Lesson Title Grade Level Moving West 5th Grade Teacher Duration of Lesson Jennifer Rowe 90 minutes Lesson Topic SC Standards and Indicators Explaining the natural environmental effects of traveling to the West. 5-­‐2 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the continued westward expansion of the United States. 5.2.1 Analyze the geographic and economic factors that influenced westward expansion and the ways these factors affected travel and settlement, including physical features of the land; the climate and natural resources; and land ownership and their other economic opportunities. Academic Vocabulary Lesson Materials homesteader, migration, pioneer, resources, settlement PowerPoint, United States floor map, plastic cups, 4 different colored strings or yarn, a star sticker, blank reproducible United States map, paper, colored pencils or markers, atlas, Easter grass Lesson Set Content Objective(s) Literacy Objective(s) Lesson Importance Connections to prior and future learning Students will explain the affects of the mountain ranges, rivers, terrain, vegetation, and climate while traveling West. Students will: • Create maps, mental maps, and geographic models to represent spatial relationships. • Illustrate the fact that some choices provide greater benefits than others. • Identify the locations of places, the conditions at places, and the connections between places. • Identify multiple points of view or biases and ask questions that clarify those opinions. Students will analyze geographic factors that influence westward expansion and the ways these factors influenced travel and settlement. In 3rd grade, students explained the effects of human systems on the physical landscape of South Carolina over time, including the relationship of population distribution and patterns of migration to natural resources, climate, agriculture, and economic development (3-­‐1.4). In 4th grade, students summarized the major expeditions and explorations that played a role in westward expansion—including those of Daniel Boone, Lewis and Clark, and Zebulon Pike and compared the geographic features of areas explored (4-­‐5.1). Students also summarized the events that led to key territorial acquisitions—including the Louisiana Purchase, the Florida Purchase, the Northwest Territory treaty, the annexation of Texas, and the Mexican Cession—as well as the motives for these acquisitions and the location and geographic features of the lands acquired (4-­‐5.3). In United States history, students will explain the impact and challenges of westward movement, including the major land acquisitions, people’s motivations for moving west, railroad construction, the displacement of Native Americans, and the its impact on the developing American character (USHC-­‐3.1). Anticipatory Set/ Hook The teacher will read Westward Ho! The Story of Pioneers by Lucille Recht (Engage) Penner and Bryn Barnard. Students and teacher will discuss the geographic features while moving westward. Students will brainstorm how these geographic features could affect the pioneers as they traveled west. The teacher will use the Docs Teach lesson “Reasons for Moving Westward” to engage the students into understanding why pioneers moved west. The following link will send the teacher to the lesson-­‐-­‐ Reasons for Westward Expansion http://docsteach.org/activities/104 The teacher will complete this activity with the students. Each primary source has an explanation telling about the source. Skill Development Initial “explain” portion of the lesson. Introduce vocabulary, explain/demonstrate/model the skill required for the literacy objective, introduce content components. The content portion is only a brief introduction; the bulk of the student learning will take place during the guided practice activity. Introduce
content
components “I do”
Skill from literacy
objective
introduce/explain/model The teacher will introduce the geographical features affecting the pioneers traveling west. The teacher will explain the how these features, climate, and natural resources affected westward expansion. The teacher will show students the PowerPoint “Moving West”. The beginning slide shows two primary source pictures of covered wagons. Have students compare the transportation of covered wagons to transportation today. Discuss the comparisons. There are web links on some slides with video clips to show students about westward movement. As the teacher goes through the PowerPoint stop and ask the students why they think the geographic feature could affect the travel of pioneers. Explain to the students where the pioneers began their journey. Discuss why St. Louis was considered the gateway to the west. The teacher will move on to explain how the trails formally occupied by Native Americans were used to continue their way west. Ask students, why pioneers would begin to write guidebooks of their travels? What will this do for other pioneers? Will this make future travelers have an easier time of their journey? Why or why not? Next, the teacher will discuss the Great Plains. Ask students, why do you think pioneers chose to leave the area of the plains and move on to the coastal areas? Explain the tools used to make the Great Plains valuable to pioneers through agriculture. The teacher will move onto explain the obstacles of the Rocky Mountains and the major river systems of the west, Mississippi, Colorado, Columbia, and Snake Rivers. On slide 8, the teacher will go to the website on the slide and read some of the descriptions written about the Rocky Mountains. Allow the students to close their eyes to envision life during this time. Students can comment on what they pictured in their mind about the reading of the descriptions. Using slide 9, show the students the map of the rivers that were obstacles during the travels west. Ask students, why do you think these were such obstacles for pioneers? Do you believe there are any benefits to the rivers while traveling? If so, what are the benefits and why? As students learn about the obstacles of the geographical features, climate also plays a key role in the journey west. Using slide 10, explain how the various seasons play roles in the affects of travelers. Stress the importance of the travelers leaving St. Louis at the right time to avoid some of the climate issues on their journeys. Guided Practice This is the inquiry portion of the lesson, student-­‐centered & often cooperative learning strategies used, teacher acting as facilitator, also known as Explore. “We do”
Activity
Description
Include student “explore”
components and
opportunities for them to
explain their learning. The teacher will have students gather around the United States floor map. Try to use a map without labels. Have a student create a map key while marking the geographical obstacles for pioneers. The teacher will ask a student to place a star sticker on St. Louis, Missouri to show the “gateway to the west”. As the student places the star, another child needs to mark the star and label it in the map key. Next the teacher will have a student place plastic cups where the Rocky Mountains are located. Again have a student labeling the map key with a cup to show the representation of the Rocky Mountains. Next have a student use the Easter grass to show the Great Plains. Mark the Great Plains on the map key using the grass. Have a student label the Snake River with on color of string. A student can take a piece of the same string and place it in the map key with the label of river. Then repeat with the other three rivers: Mississippi, Colorado, and Columbia Rivers. Mark the key as well with these rivers. After the rivers are labeled on the map and map key, the students should have a visual of the geographical obstacles of the pioneers traveling west. As the teacher and students label these features, have a different student explain why these are obstacles for the pioneers. The students may need an atlas to assist them with exact locations. Have students tell the teacher why a map key is important when creating a map. Checking for
Understanding“Informal”
Assessment After creating the map, ask students about to explain how the climate affects the travelers too. The teacher will listen to student discussion and explanations as the class creates the map obstacles. The teacher will also observe the placement of the items on the obstacles for pioneers. The teacher will also listen for correct explanations to how climate affects the travelers. Closure Teacher will re-­‐visit content and answer students’ questions developed during the Guided Practice component. Summarize the lesson, clarify content, and revisit content and literacy objectives. Content
Solidified
The students will complete an exit slip. The following questions need to be answered: 1. Name the six geographical obstacles for travelers going west and explain why these are obstacles. 2. Where is the “gateway of the west”? 3. Explain how the climate affected the travelers moving west. Independent Practice “You Do”
Divide students into small groups. Give each group a blank United States map. Also give the students the materials used in the floor map activity or have them use colored pencils/markers to label the geographic features on their maps. The students need to create a key as well as write explanations telling why these features are obstacles for the pioneers. Students may use their atlases if needed during the activity. Teacher can display in the classroom or hallway when completed. Summative/ “Formal” Assessment Assessment
Using the last slide in the PowerPoint, go to the web link attached to the slide. Read the various translated diary entries from the Library of Congress. Students will listen to the descriptions of life on the trails, obstacles, climate, etc in the entries. Students will write three diary entries explaining the travels west. They need to include any obstacles, climate, as well as their life styles during this period. The students should write their entries from the perspective of a pioneer traveling west. The students should also compare their lives to their present lives. The teacher can use the exit slip as a form of assessment for the diary entries. Differentiation During Lesson •
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Assessment •
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Students have a map at their seat and mark the geographical obstacles as the teacher instructions during the PowerPoint. Students have access to the computer to go onto the web links while teaching the PowerPoint information. Students have a copy of the diary entries for their assessment portion of the lesson. Lower students can write one or two diary entry which includes two obstacles, climate, and how their life is during this time period. Higher students can write letters of correspondences between family members. They will include the geographical and climatic obstacles as well as their lifestyles during their travels west. They will then write letters responding to their previous letters. All primary sources came from the Library of Congress.