Today’s Walking Classroom podcast focuses on the interesting and little known history of the Mason Dixon Line. Originally, this line was created in the 1760’s by two men, Mason and Dixon, to settle a disagreement between Pennsylvania and Maryland about which state owned a 28-mile strip of land along a common border. Stone markers were placed along the border creating a real “line”. Although people often refer to the Mason Dixon Line as the line that separated the Northern States and the Southern States during the Civil War, that’s not really accurate.
Character Value: Compromise
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Common Core
L–Language | SL–Speaking and Listening | RI–Reading: Informational | RL–Reading: Literature | W–Writing | RH–6-8 Literacy in History/Social Studies | RST–6-8 Literacy in Science & Technical Subjects Elementary School:RI.3.1, RI.3.2, RI.3.3, SL.3.1, SL.3.4
RI.4.1, RI.4.2, RI.4.3, SL.4.1, SL.4.4
RI.5.1, RI.5.2, RI.5.3, SL.5.1, SL.5.4
Middle School:
RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.3, SL.6.1, SL.6.4
RI.7.1, RI.7.2, RI.7.3, SL.7.1, SL.7.4
RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.3, SL.8.1, SL.8.4
RH.6-8.4
Supplemental Resource Links and Downloads
Quiz: (Make sure you're already logged into your Gmail account, then click to copy this Google form to your Google Drive. Quiz keys are here.)
Mason Dixon Line Google Quiz
Slide Deck:
Mason Dixon Line Slide Deck
“Walk” along the Mason-Dixon line, in this virtual tour from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Read an article about the Mason-Dixon Line from Pennsylvania Center for the Book, and write a paragraph or short essay explaining the border’s role in American history.
Search for terms related to the Mason-Dixon line.
See More Podcasts in Subject Area: Social Studies
See More Themed Groupings that Contain this Podcast: Civil War & Reconstruction