Little Rock School District Social Studies 4th Grade
Social Studies/Literacy Integrated Lesson 26Essential Question(s)/Guiding Questions/Lesson Focus/Vocabulary / Activities/Materials/Resources
Unit: The West
Essential Question:
1. What is unique about the West Region?
2. What characteristics make this a region?
3. In what ways has the West changed over time?
4. How can I use all that I know about nonfiction reading and research to learn about the West?
Guiding Questions:
A. How do geography, climate and natural resources affect the way people live and work in this region?
B. How does the past affect this region and the U.S.?
C. What are the economics of this region?
D. What inspires people to explore new territories?
E. What effect did Westward expansion have on different groups of people?
F. What were the effects of the Gold Rush on settlements, daily life, politics, and the physical environment? / Lesson 26 Detailed Lesson Plans – Gold Rush
Conducting Research West Outline
CLLG MINILESSON Story Structure p. 90
CLLG MINILESSON Informational Text p. 91—Use Adventures in Law and History: Unit III Authority Gold Flats Gazette to teach or reinforce using photographs to help the reader understand text.
Readers Theatre Cassie’s Journey---Create a story map using the content of the story.
Written Conversation—Cassie’s Journey (See Day One Detailed Lessons)
Postcard—Day in Life of Prospector (See Day Two Detailed Lessons)
(Relate to the Economics of the West)
Days 3-4 Use the content from the Gold Rush reading sections and Gold Rush Sacramento Bee Website from this week to model for students how to narrow a topic for research, develop research questions and begin the note taking process. i.e. choose a topic such as the life of a prospector and write one or two research questions for students to gather information. You can use the read/write/think Lesson Plan or Step Up to Writing as a resource. The readthinkwrite lesson provides an online note taking that you could use to model. You could preselect one of the areas from the following link and develop a research question. Model how to use the online note taking feature to take notes. Gold Rush Sacramento Bee Website
Sample Topics: Gold Rush i.e. discovery of gold; life in mining town, role of women, contributions and conditions of various cultural groups.
Social Studies
Day One
Introduce West by providing other books from the library on the West or states in the West.
· Fill in chart West Content Book Pass
· Book Pass—Use anchor chart to identify fiction/nonfiction books.
· Introduce the West—Page One Historical and Geographical Content of Gold Rush
· Add the Western States to the U.S map (Collection of maps).
· Add Western States to United States Regions Chart and complete the Economist sections of the chart. Use Social Studies textbook to get information.
Review the regions. (Day One Detailed Lessons)
Gold Rush Sacramento Bee Website----Great Information, If you choose the Gold Rush as your topic for research, be sure to explore the Chasing the Dream (link) on this site.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nexk0tSpnE
http://www.ballard-tighe.com/eaweb/interactiveonline/activities/ea5_3.swf
Day Two
Historical and Geographic Content (Page 2)
Adventures in Law and History: Unit III Authority Gold Flats Gazette Lesson
Examine the Westward Pioneers Experiences and the Gold Rush (Day Two and Three Detailed Lessons)
Relate the Gold Rush to similar events in today’s world. Parallels can be made to Silicon Valley, drilling for shale in our own state, or new discoveries being made in the California hills today. (Day Five Detailed Lessons)
Days Three and Four
Introduce Research Project for this Unit (See Detailed Lessons Days 3-4)
Conducting research (Literacy) Introduction to narrowing topic, developing research questions and how to begin the note taking process.
This link can be used throughout the unit to explore the African American experiences and role in the settlement of the West.
African-Americans in California’s Heartland (The History Project—University of California, Davis 2006)
· http://www.kvie.org/programs/kvie/viewfinder/africanamericans/full_episode.htm Link to Documentary
Documentary African Americans in California Heartland (Use
questions on the bottom of pages 5, 9 and 16 to guide discussion
of documentary.
· Voices from the Past: “Grow What You Know” with a Primary Source (excerpt from African-American settler Alvin Coffey’s Account of his Journey West and Document Analysis Chart. pp. 11-12.
· Comparing Laws: “Grow What You Know” with a Primary Source (excerpts from the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and California’s Constitution will be used to compare the two by completing the chart) pp. 17-18
Day 5 ( Very Important Lesson)
Use the one or more of the links provided in the lesson to discuss the West today. Students can discuss effects of Gold Rush today and/or similar events that are affecting the West today.
Additional Resources:
Book List for Studying the Gold Rush
Research West---Teacher Resource – Learning Through Reading (Teacher College Reading and Writing Project)
Social Studies Focus : / Literacy Focus:
Economy
Gold Rush—Effect on Economy of the West / Skill: Story Structure
Skill: Visualize
Strategy:
Genre: Informational text
Writing: Informational: Research
Writing: / Vocabulary :
Introduce Research
One of the topics for this unit will become the focus of research for the next few weeks and lessons from SUW will be used to teach the process and skills for completing a research project.
SUW 4-10 Organization Game---Have students think of words related to their study of the Gold Rush for this activity. / wagon train, forty-niner, boomtown, telegraph prospector John Sutter
Gold Rush pioneer claim Gold Fever
Boon Town immigrant
ASSESSMENT:
Postcard—Day Two of Lesson
Ask the students to write a postcard home to their friends or family telling them all about their adventure. Instruct them to write down at least two ideas about what life is like and two ideas about being frustrated in finding no gold OR excitement over finding gold. Once students have their ideas written down in note form, students can use this interactive tool or it can be printed out.
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/postcard/
Gold Miners Primary Sources Social Studies’ Textbook pp. 388-389.
Week One Research:
Teacher will use the Gold Rush to model how to narrow topic, develop research questions, and begin the note taking process. Teacher will introduce which broad topic the students will be researching over the next few weeks and introduce books from the library related to the topic. If each 4th grade classroom in the building does a different topic, you will have a larger selection of books from the library. Have students browse through books to become familiar with the research topic.
It is recommended that the next week lesson is related to the topic that students will research. Therefore, you may need to alter the sequence of the lessons taught in this unit. This will give students a chance to be presented content related to research topic.
STANDARDS
Social Studies
G.8.4.1 Use geographic representations to examine the spatial organization of Arkansas citing relative and absolute location.
G.8.4.2 Use thematic maps (e.g., climate, political, topographical) and other geographic representations to compare physical and human characteristics of a region to those of another region in the United States and the interactions that shape them D2.Geo.2.3-4
G.9.4.1 Analyze effects over time of human-generated changes in the physical environment (e.g., deforestation, dams, pollution) D2.Geo5.3-5
G.9.4.2 Analyze ways cultural characteristics influence population distribution in regions of the united states and the world D2 Geo.6.3-5
G.9.4.3 Analyze ways environmental characteristics affect population distribution in Arkansas, the United States, and the world D2.4.3-5
G.10.4.1 Compare natural resources in various geographic regions to influence human settlement patterns D2Geo8.3-5
G.10.4.2 Determine effects of movement and distribution of people, goods, and ideas on various places using a variety of print and digital sources, geospatial technologies, and geographic representations D2.Geo.7.3-5
G.10.4.3 Compare push-pull-factors that influenced immigration to and migration within the United States D2.Geo.7.3-5
G.11.4.1 Describe global connections created through increased trade, transportation, communication, and technology D2.Geo.11.3-5
G.11.4.2 Analyze ways communities cooperate in providing relief efforts during and after natural and human-made disasters D2 12.3-5
Common Core
CCRI.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
CCRI4.3 Explain events or concepts in a historical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information from the text.
CCRI.4.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
CCRI.4.5 Describe the overall structure (e.g. chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
CCRI.4.6 Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same even or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided.
CCRI.4.7 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, timelines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.
CCRI.4.8 Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.
CCRI.4.9 Integrate information from two text on the same topic to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
CCRL3.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story drawing on specific words or actions.
CCW.4.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details and clear event sequences.
CCW4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
CCW.4.8 Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.
CCW.4.9 Draw evidence from literacy or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
CCSL.4.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and text, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
CCSL4.4 Report on a topic or text, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly.
Social Studies/Literacy Integrated Lesson 27
Essential Question(s)/Guiding Questions/Lesson Focus/Vocabulary / Activities/Materials/Resources
Essential Question:
2 What is unique about the West Region?
3 What characteristics make this a region?
4 In what ways has the West changed over time?
5 How can I use all that I know about nonfiction reading and research to learn about the West?
Guiding Questions:
1. How do geography, climate and natural resources affect the way people live and work in this region?
2. How does the past affect this region and the U.S.?
3. How does the expanding territory impact communication and transportation? / Lesson 27 Detailed Lesson Plans- Pony Express
Conducting Research West Outline
CLLG Main Ideas and Details p. 92
Day One Literacy
Discuss how information is transported throughout our nation and world. Use the following readings to learn about the Pony Express. Identify the main idea and details in each of the readings.
Post Express Content and Lessons
Reading One “The Story of the Pony Express” Includes Pony Express Advertisement
Reading Two “Riders of the Pony Express” Includes Pony Express Oath of Riders
Reading Three “The Station Keepers”
Reading Four “The End of the Pony Express”
Step Up To Writing 9-11 Applying for a Job---
Day One Social Studies
Explain that we will spend some time studying the history of communication, specifically how information traveled across our growing country. In the next several units we will review primary sources- first-hand accounts and photos, to learn about our nation’s history. Watch this video to see what a historian does.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMVYqp4-yww
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0m3WCVAuG8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSJLmWnxrPg What is Historical Thinking?
This week we will be learning about the Pony Express and the history of communication.
Day Two Literacy
Smart Exchange Lesson---Communication
Have student write about the following: How is communication between people different today than in the past. Use the SmartBoard rubric.
Step Up to Writing 9-3 Writing to Compare and Contrast
Day Two Social Studies
Explore the Pony Express Arago People, Postage and the Post---Postal Operations—Use to show artifacts related to postal history.
· Postal Operations
· Transportation
· Railway
· Photographic Archives
Discuss different ways mail was moved during the 1800s.
Day Three Literacy
Ask students to create a Fakebook profile as a Pony Express rider, station keeper, or as a historian telling about the Pony Express from their perspective. Information should reflect content learned about it and how it impacts people. You can also choose to do the Applying for a Job as a Pony Express Rider or Station Keeper. SUW 9-11 http://www.classtools.net/fb/home/page Fakebook Template
Day Three Social Studies
Explore the Pony Express—Using multiple resources, view how the Pony Express expanded and then became obsolete. http://education.texashistory.unt.edu/lessons/newspapers/the%20pony%20express/index.htm Website Including PowerPoint (The Portal to Texas History)
You can access the PowerPoint directly from the website (Link on right hand side of site).
PDF Format PowerPoint Pony Express (Can be used instead of PowerPoint)
Day 4 Literacy
Read about the Early History of the West---Textbook pp. 382-387. Use Express Path on p. 38; 2 to guide students in the process of determining the Main Idea of each section. (see detailed lesson plan for Day 4)
Student illustrated timeline.
Timeline Graphic Organizer---Use to plan timeline
Social Studies
Complete the historian section of the United States Regions Chart.
Let students complete the Tweet Sheet to say what they learned in 160 characters!
http://www.scribd.com/doc/67621969/Tweet-Sheet
Written Conversations- Preferred methods of communication, duration of pony express. (See detailed lesson plan on day 4 for sample questions)
Day 4 Social Studies
Bill Nye video---Development of Communication
Ask students to write a persuasive piece stating that post offices should be saved or phased out for more high-tech communication methods. Instruct students to use facts from the video and research to support their opinions.
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/persuasion_map/
Day 5
Discuss what the future may hold for our current postal service.