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Cultural Lit. 17: Western Expansion & Native Americans

Time Frame

2 class periods of 60 minutes each

Authors

Utah LessonPlans

Summary

Students will identify and describe the trails that led to western expansion-- Oregon, Old Spanish, California, Mormon-- 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:

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


Intended Learning Outcomes

The routes of the US Western expansion trails: Oregon, Old Spanish, California, Mormon.


Instructional Procedures

Introduce lesson to capture students attention:
Utilizing large US map at front of the class, teacher will ask students to tell where their ancestors are from in the US. Teacher will mark locations. If all students are local American Indians then teacher will begin by showing a map of the US with western expansion routes and ask students if they know any of the names of American Indian tribes originally or presently located on expansion routes.

Teacher will ask students who have ancestors from other regions in the US if their ancestors arrived in SE Utah by way of any of the four western expansion routes.

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 in this unit the students are going to find out which American Indians lived in the areas which the Oregon, Old Spanish, California, and Mormon trails crossed. Furthermore, the students are going to find out some of the ramifications for those American Indian people of the trails traversing their traditional homelands.

Teacher Instruction:
Using selected texts, and teacher prepared handouts, teacher will read selected passages aloud to students explaining the origin and area of the four western expansion trails. 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 concept?
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 the US Western Expansion Trails. Students will choose 2 or 3 websites and look up maps of trails, cite the website address, and print the map which is most useful for their assignment.


Assessment Plan

Observation of student participation. Complete student notes in journal, downloaded map and citations from the www.


Created: 01/20/2005
Updated: 02/02/2018
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