Third Grade - Settling Michigan
Lesson 4
Title: Erie Canal
Unit of Study: Third Grade Settling Michigan
GLCEs:
H3.0.3 Describe the causal relationships between three events in Michigan’s past (e.g., Erie Canal, more people came, statehood).
H3.0.5 Use informational text and visual data to compare how American Indians and settlers in the early history of Michigan adapted to, used, and modified their environment.
H3.0.10 Create a timeline to sequence early Michigan history (American Indians, exploration, settlement, statehood).
G5.0.2 Describe how people adapt to, use, and modify the natural resources of Michigan.
Abstract: The students will explore one of the ways many inhabitants came to Michigan and where they came from. Students will use technology to visit a virtual tour of the Erie Canal.
Key Concepts: inhabitants, surveyors, canal, natural characteristic, goods, transportation
Sequence of Activities: (Approximately two 30 minute lessons)
Day 1:
1. Ask students why settlers wanted to come to Michigan. List responses. Students will discuss how settlers could have gotten to Michigan. Remind students of their ideas from Lesson 1. Surveyors had been sent west to Michigan and reported back to their home eastern states.
2. Students will brainstorm what natural resources the surveyors would have reported being in Michigan. (trees, water, and wildlife) Ask: Why are these natural resources important to settlers?
3. Once settlers get to Michigan, who would they trade supplies with? Remind students of the early explorers trading with the Native Americans. Help students get to the idea of trading with the New England States. This is better for United States growth than trading with France or Spain.
4. Show a physical map of the United States and highlight the Appalachian Mountains. (included) This was a difficult natural characteristic for settlers to get across to settle the mid-west and for any type of trading of goods. Use yarn, marker, or overhead projector to show the long path required to travel by land through the Appalachian Mountains.
5. Have small groups of students brainstorm easier ways of how settlers and goods could possibly get to and from Michigan and the New England States. Have groups share out ideas.
6. Teacher shares the idea of the Erie Canal.
7. Show route on classroom map from Albany, NY to Buffalo, NY on Lake Erie.
8. Students will be taking a virtual tour of the Erie Canal by visiting http://www.epodunk.com/routes/erie-canal/index.html# . Students click on the virtual tour and view the intro. After this, many options are available for students to explore for factual information, history, songs, and photographs.
9. Suggested Song: The Erie Canal, Low Bridge Everybody Down
10. Next inform students of the major change that occurred after the completion of the Erie Canal and how it allowed people an easier and faster method of getting to Michigan from New York. How will the Erie Canal help Michigan become a state? Be sure to mention that Michigan is not a state yet because it doesn’t have enough people.
11. Add Erie Canal Opens 1825 to Michigan Timeline.
12. (Optional) Suggested Read Aloud: Always Know Your Pal: Children on The Erie Canal,
Connections:
English Language Arts: Students can use a Venn Diagram to compare and contract travel from the present day to the past.
The Erie Canal song can be used as a buddy reading piece.
Mathematics: Students can figure out the cost of one trip down the Erie Canal. 363 miles long at $0.01 every 2 miles
Instructional Resources:
Equipment/Manipulative: computers, internet access
Student Resources: web site for virtual tour
Teacher Resources:
Erie Canal Timeline
Large classroom map
Physical Map of Michigan and Eastern States
Albany
Buffalo
This work by Calhoun ISD Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.