Lesson Plan #4

Grade: 5th Social Studies Strand: History

Submitted By: Nicole Sheehan

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

Lesson Plan #4 - History

submitted by: Nicole Sheehan

B. Summary of the Lesson Plan: This social studies lesson is designed for 5th grade students to learn about the journey in several groups of people moving west during the time of the California Gold Rush. This lesson uses the Houghton Mifflin Social Studies textbook United States History (p. 400403).

C. Basic Information: Grade Level: 5th Time to Complete this Lesson: 40-50 Minutes Groupings: whole group and individual.

D. Materials: Houghton Mifflin 5th Grade Social Studies Book: United States History (p.400-403) for each student

Shoe Boxes Items from school or from school that are selected by the student ( for the purpose of time I will print off several pictures of items such items as brushes, water, an X-box, jewelry, toys, etc.)

E. Objectives: o NV State Social Studies Standards

Nevada State College

H3.5.1 Compare and/or contrast the daily lives of children throughout the United States, both past and present.
EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 2

Lesson Plan #4 - History

o Student-Friendly Standards

submitted by: Nicole Sheehan

I can compare and/or contrast the lives of children in the Unites States from the past and in the present.

F. Vocabulary Wagon Trail- a line of moving covered wagons moving together across country. A forty-niner- a person who went to look for gold in California in 1849. Gold rush- the quick movement of people to California and other states looking for gold. Boomtown- a town offering many opportunities to make money and filled with people new people. Wants- things that are desired but not a necessity Need- required for survival or well being.

G. Procedure: 1. First in whole group we will read (as I stop and ask questions about the text) and discuss the events taking place on pages 400-403. 2. Then I will focus students attention on the map of the trails on page 402. I will remind students they would be traveling in a group of people in a wagon trail so to really visualize how small of an amount of items they are able to bring with them on this journey. 3. I will then instruct students to get their shoe boxes that I requested they bring from home. At that time, I will bring out individual envelops that contain the same amount of items for each student. Each envelope has 15+ items however I will send students back to their seats to think about and decide what items would be important for the children of that time period to bring with them on their journey to the west. 4. I will then have students write a journal entry that explains why they choice those items and how the needs of a child then are similar or differ from those needs of children of the present. H. Assessment: What will you use to measure student understanding? I will use their verbal/written responses as well as their final product to assess the students understanding of the concept. Explain how you will know students understand the concepts from the lesson. If the student is able to make an appropriate connection between the items inside of their traveling box and the needs/wants of children from the past and present I will know they understood the concept.

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2014

Karen Powell- Instructor

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Lesson Plan #4 - History

I. Closure:

submitted by: Nicole Sheehan

As closure each student will present whole group one item they chose to bring with them on their travel and explain why.

J. Reflection: 1. Which part of the lesson do you think will be the easiest for you to teach? I think all of this lesson would be great to teach but the easiest would be introducing the idea of the students putting themselves in the shoes of other children. 2. Which part will be most challenging for you to teach? The difference between wants and needs may be hard to teach to students that may have never experienced only living by the means of their needs. 3. How will you follow up or extend this lesson? To follow up this lesson I will have students go home with the shoe boxes and have them pack a few items (or pictures of items) they would bring with them if they had to suddenly move west with their families to share with the class. 4. What can you do for students who dont grasp the concepts? Giving examples of real life situations would be my first go to in reaching students that dont grasp the concept. 5. Which part of the lesson, if any, do you think might need to change? I dont use the test book that much for this lesson because the standard and idea that I am trying to get across to the students is (in my eyes) better taught in a more hands on approach. Yet, I feel that maybe a little bit more test book instruction could be added. 6. When you were writing this lesson plan, what was the most difficult part? I feel that trying my best to make it usable for such a short lesson was hard to do but I think I made it work. 7. Explain the strategy from Integrating Language Arts & Social Studies that you included in this lesson plan. The strategy from Integrating Language Arts & Social Studies that I used/included in this lesson plan comes from Strategy 14 Authentic Role Play specifically the Traveling Box. I made this the center of my lesson as the students use the traveling box to grasp the most understanding of the concept trying to be conveyed in this lesson.

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2014

Karen Powell- Instructor

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