Lesson Title: Westward Expansion – web 2.

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Teacher: Mrs. Hanson
Subject: Social Studies / Integrated Grade Level: 5
Time Required: 4 lessons / 45 minutes each
Topic: Pioneer Life

Essential Question:
• How many supplies would you need to take your family on the Oregon Trail?
• Which trail would you choose to take your family west?
• How would you persuade others that it is the best choice?
• How did life for the pioneers differ from today?
• What struggles and hardships did pioneers face on the trail west?
• How can we use on-line resources to learn about history?

Prerequisites (Prior knowledge)

Use a KWL chart to determine prior knowledge about pioneer life and Westward
Expansion. Students will have basic Math, English and computer skills.
Stage 1 – Desired Results

Content Area Standard(s) (include complete standard, not just standard #)

Standard 1: History of the United States and New York

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of

major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United
States and New York.
Standard 1: English/Language Arts
Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding. As listeners
and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts,
and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically
produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language to
acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.
Standard 2: Learning standards for Mathematics, Science and Technology
Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate
technologies.
Standard 7: Learning standards for Mathematics, Science and Technology
Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and
technology to address real-life problems and make informed decisions.
Intended Learning Outcome (Should define what students will know and be able to do and at what
level of mastery they should be able to do it.)
Students will know… Student will be able to…
1. Math - how to determine the 1. Math – determine the supplies
amount of supplies needed to travel needed to take his/her family west
west 2. English – write a letter to persuade
2. English - how to communicate using someone to take a specific route west
proper English 3. Social Studies – communicate the
3. Social Studies – information about pros and cons of different routes west
the different routes west 4. Technology – use a Blog to
4. Technology - how to follow a communicate information discovered
Webquest
© Gradel & Jabot andfrom
2009 (adapted research on the
Jabot, Maheady, Reyinternet
2005 (adapted fromthrough research
UbD, Wiggins & McTighe))
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to find out information on Westward 5. Technology – post successfully to a
Expansion Blog
5. Technology – how to post to a Blog
 Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Learning Activities
Stage
Instructional Strategies/Learning 2 – Assessment Evidence
Activities:
e.g., demonstration, discussion, small groups, role play, in
Students will demonstrate their learning/understanding the following way(s):
etc.
Teacher-Created Assessments
Pre-test:
• Webquest
• • Little
KWLHouseChart on the Prairie video
• • Writing
Discussiona letter on Blog
• Interest
• KWL chart Survey
• Books / maps / atlases for research
Post-test:
• Other artifacts or examples of items that would help students understand pioneer
• life
Letter Blog / Response Blog
• Supply List Blog
• Assessment
Introducing the lesson: of Blogs with the following rubric. Westward Expansion Rubric
(capturing students’ attention, activating students’ prior knowledge).
(Performance Assessments: )
• Show the Little House movie to introduce Westward Expansion.
•· Discuss
Persuasive
whatLetter Blogknow already and what they don’t know or might like to
students
· know.
Supply List Blog see Student work sample
•· Discuss
Discussion
how life might have been different in the 1800’s as compared to the
present. Construct a chart of questions to be answered.
(Other Assessments:
• Show books and Peer,
copiesSelf)
of letters or on-line resources about life on the trail.
• Show brochures used to encourage westward Expansion or other visuals found on-
• line.
Students will read and respond to others persuasive letters on a Blog.

• Students
Instructional will check supply lists of others for accuracy on a Blog.
Sequence:
(representing the content: teaching/learning activities, connecting to students’ prior knowledge, etc.)
(Assessment Adaptations)
Teacher activity (The teacher is doing….) Student activity (The student is doing…)
• Students with writing disabilities may be able to correct a letter they find on-line
1. KWLinstead
chart of creating and editing their own1.letter.
KWL chart

2. Introductory
• Student Movie – stopping
may present his / movie to of2.trails
her choice Watching Movie and
west verbally answering
or dictate it to a peer to
ask questions or explain
type into the Blog.situations questions

3. Introduce
• Student Webquest
may work and how
with to navigate
a partner 3. determine
as they Students navigate
together the
the Webquest
amount of
it supplies they will need to take both families west. Each must explain to the
teacher verbally the method he/she used to figure it out.
4. Assist students in writing letters. Write a 4. Writing persuasive letters on a Blog
sample letter to demonstrate
• Student may use computer applications to construct a proper letter that is then
pasted into the Blog.
Adaptations to the Instructional Sequence to Differentiate:

• Write a letter on the computer or correct one you found on-line about someone’s
trip or arrival in the west.
• Student may work with a peer.
© Gradel & Jabot 2009 (adapted from Jabot, Maheady, Rey 2005 (adapted from UbD, Wiggins & McTighe))
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 • Allow any other adaptations as indicated by IEP or 504

Discussion and Assessment of Learning:

(Pointing out to students how what they are learning is related to the driving question; assessing students’
learning as a result of the lesson)

• Ask students why it is important to know about our past

• Discuss what they are learning about the past that surprises them
• Discuss how we can use the computer to find out about History
• Discuss how the USA would be different if pioneers had not settled the West.
• Discuss how we use Math and English in our everyday lives
• Discuss why it might be important to be able communicate effectively in writing
or on the computer
Closure:
Extensions for early finishers:

• Play Oregon Trail Game or another computer game about the period
• Research a topic of interest to them (on-line) and explain how it differs in the two
time periods
• Pick a creative activity that would have been performed on the trail and make a
sample
• Pick a game that would have been played on the trail and teach a classmate to
play it

Alternate strategies for struggling students or those who learn differently:

• Allow students to work in pairs and determine how many supplies they would
need for the families to travel together and post to the Blog as a team
• Have student correct grammar and spelling of an existing letter by typing it into
the computer.
• Have student write his/her letter on the computer and paste into Blog.
• Have students verbally explain why a specific route west would be the one they
would chose using a Graphic Organizer he/she created on-line.
Procedures:
(already established procedures to be used and procedures to be taught for this lesson)

• Use basic Math and reasoning to determine amounts of supplies. Brain storm if
necessary to review.

• Students will post supply list to the Blog. Teacher will model posting to a Blog

• Use basic research skills to study maps and brochures and research on-line.

• Use on-line graphic organizers to determine pros and cons of different routes.
Teacher will model, if necessary.

• Lecture / listening skills to watch movie and gather information from visitors / field
trips / internet
© Gradel & Jabot 2009 (adapted from Jabot, Maheady, Rey 2005 (adapted from UbD, Wiggins & McTighe))
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 • Review skills / grammar / letter format and computer applications for persuasive
letter writing.

© Gradel & Jabot 2009 (adapted from Jabot, Maheady, Rey 2005 (adapted from UbD, Wiggins & McTighe))
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 Lesson Development Resources
Technology Tools and Materials:
(classroom set-up, preparations, resources, etc.)

• Computers / Webquest / blog

• Safari System / TV & Video player
• Various books, atlases, maps, facsimiles of brochures and on-line resources
• Desks / tables set up in groups
• Ask families to share knowledge or family history with the class
• Ask Fenton or McClurg mansion to send someone to present to the school or take
a Field Trip

(Parent/Community Resources)

• Fenton Museum
• McClurg Mansion
• Civil War Era re-enactors
• Parents / volunteers interested in history
• County / Town Historian
• Chautauqua/Cattaraugus Library System
• Permission slips for field trip and computer usage
• Letter home to ask parents if they can assist in any area

(Contact Information)

Birgit M. Hanson
hans1448@fredonia.edu

Additional Concerns

• Ask school permission for visitors / field trip

• Check with Tech Coordinator and administration to verify that web searches, Webquest,
and blog are acceptable and meet the criteria of the school system.

• Make sure the school server does not block desired technologies.

© Gradel & Jabot 2009 (adapted from Jabot, Maheady, Rey 2005 (adapted from UbD, Wiggins & McTighe))
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