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Westward Expansion: Pioneer Study!

Lauren Pool

5th

grade – Social Studies

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Table of Contents

Rationale…………………………………………………………………………………...3 - 4

Integrated Web…………………………………………………………………………….4

Super Set Narrative………………………………………………………………………...5

Lesson 1…………………………………………………………………………………....6 - 9

Lesson 2……………………………………………………………………………………10 - 13

Lesson 3……………………………………………………………………………………14 - 17

Lesson 4…………………………………………………………………………………….17 - 20

Unit Review…………………………………………………………………………………21

*Graphic organizers, PowerPoint presentations, and lesson reflections are attached at the end of

the Unit Plan.

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Rationale

Students will work on a weeklong project to develop a pioneer journal.

Alabama Course of Study for 5th grade Social Studies

SS(5) United States

Studies: Beginnings to

1877

10.) Describe political, social, and economic events between 1803 and

1860 that led to the expansion of the territory of the United States

National Council for the Social Studies

2. TIME, CONTINUITY, AND CHANGE

Through the study of the past and its legacy, learners examine the institutions, values, and beliefs

of people in the past, acquire skills in historical inquiry and interpretation, and gain an

understanding of how important historical events and developments have shaped the modern

world. This theme appears in courses in history, as well as in other social studies courses for

which knowledge of the past is important.

3. PEOPLE, PLACES, AND ENVIRONMENTS

This theme helps learners to develop their spatial views and perspectives of the world, to

understand where people, places, and resources are located and why they are there, and to

explore the relationship between human beings and the environment. In schools, this theme

typically appears in courses dealing with geography and area studies, but it is also important for

the study of the geographical dimension of other social studies subjects.

Piagetian Level

Piaget’s Theory of Development is rooted in constructivism. Constructivism is the idea that

people develop what they know by fitting new ideas together with ideas they have already

learned from a previous experience, and this do this in unique ways. Piaget theorized that

humans acquire knowledge over their lifetime in stages. The concrete-operational stage (ages 7-

11) is when students begin to think logically about concrete events but have difficulty

understanding abstract or operational events. 5th

graders are getting ready to move into the

formal-operational stage (age 12-adulthood) that is characterized by the ability to use deductive

reasoning and abstract thought.

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Integrated Web

Western

Expansion

Location,

Movement and

Change

Food,

Supplies and

Sustainability

Survival on the

Trail

Pioneer Culture

What were the

main reasons for

people relocating

to the west? What were the different

trails that pioneers

traveled?

What were the main cities

of importance on the

various trails?

What types of

foods did

pioneers eat

and how did

they cook?

How did pioneers

decide which

supplies and

rations to bring?

How did people

keep order and

governance while

traveling?

What were the difficulties in family life that

people faced on the pioneer trail?

How did families entertain

themselves and one another

while on the trail?

What were the

different threats

that pioneers

faced?

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Super Set Narrative

Before starting my mini unit lessons I will ask questions to promote discussions, and encourage

student’s curiosity about the unit. This session will help motivate students about our upcoming

activities. I will ask the following questions:

1. Have you ever been on a long car trip before?

2. What types of issues do you face when traveling with others in a car for a long distance?

3. Have any of you ever experienced a “big move” (to a new school, new town or new house)?

4. What do you already know about pioneers and people that lived on the new frontier?

5. Students will create a wagon that has the dimensions of a prairie schooner wagon and leave it

in the room to spike student interest. I will ask students how might traveling in the backseat of a

car be similar to people traveling in a wagon?

6. I will further increase student curiosity by reading the first few pages from the book You

Wouldn’t Want to Be an American Pioneer: A Wildnerness You’d Better Not Tame by David

Salariya which gives a light-hearted look into some of the difficulties faced by American

pioneers.

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Name: Lauren Pool

Grade Level: 5

Subject: Social Studies

Unit Title: Westward Expansion: Pioneer Trail

Special Needs Modifications: For autistic student, I will work with special education teacher for

some assignments and he will be placed in a group with students who work well with him in the

classroom. For students with ADHD and defiance behavior problems, they will be given the job

of “materials” person.

ELL Strategies: Auditory recordings in their native language, visual manipulative, and a

kinesthetic activity will benefit an ELL student.

Prerequisites: Ability to listen and follow directions; writing skills

Materials: Computer equipped with internet and PowerPoint, overhead projector, ELMO, student

computers, paper, markers and colored pencils

References: http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/westward.html,

http://www.suffolk.lib.ny.us/youth/jcsswest.html, http://hubpages.com/hub/10-Western-Artists,

http://www.albertbierstadt.org/Valley-of-the-Yosemite-1864-large.html

Skills Lesson Concept Lesson Generalization Lesson

ALCOS Standards: 3rd

grade

Social Studies:

SS 5:10) Describe political, social, and economic events between 1803 and 1860 that led to the

expansion of the territory of the United States

Arts Education:

AE: VISUAL 5:6) Describe works of art according to the style of various cultures, times, and

places

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Technology:

TA 3-5:8) Collect information from a variety of digital sources.

TA 3-5:12) Create a product using digital tools

Exploratory Phase

Objectives:

The students will be able to

observe elements in a

painting.

Procedures:

1. Instruct: Put Oregon Trail

by Albert Bierstadt painting

on projector. Ask, “What do

you notice or feel when you

look at this painting?”

2. Let students discuss

specific things they notice

about the painting (i.e. colors,

background/foreground)

3. Ask students what the

elements in the painting

remind them of.

4. Instruct: Allow for students

to write down three elements

they notice about the work of

art.

Assessments:

Students will record the

elements that they notice

about the work of art.

Developmental Phase

Objectives:

The students will be able to

connect elements that they see

in the painting to the culture

and time period.

Procedures:

1. “What do the elements in

this painting tell you about

what is going on during this

time period?” Next teacher

asks: “What do the elements

in this painting tell you about

what people in the painting

Assessments:

Students will participate in

class discussions and write

down what they think the

elements in the painting

represent about the people,

event in the painting or time

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were feeling and

experiencing?”

2. Teacher will show Albert

Bierstadt Valley of the

Yosemite on the projector.

3. Students will write three

elements that they see in the

painting and for each element

they should write one reason

why they think it is in the

painting.

period portrayed.

Expansion Phase

Objectives:

The students will pick a piece

of artwork from Albert

Bierstadt and write a haiku

about the painting.

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Procedures:

1. Students will use computers

to research Albert Bierstadt’s

paintings and write a haiku

poem.

2. Instruct: Teacher will go

over directions for procedures.

Students will use research to

find an Albert Bierstadt

painting and then compose a

haiku poem about the

painting.

3. Students will use create a

word document containing

their haiku and a jpg. image of

the painting that they depicted.

4. Some students will share

their haiku with the class.

Assessments:

The students will fully

participate in writing a haiku

poem based on a painting by

Albert Bierstadt.

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Lesson Reflection: I thought this lesson went really well. The students really enjoyed looking at

the work of Albert Bierstadt and discussing elements in the painting. I found it a little daunting at

first to teach without “telling” or giving away answers at first, but felt that it came easier as the

lesson progressed. Students especially liked creating the haiku poem and incorporating

technology into proved useful. If I could do it again, I might make the technology aspect more

involved and give them a WebQuest on this artist.

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Name: Lauren Pool

Grade Level: 5

Subject: Social Studies

Unit Title: Westward Expansion: The Pioneer Trail

Special Needs Modifications: Students will work in groups which will aid children with special

needs; provide extra support when needed

ELL Strategies: Visual activities in this lesson will benefit an ELL learner. The graphic

organizer will also help aid the student in organizing information.

Prerequisites: Ability to use technology resources to conduct research, ability to work in groups

Materials: student computers equipped with Microsoft Word, paper

**Graphic Organizer and PowerPoint are attached at the end of the Unit Plan. **

References: http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/westward.html,

http://www.thekidzpage.com/freekidsclipart/index.htm, http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Allabout.html,

http://www.santafetrailresearch.com/, http://www.bicknell.net/sftrail.htm,

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-californiatrail.html,

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/WWcaliforniaT.htm,

http://lds.org/gospellibrary/pioneer/pioneerstory.htm, http://museumtrail.org/OldSpanishTrail.asp,

http://www.thefurtrapper.com/oregon_trail.htm, http://www.stormpc.com/tree/Mormon%20Trail.htm

Skills Lesson Concept Lesson Generalization Lesson

ALCOS Standards: 5th

grade

Social Studies:

SS 5:10) Describe political, social, and economic events between 1803 and 1860 that led to the

expansion of the territory of the United States

English Language Arts:

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ELA 5:4) Use a wide range of strategies and skills, including using text features to gain meaning,

summarizing passages, and drawing conclusions, to comprehend fifth-grade informational and

functional reading materials

ELA 5:6) Use text features, including indexes, tables, and appendixes, to guide interpretation of

expository texts

ELA 5:11) Use search strategies in the research process to identify reliable current resources and

computer technology to locate information.

Technology:

3-5:8) Collect information from a variety of digital sources.

3-5:12.) Create a product using digital tools.

Exploratory Phase

Objectives:

Students will be able to obtain

information about the different

pioneer trails.

Procedures:

1. Assign students to groups

which will be their “family”

for a pioneer project. Explain

project to class.

2. Students will be given a

graphic organizer to organize

information.

3. Instruct: Working with your

group, do your best to locate

information about the main

pioneer trails (Oregon, Sante

Fe, Old Spanish, Mormon or

California Trail.) using

internet resources. Complete

your graphic organizer with

the information you find

during your search. Students

will use this information to

decide which trail to travel

down.

Assessments:

Students will record their

findings about each trail using

the attached graphic organizer.

Developmental Phase

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Objectives:

Students will be able to create

a family tree describing their

group family members.

Procedures:

1. Ask students if they know

what a family tree is? Show

examples of family trees on

projector. Ask students why a

family tree is important.

2. Instruct: Teacher will tell

class that today they will be

creating their own family tree

template which will showcase

their “pioneer family”

3. Then, the teacher will

model how to use images and

text boxes to create a family

tree with Microsoft Word.

4. The teacher allows students

to work independently to

create their family tree using

student computers. Students

can use crayons and colored

pencils to draw in family

member faces, clothes and

name at the end.

Assessments:

1. Students should create a

family tree template using

internet resources and

Microsoft Word. They will

complete the family tree by

drawing in their family

member’s faces and pretend

pioneer names and ages.

Expansion Phase

Objectives:

Students will be able to apply

their new knowledge about the

trail that they are traveling on

and their family tree to create

the first entry of their “Pioneer

Journal”,

Procedures:

1. Students will get back in

their group to discuss their

family members and which

trail would be the best route

for them. For example (The

Santa Fe Trail was primarily a

trade route, so it was not a

place for women children; or

they might be following the

Gold Rush).

Assessments:

Students will complete a

journal entry introducing

themselves, their pioneer

family tree members, reasons

for moving west, the date that

they began the journey

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2. Teacher asks: What kinds

of things did you discover

about the trails? Who are your

family members and why did

your group decide to travel

this trail?

3. Students will work

independently to create a

journal entry depicting the

beginning of their family

journey on a chosen trail.

Lesson Reflection: If I were to teach this lesson again, I would be more specific about what I

wanted them to put on their family tree. Some students put their friends “real” name and some of

them put their “pioneer” names. I would have modeled and given examples of names used during

the early 19th

century and more tidbits about how people dressed, thought and spoke during that

time period in order to help students get into “pioneer” character. Videos showcasing

reenactments from the History channel would be very beneficial. Other than that the lesson went

great and the students love working in a group!

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Name: Lauren Pool

Grade Level: 5

Subject: Social Studies

Unit Title: Westward Expansion: The Pioneer Trail

Special Needs Modifications: Children with special needs will be paired with a partner for

assistance. Student will receive assistance from the teacher during the writing assignment while

the other students are working.

ELL Strategies: Visual activities in this lesson will benefit an ELL learner.

Prerequisites: Ability to work in a group, 5th

grade math skills, ability to read a table

Materials: **Graphic Organizer and PowerPoint are attached at the end of the Unit Plan. **

References: You Wouldn’t Want to Be an American Pioneer: A Wildnerness You’d Better Not

Tame by David Salariya, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covered_wagon,

http://www.nps.gov/jeff/planyourvisit/overland-wagon.htm

Skills Lesson Concept Lesson Generalization Lesson

ALCOS Standards: 5th

grade

Social Studies:

SS 5:10) Describe political, social, and economic events between 1803 and 1860 that led to the

expansion of the territory of the United States.

English Language Arts:

ELA 5:4) Use a wide range of strategies and skills, including using text features to gain meaning,

summarizing passages, and drawing conclusions, to comprehend fifth-grade informational and

functional reading materials

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ELA 5:6) Use text features, including indexes, tables, and appendixes, to guide interpretation of

expository texts

Mathematics:

MA 5:2) Solve problems involving operations on whole numbers, including addition and

subtraction of seven-digit numbers, multiplication with two-digit multipliers, and division with

two-digit divisors.

Exploratory Phase

Objectives: Students will be

able to assimilate and discuss

what being in a wagon on the

pioneer trail would be like.

Procedures:

1. Show picture of a prairie

schooner on the projector. Let

students get into groups and

allow them to take turns

getting into the “wagon” made

of tape on the floor to see how

big it is.

2. Instruct: Tell them to

imagine what it would be like

to travel in a wagon that size

with 9 other people plus

supplies.

3. To paint a better picture in

their minds, read select pages

from “You Wouldn’t Want to

Be an American Pioneer: A

Wildnerness You’d Better Not

Tame by David Salariya that

depicts issues pertaining to

food and supplies on the

wagon trail.

Assessments:

Students will listen attentively

and participate in class

discussion.

Developmental Phase

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Objectives:

Students will be able to

identify with the material from

the book read aloud in class

and the class discussion and

will be able to use a table of

supplies and good to decide

what items to bring in their

wagon. .

Procedures:

1. Ask class what types of

things pioneers might need to

think about when packing

their wagon. Encourage group

discussion on what type of

items are most needed,

sustainable or long lasting.

2. Instruct: Teacher uses a

PowerPoint presentation to

further discuss pioneer supply

list and graphic organizer,

going over directions.

Assessments:

Completed page two of the

graphic organizer. Students

should have correct answers to

graphic organizer questions

through their readings, class

discussions, and PowerPoint

presentation.

Expansion Phase

Objectives: Students will work

with a group to develop a

supply list for a 5 month long

pioneer journal.

Procedures:

1. Students will get into their

family groups to compromise

on which items to bring. They

should discuss reasons why

certain items are important or

not important. Students will

write their supplies in the

graphic. The total weight

should be around 2,000 lbs.

2. Afterwards, students will be

encouraged to think about the

following questions: “Was it

hard to decide what to bring

on your trip. Why or why

not?” “How did you decide

what to bring?” “How was

planning your trip similar to

planning a trip today?”

Assessments: Students will

work in groups to create a

supply list that is around 2,000

lbs and will last for a five

month long journey using

graphic organizers.

Students will include this

supply list in their pioneer

journal.

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Lesson Reflection: This lesson went well. The students loved working in groups and putting

themselves in the shoes of a real pioneer. One problem that students had was in estimating how

many supplies they would need to equal about 2,000 lbs. If I were to teach this again I would

teach the lesson over the span of two days or three days. On the second day, students would

create recipes only using ingredients found in their supply list. On the third day, students could

bring in their pioneer foods for extra credit and we would have a “pioneer class picnic”.

Name: Lauren Pool

Grade Level: 5

Subject: Social Studies

Unit Title: Westward Expansion: The Pioneer Trail

Special Needs Modifications: Children with special needs will work in groups with other

students who they work well with for additional assistance.

ELL Strategies: Visual activities and oral reading of the handout will benefit an ELL learner.

Prerequisites: Ability to make conclusions of readings.

Materials: Map of USA and informational sheet about pioneer trails

References:

Skills Lesson Concept Lesson Generalization Lesson

ALCOS Standards: 5th

grade

Social Studies:

SS 5:10) Describe political, social, and economic events between 1803 and 1860 that led to the

expansion of the territory of the United States

English Language Arts:

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ELA 5:6) Use text features, including indexes, tables, and appendixes, to guide interpretation of

expository texts

Exploratory Phase

Objectives:

Students will understand the

categories of threats that

people encountered on the

pioneer trail from a broad and

specific perspective.

Procedures:

1. Read select pages from the

book “You Wouldn’t Want to

Be an American Pioneer: A

Wildnerness You’d Better Not

Tame by David Salariya that

depicts various threats that

pioneers faced on the trail.

2. Instruct: Guide students

through PowerPoint slides that

reviews what students know

already about the trails and

addresses the threats people

faced.

Assessments:

Students will listen and

participate in class discussion.

Developmental Phase

Objectives:

Students will be able to draw

conclusions from the pages

read and class discussion to

come up with general threat

categories and specific threats.

Procedures:

1. The teacher will pass out a

graphic organizer web titled

“Threats”.

2. The teacher will explain

how to fill in a web and will

tell students how a web begins

with general concepts and

expands out to become more

specific.

3. Then the teacher will ask

the students draw conclusions

from what they read,

Assessments:

Students will complete a

threats web about their

reading.

Students will choose three

threats to address and expand

upon and will create three

separate journal entries with

illustrations.

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summarize their findings, and

discover or infer the

generalization.

4. Have students write down

their generalization in the

middle bubbles of the web and

the specific threats branching

out from the generalizations.

Expansion Phase

Objectives:

Students will be able to locate

the pioneer routes using an

informational sheet and

questions about the routes.

Procedures:

1. Give students a map of the

state of the United States and

an informational sheet of

questions that will help guide

them to locating each trail.

2. Have students highlight the

routes and main cities on each

trail and correctly label the

routes. Students will be given

questions that help them

correctly label the trails.

3. Students will relate what

they know about the American

landscape and tie it into the

threats discussed in class.

4. Students will turn to a

neighbor and talk about why

certain threats would exist for

some trails more than other,

and what kind of

measurements pioneers could

take to avoid the threats.

Assessments:

Students will be able to locate

the various trails on a United

States map.

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Lesson Reflection: Students really enjoyed the book excerpt that I read to them about the threats

that pioneers faced on the trails. The threats web proved to be a great way to demonstrate

student’s ability to understand generalizations and specific concepts. Students enjoy the photos I

showed them during the PowerPoint presentation as well. The map activity was good, but in a

future lesson I would like to incorporate the use of technology to really engage students. Google

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maps has a program that would allow students to see the trails that pioneers took and what the

trails look like today.

Complete Unit Review:

Objectives:

Students will be able to review

the week’s unit plan by using

their acquired knowledge to

play a review basketball game.

Procedures:

1. Place students in teams or

in pairs to play the game.

2. Explain the rules of the

game.

3. Students will play a review

game that will allow them to

demonstrate their knowledge

on the week’s lessons.

Assessments:

Students will correctly

complete basketball game

questions with 90% accuracy.