Social Studies Lesson

Title: Westward Expansion and the Mexican- American War: The Native American Perspective

Subject/Grade Level/ Date(s): Social Studies, Grade 4, March 7th, 2016

Time Requirements: 1 hour

Materials List: Slates, white board markers and erasers, lined paper, notebook, pencil, Smartboard,
Westward Expansion textbook

Type of Lesson: Small group, whole group

Connection to Standards: Arizona Social Studies Standard, Strand 1: American History,

Concept 5: Westward Expansion, PO 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Arizona Reading Standards for Informational
Text (4.RI.1). Arizona Writing Standards (4.W.3).

Instructional Objective: Students will read and analyze text.

Students will write a letter as a response to concepts in the text.

Active Instructional Plan: Students will start by answering a bellwork question on slates. After
discussing for a few minutes, the teacher will model active reading and set expectations for shared
reading. Students and teacher will engage in actively reading the chapter of Westward Expansion.
Teacher will engage students in text dependent questions to check for content understanding. The
teacher will then proceed with 7up or clarifying strategies to dig deeper into the ideas presented. After
small group and whole group discussion, students will work on two short worksheets regarding the 7up
strategies and text dependent questions. To summarize ideas, students will answer closing question on
slates and share with whole group. Finally, students will be assessed through their writing of a narrative
journal entry. Journal entry will include ideas from the chapter as well as student opinion.
Anticipatory Set: Bellwork question, What do you already know about settlement in the
Southwest? Write your response in your notes and share with two friends.
Questions: Text Dependent: What happened as a result of Father Hidalgos rebellion? How did
Texas become a state? How did Arizona become a state? What is a dictator? Who built forts in the
1850s? What is a reservation?
Modeling: Demonstrate active reading by reading the text aloud. Ask and answer questions
that promote critical thinking and understanding of content (ie: Before starting reading, read timeline at
the top of the first page- What events are we going to read about today? What do we already know
about these events?). Track reading with finger and have students do the same. During this shared
reading, when class comes to vocabulary words highlighted in yellow in the text, everyone reads the
word aloud.
Guided Practice: 7up: Why did Texans want to be a part of the US? What is the difference
between a president and a dictator? Who else built forts and what were they called? What was it like to
live on a reservation? Students will write down a sentence in response to each question in their notes,
students will then discuss individual questions with a partner, and then there will be a group discussion
where students will have the opportunity to share their response or their partners response. Teacher
will rephrase student responses and ask follow up questions to connect with past learning and
introduce new ideas.
Independent Practice:
A New Nation organizer: Who settled in the United States? How did their settlement affect Arizona?
Cause and Effect Worksheet: Why did Americans start moving west?
Closure: On a slate, answer: How did the westward expansion affect Arizona? Why did
Americans start moving west? Share with partner, and then share with whole group.

Assessment/Evaluation: Students will write narrative journal entries from the perspective of the
Native Americans forced to move as new settlers moved into Arizona. In the journal entry, students will
include how they might feel if being forced to move from their homes, what they believe daily life would
look like for their family and themselves, and how they think they should be treated.

Modifications/Differentiation: Students will have access to peer and teacher support

throughout the whole lesson. Students will have the option to draw answers to questions on slates.
Students will have the option to write about one topic in their journal instead of all three (ie: write only
about how they think people should be treated). Students will also be able to take home their journal
entries and worksheets to bring back for the next social studies lesson.