Cultural Lit. 21: The Mormon Trail & Native Americans

Summary

Students will name the American Indian people by tribe who lived in the lands which the Mormon Trail traversed. Students will investigate and describe some impacts of western expansion upon the American Indians, after receiving direct instruction, and carrying out activities in cooperative group settings, in 1-2 class periods.

Materials

1. Waldman, Carl and Braun, Molly. (Eds.) 2000. Atlas of the North American Indian. Facts on File. Map and information of expansion trails p. 202-204. Prepared overhead slide of map on p. 202, or projection device for map in text.
2. 8th Grade Social Studies Text: Call to Freedom. Map of western expansion trails, p. 506. Mormon Trail, pp. 531-32. Oregon Trail, pp. 506-07. California Trail, pp. 508-509. Prepared overhead slide of map on p. 506, or projection device for map in text.
3. Handout for students of US map showing trails.
4. Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock. 2001. Classroom Instruction that Works. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
5. Paper, pencil, journals.

Background for Teachers

Guarded Vocabulary:
New words pre-taught/sustained in lesson:

LDS Church, Western Expansion, Manifest Destiny, homeland, traverse, territories, frontier, route, trail, settlement.

Intended Learning Outcomes

The American Indian people by tribe who lived in the lands which the Mormon Trail traversed, and some impacts of expansion upon the American Indians.

Instructional Procedures

Introduce lesson to capture students attention:
Utilizing large US map at front of the class, teacher will review the California Trail and ask students for additional information they gleaned from their computer research. Teacher will write student answers on board, projection device or flipchart.

Problem/Prediction:
How can you get the students really thinking?

Teacher tells class that for this lesson the students are going to find out which American Indians lived in the areas which the Mormon Trail traversed, by using the www online and/or using the Waldman and Braun text.

Teacher Instruction:
Using selected texts, and teacher prepared handouts, teacher will read aloud to students, selected passages regarding the geographical route and other information of the Mormon Trail. Teacher will ask comprehension questions throughout reading-- stopping to clarify and embellish as necessary.

How will you end your lesson?
Students in groups will share website information and briefly tell what they found.

Strategies for Diverse Learners

How will you help ELL students?
Teacher will ask comprehension questions of ELL students throughout reading and embellish information read to scaffold and clarify concepts as needed.

Help students' master new concepts:
Students will work in pairs, follow along with handouts and take notes into a journal, or using a teacher generated note-taking frame. Students are to write the main ideas of the reading (see Marzano, Pickering and Pollock p. 46, Informal Outline).

Extensions

Working in pairs or groups of three, students will utilize computers and the www and go online and search for websites about American Indians living in the lands on the route of the Mormon Trail. Students will choose 2 or 3 websites and use the site which is most useful for their assignment. Students will list the American Indian tribes living in the lands on the route of the Mormon Trail, and some impacts of expansion upon the American Indians.

Assessment Plan

Observation of student participation. Complete student notes in journal, listed American Indian tribes, and citations from the www.

Unit Assessment
Student will arrange their notes and maps and www citations in sequence of the four Western Expansion trails. Teacher will give an "open notes" quiz on the unit, covering the routes of the trails and the American Indians living in the areas which the trails traversed, and some impacts of expansion upon the American Indians.

Group Projects
Each of the four western expansion trails could be illustrated on large board or butcher paper, with American Indian homelands indicated and a timeline of major events during western expansion.