UNIT OF STUDY: Unit 4 History- Students will develop and apply historical knowledge and
skills to research, analyze, and understand key concepts of past, current, and potential issues
and events at the state level.
Estimated time: 13 weeks
STAGE I: DESIRED RESULTS
ESTABLISHED GOALS/STANDARDS:
*Students will examine chronological relationships and patterns and describe connections
among them.
*Students will describe and explain multiple perspectives of historical events.
*Students will describe and explain the relationships among people, events, ideas, and
symbols over time using multiple types of sources.
*Students will analyze past and current events, issues, and problems.
*Students will identify how humans have adapted to and modified different environments in
Nebraska.
OBJECTIVES:
4.4.1a Apply concepts of time and chronology.
4.4.1b Differentiate amongst years, decades, centuries, and millennia.
4.4.1d Examine the chronology of historical events in Nebraska and impact on the past,
present, and future.
4.4.1c Select and record key state and/or regional events in chronological order.
4.4.2a Describe and explain the relationships among historical people, events, ideas, and
symbols, including various cultures and ethnic groups in Nebraska by era.
4.4.3a Distinguish how various sources relate their perspectives of Nebraska history.
4.4.4d Describe the cause and effect relationships among key events in history.
4.2.3a Discuss the purpose of early financial institutions.
4.3.5a Describe the impact of extreme natural events in Nebraska for human and physical
environment.
4.3.5b Describe how humans have adapted to and modified physical environments.
4.4.4b Explain alternative courses of action in Nebraska history.
4.4.2b Describe how Nebraska and the Great Plains region have changed over the course of
time using maps, documents, and artifacts.
4.3.5e Describe human adaptations to physical environments.
4.3.5d Describe environmental issues in Nebraska.
TOPICS COVERED:
Chronology of key historical Nebraska events from 1400’s to 1900’s and today.
UNDERSTANDINGS: Students will
understand…
*the difference between annual, biannual,
decades, centuries, millennia, and years.
*the different tribes in Nebraska including
Pawnee, Omaha, Lakota-Sioux, Ponca.
*the important Native American leaders
including Red Cloud, and Standing Bear.
*what a reservation is and why they lived
there.
*how the early explorers were important to
Nebraska.
*​how early explorers traded and bartered.
*how people moved west across the United
States and through Nebraska.
*the importance of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
*the importance of the Underground Railroad
to Nebraska.
*how homesteading changed Nebraska.
*what life was like for settlers on the Plains.
*how and when Nebraska become a state.
*how 20th Century Nebraska is different from
life in the 1800’s​.
Essential Questions:
*How did early Nebraskan’s decisions affect
events in Nebraska?
*How did historical events in Nebraska affect
your life today?
Skills: College Career Preparedness
•Cite specic textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
•Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
vocabulary specic to domains related to history.
•Integrate visual information with other information in print and digital texts.
•Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
•Write arguments focused on discipline-specic content.
•Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events.
•Use technology, including the Internet to produce and publish writing and present the
relationships between information and ideas clearly and efciently.
•Conduct short research projects to answer a question.
•Gather relevant info from multiple sources
•Draw evidence from text to support analysis reection and research.
STAGE II: ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE
PERFORMANCE TASK:
Diary entry journal
OTHER EVIDENCE:
formatives: journals, diorama, scrapbook,
social studies notebook
STAGE III: LEARNING PLAN
SUGGESTED RESOURCES:
“C is for Cornhusker”: A NE alphabet by Rajean Luebs Shepherd
Nebraska Tribes (Pawnee, Omaha, Lakota-Sioux, Ponca, Red Cloud, Standing Bear,
Reservations, Agents, Missionaries, Trail of Tears):--- standards 4.4.2a, b
Nebraska Weekly:
Week 6 Nebraska Tribes
Week 15 Conflicts
Trailblazers:
#1 Native Americans
#4 Nebraska’s First Farmers
#16 Red Cloud and Sioux Nation
Nebraska Adventure Book:
Chapter 4
Chapter 5, Lesson 4
Native American Tales and Activities​ by Mari Lu Robbins, Teacher Created Materials, Inc.,
1996.-- *Guided reading stories* (see Glenda Blum)
Nebraska American Indian Day large pamphlet book, distributed by the National Indian
Commission and NDE, 1983. (see Glenda Blum)
Buffalo Hunt​ by Russell Freedman, Scholastic Books, Inc., 1988. (see Glenda Blum)
First Voices: NEBRASKAland magazine
“Native Americans of the Plains” copied booklet
Indian Homes​ by Keith Brandt, Troll Associates, 1985
Indians of the Plains​ by Rae Bains, Troll Associates, 1985.
Nations of the Plains​ by Bobbie Kalman, Crabtree Publishing Company, 2001.
Life in a Plains Camp​ by Bobbie Kalman, Crabtree Publishing Company, 2001.
Explorers: (France, Spain)-- Standards 4.4.2a, b
Nebraska Weekly:
Week 7 Spanish and French
Trailblazers:
#23 Spain on the Plains
Nebraska Adventure Book:
Chapter 5, Lesson 1
Explorers: (Lewis and Clark, Hiram Scott, John C. Fremont, Stephen Long)
Nebraska Weekly:
Week 8 Louisiana Purchase
Trailblazer:
#2 Explorers
Nebraska Adventure Book:
Chapter 5, Lesson 2
Chasing Lewis and Clark Across America​ by Ron Lowery and Mary Walker, Windsock Media,
2004. (see Glenda Blum)
Westward Expansion (Oregon Trail, Mormon Trail, Oregon-CA Trail, Gold Fever)
Nebraska Weekly:
Week 10 Westward Trails
Week 11 Life on the Trails
Trailblazer:
#3 Oregon Trail
Mormon History museum literature???
Over the Mormon Trail​ by Helen Hinckley Jones, Children’s Press, 1980. (see Glenda Blum)
KS-NE Act/Underground RR/John Brown:
Trailblazers:
#6 Nebraska Territory
#30 KS-NE act
Homesteading (Homestead Act, Railroad, Life on Plains, J.Sterling Morton, Daniel
Freeman, Telegraph, Edward Creighton, Schools, Mari Sandoz, Willa Cather, Ingalls):
Nebraska Weekly:
Week 13 Homesteading
Week 17 Railroads
Week 20 Early Schools
Trailblazer:
#7 Early Settlers
#5 Settlers’ Homes
#10 Railroads
#28 African Americans and Soldiers
#24 Czechs in Nebraska
#11 Nebraska Childhood
#20 Town Builders
Nebraska Adventure Book:
Chapter 8
If You were a Pioneer on the Prairie​ by Anne Kamma, Scholastic Inc., 2003.
Statehood (Capital buildings, Omaha to Lincoln):
Nebraska Weekly:
Week 16 Civil War and Statehood
Trailblazer:
#14 State Capitol?
20th Century/Today:
Nebraska Weekly:
Week 27 Famous Nebraskans
Week 19 Early Farming and Manufacturing--- standard 4.3.5d
RESOURCES FOR DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES/LITERATURE and PRIMARY SOURCES:
John C. Fremont’s Map:
http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0400/frameset_reset.html?http://www.nebraskastudies.org/04
00/stories/0401_0101.html
Lewis and Clark’s Journals: ​http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/
Homesteaders:
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/connections/prairie-settlement/history2.html
Teacher and Homesteader:
http://nebraskahistory.org/exhibits/saving_memories/diary_price.htm
Pioneers Traveling West: ​http://pioneerstravelingwest.weebly.com/pioneer-diaries.html
Native American Diary Entries (written by students):
http://redmans4th.edublogs.org/2011/01/20/native-american-diary-entries/
List of chronological emigrant diaries and journals:
http://www.oregonpioneers.com/diaries.htm
Children’s Diaries: ​http://overlandtrails.lib.byu.edu/
List of several historical sources: ​http://nebraskaccess.ne.gov/history.asp
Library of Congress Primary Source list:
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/states/nebraska/
Historical Primary sources: ​http://primarysourcenexus.org/tag/nebraska/
Websites:
NeBooks Project (written by agencies, teachers, and students):
http://www.education.ne.gov/nebooks/ebook_library.html
Nebraska Historical Society: ​www.nebraskahistory.org
Nebraska Historical Society Teaching Materials List:
http://www.nebraskahistory.org/museum/teachers/material/
Oregon Trail Virtual Tour: ​http://www.historyglobe.com/websites.html#a1
Oregon Trail Lesson Plans: ​http://www.historylink.org/t-tac/unit_5_Oregon_Trail.htm
Trail Information: ​http://www.blm.gov/or/oregontrail/education-kids-trail.php
Mormon Trail Info. and maps: ​http://www.blm.gov/or/oregontrail/education-kids-trail.php
Mormon Trail History: ​http://www.mormontrails.org/Trails/Summary/trailsum.htm
Mormon Trail History:
http://history.lds.org/article/pioneer-story-council-bluffs-americas-longest-march?lang=eng
Read Aloud/Guided Reading Resources:
See Binder Insert for other book options.
Dear America ​series: “My Face to the Wind”, “Across the Wide, and Lonesome Prairie”
My America: Westward to Home​ by Patricia Hermes
My Name is America: The Journal of Jesse Smoke​ by Joseph Bruchac
Dear Austin: Letters from the Underground Railroad​ by Elvira Woodruff
Locomotive​ by Brian Floca
My Daniel ​by Pam Conrad
Sarah Plain and Tall ​ and ​Skylark​ and ​Caleb’s Story b
​ y Patricia Mclachlan
Little House on the Prairie​ series
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
“How Much Do You Know?” anticipatory set
Nebraska Tribes (Pawnee, Omaha, Lakota-Sioux, Ponca, Red Cloud, Standing Bear,
Reservations, Agents, Missionaries, Trail of Tears):
“Understanding a Timeline” pg 75 sheet (use with Nebraska Adventure Book)
“Learning to Use a Timeline” sheet
Plains Indian Parfleche activity
What’s in a Name activity
“Nebraska Native Americans!” info. sheet
“Compare Tribes” Venn Diagram
“The Original Nebraska Natives” info. sheet
“Writings of Crazy Horse” Fact/Opinion and primary source
“Interview with a Sioux Chief”
“An offer from Chief Black Elk” problem solving sheet
“Fact or Opinion” sheet
“Create a Legend” writing activity
“Red Cloud and the Sioux Nation” info. sheet
*Tribes Note-taking and research activity- 6 Graphic organizers included in binder
*Instagram a Native American- Headpiece and Instagram examples in binder; use comic
touch lite app to caption picture. Students comment on each other’s instagrams as if they are
historical figures. Pinpoint where event took place on map.
*Buffalo Hide with Native American symbols activity
*Paper plate tipis activity for diorama or poster to show understanding of farming vs. nomadic
tribes and their lifestyles.
Explorers: (France, Spain, Lewis and Clark, Hiram Scott, John C. Fremont, Stephen
Long):
“Understanding a Timeline” pg. 93, use with Nebraska Adventure Book pgs 98-99.
“In the Beginning… There were Explorers” info. sheet
“Which Explorer Went Where?” map and questions
“A Time Machine and Exploration Journal” (2 pages)
“A Graphing Experience! Nebraska Exploration!” info. and graphing activity
Lewis and Clark Captioning their Journey on ipads Lesson Plan and Reflection activity
Westward Expansion (Oregon Trail, Mormon Trail, Oregon-CA Trail, Gold Fever):
“Go West Young Man, Go West!” info. sheet
“Onward and Westward” info. sheet
“Packing Up” worksheet
“Packing a Wagon” sheet (3 pages)
“Your Travel Diary” scenario
KS-NE Act/Underground RR/John Brown:
“Let Freedom Ring in Nebraska!” info. sheet
“Underground Railroad Code”
“A Trip on the Underground Railroad” point of view writing
“A Historical Look at Nebraska Minorities” info. sheet
Harriet Tubman: Guide to Freedom Reader’s Theater
Homesteading (Homestead Act, Railroad, Life on Plains, J.Sterling Morton, Daniel
Freeman, Telegraph, Edward Creighton, Schools, Mari Sandoz, Willa Cather, Ingalls):
“Interview a Classmate from Another Place” - possible skype
“A Nebraskan Prairie Tale” story
“The Pony Express” info. only
“Become a Homesteader”/”A Day in the Life of a Pioneer” journals
“Schools Then and Now” comparison sheet
“Editorial” point of view
“Point of View: Pioneers and Pawnee”
“Point of View” Indians and white settlers
Statehood (Capital buildings, Omaha to Lincoln):
20th Century/Today:
“You Have a Date with History” chronology
“It Could Happen- And it did!” chronology
“Nebraska Timeline” info. sheet
“Nebraska Through the Years” math sheet
“Nebraska Firsts” info. sheet
Nebraska Newcomers” Immigrants today info. sheet
“Historical Nebraska Women World Wonders” matching sheet
“The Twenty-First Century” info. and graphic organizer
“Compare and Contrast- Then and Now” graphic organizer
WHERETO