Unit Title: “Homestead: A Simulation of Establishing
a Frontier Farm and Community”
Course/Grade: Grade 4 Social Studies Time Frame:
Big Ideas
How is our world organized in order to find exact locations? Why is it necessary to locate exact geographical places?
What historical movements and factors contributed to the settlement of Idaho (natural resources, missionaries, homesteading, And Native Americans etc.)? What motivated people to come to the West especially Idaho?
Why do people establish governments? How can government solve problems and facilitate civil harmony?
Performance Indicators or Learning Targets (shortened to make the sample easier to read)
4.SS.1(A) Create a written dialogue dramatizing/presenting the ways that cultural groups influenced and impacted each other (such as Native Americans, Basque, Chinese, homesteaders, etc.) 4.SS.1.1.1
4.SS.1(B) Create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the activities (acquisition of food, type of shelter, organization of tribes, etc.) of Native Americans in Idaho before and after westward expansion (include affect on tribal lands). 4.SS.1.2.4, 4.SS.1.3.4
4.SS.2(A) Create a timeline of settlement in Idaho (1860-1900). They will identify who, what, where, and when. And they will explain in writing why each group settled in Idaho. 4.SS.3.2.1
4.SS.3(A) Verbally describe which goods and services are necessary to thrive (or just survive) and will buy and sell these goods and services by documenting their choices on a worksheet. Create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast how Indians and settlers met their basic needs of food shelter, and water. 4.SS.3.1.1; 4.SS.3.1.4
4.SS.3(B) Simulate establishing a town and dramatize trade and professional roles; explain in a letter why they chose to farm, be lawyers, be doctors, be store owners, etc (specialization and division of labor). 4.SS.3.1.1; 4.SS.3.1.3; 4.SS.3.1.4
4.SS.4(A) Students will define the roles and responsibilities of officials (County Commissioners, Sheriff, Treasurer, Judge, Mayor, Police Chief, Justice of the Peace) by writing a list of the roles and responsibilities; they will listen to presentations and hold elections for town and county officials. 4.SS.4.1.2
1. Motivation
On the wall in the classroom, post the JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP MAP. Let students know they are going to simulate being early frontier settlers in an imaginary township to better understand the lives these rugged frontiers-people lived.
·  Refer to the Simulation and have students take PRETEST. Ask students what they already know. Use a graphic organizer (like a KWL) to assess prior knowledge.
·  Refer the Simulation’s INTRODUCTION. Read the INTRODUCTION aloud with the students. Use a reading comprehension strategy with students when reading (like reciprocal teaching asking individual students to predict, summarize, clarify and question).
·  Refer to simulation and examine map (acres, sections, townships) and discuss types of land: prairie, grazing, valley, timber
·  Refer to the simulation and have students pull FAMILY IDENTITIES and discuss where families are from and reasons they might want to homestead
·  Refer to simulation and have students Obtain Initial Wealth
·  Refer to simulation and have students read the HISTORY OF HOMESTEADING. Use a reading comprehension strategy (like reciprocal teaching asking individual students to predict, summarize, clarify and question).
·  Refer to simulation and have students choose and establish homesteads
2. Information
During this portion of the simulation students will succeed or not succeed at farming and business depending on a certain element of chance. Follow the simulation, but also take opportunities to help students understand that early settlers needed to work very hard to be successful, but sometimes bad weather was too much to overcome. Ask them to think of a time bad weather prevented them from doing something they wanted to do. Discuss the need for the weather and other factors to be favorable as well in order to be successful settlers. All students will begin as farmers; some will be more successful than others. Those who are not successful will then move to other jobs in town.
·  Follow the simulation for Farming Years 1-4, then 5-8 in conjunction with Business Years 1-4. FATE CARDS each year.
·  Discuss with students the essential items they need to survive and have them Create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast how Indians and settlers met their basic needs of food, shelter, and water to address Performance Indicator 4.SS.3(A)
·  Follow the simulation for ESTABLISHING A TOWN and MOVING TO TOWN. New Town residents fill out COMMUNITY JOB OR BUSINESS form (Property Sold, Loans Obtained, Businesses established, Jobs Filled) Have students explain why certain people choose to farm, be lawyers, doctors, store owners, etc (specialization and division of labor) to address Performance Indicator 4.SS.3(B)
·  Follow the simulation for FRONTIER ELECTIONS (file PETITIONS, candidates speak, cast BALLOTS). Have all students define the roles and responsibilities of selected officials in writing to address performance indicator 4.SS.4(A)
·  Follow the simulation for TAXES, FRONTIER ROADS, RAILROADS
3. Assessment
Teachers may assess formatively using their grading procedures on the following tasks. Many of these tasks will involve a high level of student-teacher interaction (students will need assistance to complete many activities), so rubrics should take that into consideration:
·  Accurate Forms: Farming Income Chart, Farming Decision Form, Homesteader’s Earning Form, Community Job or Business Form, Town Resident’s Earnings Form, Petition for Office, Loans Records, Tax Statements,
·  Options: journals/diaries of experiences, book reports on related topic, historical research of Idaho Falls or trip to Museum of Idaho, etc.
·  Evaluation and De-Briefing
·  Take POST-TEST
·  Third Benchmark and Key
4. Culmination
·  Follow the simulation to evaluate the simulation
·  Follow the simulation and discuss knowledge, skills, and attitudes. During your discussion, talk about the impact settlers had on Native Americans. Have students draw comparisons to Native Americans before and after homesteaders to address Performance Indicator 4.SS.1(B)
·  Identify on the Idaho Timeline posted in class where Homesteading fits into a Idaho’s history (before this, after that) to address Performance Indicator 4.SS.2(A)
·  The option of having students dramatize the settlers they simulated would address Performance Indicator 4.SS.1(A)