Lesson Plan #4

Grade: 4 Social Studies Strand: History

Submitted By: Sandra Montgomery
EDEL 453: Teaching Elementary School Social Science Nevada State College Spring 2014 Instructor: Karen Powell

Lesson Plan #1 History

B. Summary of the Lesson Plan:

submitted by: Sandra Montgomery

This lesson is on pioneers moving west and what they needed to take to survive the trek. I took the strategy from Integrating Language Arts and Social Studies: Strategy 1 (pg. 3 8) C. Basic Information: Grade Level: 4th grade Time to Complete this Lesson: 50 minutes Groupings: small groups

D. Materials: Houghton Mifflin Social Studies: United States History Volume 2 Chapter 11: Core Lesson 4 (Pg. 400-405) Integrating Language Arts and Social Studies; Strategy 1 (pg. 3 8) Copy of Figure 1.1 on page 8 in Integrating Language Arts and Social Studies per students. Various objects pioneers would find on the trek west; 1 per group E. Objectives: o NV State Social Studies Standards o H2.4.2 Describe the experiences of pioneers moving west.

Student-Friendly Standards H2.4.2 Students will experience some objects the pioneers found on the trek to the West.

F. Vocabulary Wagon train: line of covered wagons that moved together. Forty-niner: a miner who went to California in 1849. Gold rush: when many people hurry to the same area to look for gold. Boomtown: a town whose population grows very quickly.

G. Procedure: Italics are instructions for the teachers only 1. We read the story from Houghton Mifflin Social Studies: United States History volume Chapter 11: Core Lesson 4 (Pg. 400-405). 2. Go over the definitions 3. TW pair up the students.

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2014

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 2

Lesson Plan #1 History

submitted by: Sandra Montgomery

4. TW take the students on a field trip (on the school grounds). Teacher would have a marked area where she hid different artifacts out on the school grounds. 5. TW tell students that each pair will work on their own artifact. 6. SW find something that might be found on the track. Ex. Sagebrush, arrowheads, bones, etc. Then SW pull out their data sheet and work together on it. 7. TW walk around groups of students and observe and guide students if needed. 8. After 30 minutes, TW take students back into the classroom. 9. SW write in their journal what they might consider items and what would be considered as artifacts. 10. SW share one thing about the item they found. 11. TW discuss what they discovered and how it might have been like for pioneer children as they walked along with their parents. TW ask what kind of things can be considered objects or artifacts H. Assessment: What will you use to measure student understanding? TW use their journals as an informal assessment to see if they have an understanding what an artifact or object is. The teacher will also use anecdotal records as he/she listens as the students in the class discussion. Explain how you will know students understand the concepts from the lesson. If the students were able to fill the data sheet out with clarity. The level of discussion between the teacher and the students had in class. I. Closure: Students will give one idea what they might have found if they were on a pioneer trek and if it is an object or an artifact.

J. Reflection: 1. Which part of the lesson do you think will be the easiest for you to teach? Taking the students outside on a small field trip. 2. Which part will be most challenging for you to teach? Seeing if the students understand what can be classified as an artifact and then how to describe what they found. 3. How will you follow up or extend this lesson? I would have the students learn about what needs to be put into wagons, what the pioneers had to leave, what the students would leave and what they would take. Then have the students go to stations and if they didnt pack certain items, then they would have to go sit down and redo their list of things to take with them.

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2014

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 3

Lesson Plan #1 History

submitted by: Sandra Montgomery

4. What can you do for students who dont grasp the concepts? I would have the students paired up with different level students, that way the students who understand can help guide their partner. If the group is having problems I would ask them what they are struggling with. Then I would guide them on the questions they are having problems with.

5. Which part of the lesson, if any, do you think might need to change? Personally, I dont know what I would change on it.

6. When you were writing this lesson plan, what was the most difficult part? Trying to get the book online and integrating it with Integrating Language Arts and Social Studies. I changed the topic and lesson idea around several times to get to work together.

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2014

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 4

Lesson Plan #1 History

submitted by: Sandra Montgomery

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2014

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 5