past?