Logging in the Keweenaw - Lesson Plan

Logging in the Keweenaw with the Chassell Historical Organization

Background

Keweenaw Logging History

Terms to Learn

• Bucker: The person whose job is to cut the tree trunk into logs.
• Crosscut Saw: A saw designed to cut across the grain of wood; what lumberjacks used in the 1800s and early 1900s to saw trees down.
• Cruiser: The person who estimates the amount of wood in a forest before it is cut.
• Cutover: Land that has been logged. This term is often used as “the cutover,” which refers to northern Wisconsin after it was heavily logged during the period from the 1850s to the 1920s.
• Feller: The person who used a crosscut saw to saw a tree down.
• Fitter: The person who cuts a notch on one side of the tree in preparation for cutting it down.
• Hay Man on the Hill: The person who spreads hay on icy slopes to make it safe for the sleighs to travel.
• Logging: The removal of trees from the forest for lumber.
• Lumber: Boards sawed from logs.
• Lumberjack: A term used for individuals who work in the woods during a logging process.
• Marker: The person who pounds the lumber company’s stamp into the end of each log.
• Notch: A V-shaped gap made in a tree that is going to be cut down.
• River Pig: The person who floats the logs down the river to the lumber mill.
• Scaler: The person who measures each log and estimates how much wood is there.
• Skidder: The person who drags the logs out of the forest and loads them onto sleighs.
• Sky Bird: The person who stands on top of the logs on the sleigh and arranges them into a pile.
• Sleigh: A horse-drawn vehicle with runners instead of wheels that was used to haul cargo.
• Swamper: The person who cuts the branches off the tree after it has been cut down.
• Teamster: The person who brings the loaded sleighs down to the river with horses or oxen.

Logging Vocabulary Words Puzzle

Activity Objective
The point of this activity is for the students to learn about the words associated with logging activities and their definitions. After they finish this activity, the students will have an in-depth understanding of the different processes and roles involved with logging.

Resources:

• Puzzle Worksheet
• Definitions
• Vocab Words page 1
• Vocab Words page 2

Instructions:

• Have students pair up and each pair will receive one or two of the vocab definitions. Ensure that all 14 definitions are handed out, there can be duplicates.

• Set up the 14 words with hints around the room. Have the pairs of students go around the room to try to determine the correct word for their definition(s).

• Once they figure out their word(s), have them write down the words in the blank space on their puzzle worksheet.

• Then have the students exchange definitions with another group and repeat the process.

• The goal is to have every group “research” all 14 words. This may take a little bit of time. If time is limited, have the students completed two or three rounds and then bring the class together to share the words they learned and help the rest of the class fill out their puzzle sheet.

• Once all 14 words have been found, students can work with their pairs to complete the puzzle.

Additional Student Learning Opportunities

Field Trip – Visit Chassell Heritage Center
Learn more at: Chassell Historical Organization