Life Skills:

• Thinking & Reasoning
• Communication
• Social & Civic Responsibility

Curriculum Tie:

• Social Studies
  Utah Studies
  Standard 2

Time Frame:
1 class period that runs 45 minutes.

Group Size:
Large Groups

Summary:
Students will select and defend selected items that they propose to take on their pioneer journey.

Materials:
List of categories (e.g., food, clothing, toiletries, and etc.) for students. Possible examples of items that pioneers would have. (Physical examples would be extraordinary!) Journals/notebooks.

Background For Teachers:
Knowledge of decision-making process. This activity can be used for a preview or in accordance with other lessons on Utah history. Prior knowledge of persuasive (letter) writing.

Intended Learning Outcomes:
Students will identify with the pioneering experience by choosing specific items to take with them, as if the student was one of the early pioneers. Students will write a persuasive letter to convince others of their choices.

Instructional Procedures:

Discussion: Have you ever moved? What problems did you encounter? How long did it take to pack up all of your items? How did you decide what to take with you and what to throw away (what was the most important)? Were you happy with your choice(s)?

Explain how important it is to keep a journal. Discuss how our knowledge of history (specifically, the pioneers) would be if we did not have pioneer journals. Explain how the students will be expected to keep a journal (recording their thoughts and feelings) as this lesson continues.

See essential themes and questions in the Heritage Gateway Curriculum.

After students have written in their journals, discuss the problems associated with moving. Then, ask students to consider (from prior knowledge) problems that the pioneers would have encountered as well. What problems do they have in common? How are the challenges that the pioneers face unique to their time?

In small groups, have students list at least 3 items in the categories of CLOTHING, TOOLS, MEMENTOS, FOOD, and any other applicable areas you (or they) can generate. After students have had approximately 5-7 minutes with their groups, ask them to return to their seats and, using the TALENTS UNLIMITED or other decision making process, finalize their lists. Students should have a maximum of five items.

Then, ask students how they solved the problem of having too many items to move. How did they decide, for example, what would be sold at a garage sale and what they could not live without. Then, help students identify with the fact that the pioneers did not have time to go through each item nor did they have enough room for luxuries. Through discussion, help students understand the importance of the choices that the pioneers made about which items they would take.
Students will use their final lists to write a letter to their parents attempting to convince them of the importance of these particular items. Encourage students to use their best persuasive writing skills, using good, concrete reasons to support their argument.

Students may wish to have others read their work to consider how convincing they have been. They may go through the writing process or they may save these letters in their portfolios for future editing.

OPTIONAL: (1) Have the students share (in small groups or as a class) some of their thoughts about preparing for their journey. (2) Have the students share some of their persuasive reasoning (in small groups or as a class).

Web Sites

• Heritage Gateways
  This includes information about pioneers during the western migration, their journals, and trail information. It also includes modern-day journals from the re-enactment.

Extensions:
Students could also read journals or do other research to find out what specific individuals brought with them to Utah and how this affected their lives.

Assessment Plan:
portfolio assessments or any standard writing rubric

Author:
SARA BIRD-MATIS

Created Date :
Mar 08 1997 13:46 PM