Pioneer Travel is a curriculum web that allows students to interact with specific content about the experiences, adventure and challenges pioneers endured during their travel west. Through four “adventures”, students will have the opportunity to work in cooperative groups, incorporate their creativity, use specific software programming and integrate content from the web and text. The purpose of this web is to allow children to learn about pioneer travel while at the same time accomplishing other academic standards. The skills utilized during their hands-on experience will enhance their ability to work as a team, research appropriate information from varied sources and write creatively.
Aim
The pioneer travel web is designed to help third grade students
to combine their research skills and computer knowledge in order to create
an informational presentation to their classmates.
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Rationale
Through this unit of studying Pioneer Travel, there are many
different aspects to cover. This lesson is an engaging and interactive
way to cover a wide range of information at the students’ level.
The lesson is consistent with current best practices. There is cooperative
learning, problem solving, room for student creativity and the teacher
as the facilitator. Technology, speaking, listening and writing is also
integrated into this lesson with the use of Power Point to support a presentation.
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Learners
The students are in third grade with ages ranging from 8-10.
It is a heterogeneous grouping of varied cognitive abilities and learning
styles. The majority of students come from a mixture of middle and upper
class families. The use of the computer addresses the need for hands on
instruction of many of the students. This lesson will take place in the
4th quarter of the school year. Students will have already experienced
creating power point slides and can read at a third grade level. (The
text is written at a low third grade level) The students will be presenting
their projects to the class when finished which will encourage them to
do their best work.
Their interests include using the computer, creating Power Point animation,
drawing and coloring and solving puzzle activities.
With the addition of the ASL glossary the site has also been made more
accessible to d/Deaf students in the elementary grades.
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Prerequisites
Before beginning this lesson the students should be able to:
• use books to do research on a topic
• organize their research in order to present
• create a Power Point presentation with pictures
• present their information to the class
• read on the 3rd grade level
• be able to work cooperatively in teams
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Subject-Matter
The subject matter is centered around pioneer travel. The six
areas that will be covered are: food, what a covered wagon is, what to
bring, dangers, what a wagon train is, and the different trails. This
unit incorporates writing, reading, speaking and technology application
skills.
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Goals and Objectives
A. Students will be exposed to and learn about the different
aspects of pioneer travel.
B. Students will work collaboratively to create a power point presentation
on one aspect of pioneer travel and then they will present it to the class.
C. Students will learn and use key terms in relation to the pioneer unit.
D. Students will apply creative writing skills.
E. Students will read and locate important information.
The source of goals A and C come from the Third Grade Social Studies curriculum
of the Pennsbury School District. Goal B and E is a combination of Language
Arts and Technology Standards from which Pennsbury adopted. (Speaking
and Listening, creating a simple structure power point slide)
Goal D correlates with Pennsylvania State Writing Standards.
A.
Students will read and collect a minimum of 4 key ideas from assigned
section from the book: If You Traveled West In A Covered Wagon.
B. Students will work in cooperative groups to create 2 power point slides
that highlight the 4 or more key ideas from their assigned text. Each
slide will include an appropriate picture.
C. Students will draw, color and write one paragraph on a post card. The
paragraph will have a minimum of 5 sentences and will be in the format
of a letter.
D. Students will identify and type or write key terms with the use of
a glossary.
E. Students will locate and identify key ideas and information.
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Instructional Plan
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Friendly Instructional Plan
Adventure # 1: Vocabulary
Length of Time: 45 minutes
Materials and Resources: Glossary.html or SignLanguage.html, Adventure1.html, HotPotato.html, Vocabulary worksheet from vocab.pdf
Goal: Students will learn and use key terms in relation to the pioneer unit.
Objectives: Students will identify and type or write key terms with the use of a glossary with 90% accuracy.
Lesson: The teacher should introduce the lesson by explaining to the students that they are going to be working on the computer to complete the unit on Pioneer Travel. After explaining that they will be working on different web pages that will provide the directions for each part of the unit, the teacher will direct the students to proceed to the bookmarked Pioneer Travel web. After the students have had a chance to read the introduction they will follow the directions on the web page to proceed to Adventure 1. The teacher has the option of having the students work individually or in the same groups that will be used for Adventure 3. (this decision may be based on the availability of computers) Students will be told to find the link for the glossary (if the students are unfamiliar with the word glossary the teacher should explain the meaning) and click on it. If the students are hearing impaired and use sign language for communication they may be directed to the sign language link if they need help with understanding the vocabulary. After providing a vocabulary worksheet to the students (each student should complete their own worksheet even if they are working in teams) they will follow the directions on the webpage to complete the worksheet by using the glossary. After completing the worksheet, the students will click on the link to the crossword puzzle and complete it. Once the crossword is complete and graded the students will call the teacher over to see the grade.
Assessment: Students will turn in their completed worksheet and show the teacher the completed crossword.
Adventure #2: Scavenger Hunt
Length of Time: 30 minutes
Materials and Resources: Internet, computers, worksheet
Goal: Using the Internet, the students will complete the given worksheet with 90% of the questions answered correctly.
Objectives: Students will navigate on the Internet. Students will use the websites to research and find the answers to the questions on the worksheet. Students will write their answers on the worksheet.
Lesson: The students will be given a worksheet with different questions about the Oregon Trail. The students will use the Internet to find the answers to the questions asked and successfully complete the worksheet.
Assessment: Students will be assessed by their accuracy in completing the assignment.
Differentiation: Students with a better knowledge of computers and the Internet can look for their own websites to find the answers. Those not as computer literate can use the worksheet with websites already provided.
Enrichment Activity
As an enrichment
activity, students can create a poster that depicts a covered wagon. The
parts of the wagon must be labeled and the picture must be colored. Sources
from where students can obtain information about covered wagons:
- Text: If You Traveled West In A Covered Wagon.
- Website: Wagons on the Trails West http://www.sover.net/~barback/ot/wagons.html
Both sources should be used
in order to get adequate information for their poster!
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Adventure #3: Power Point Presentation
Length of Time: approx. 3 days
Materials and Resources:
- Book: If You Traveled West In A Covered Wagon by Ellen Levine (one book for every 2 students)
- PowerPoint
- Video Projector
Goal: Students will work collaboratively to create a power point presentation on one aspect of pioneer travel and then they will present it to the class.
Objectives:
A. Students will
read and collect a minimum of 4 key ideas from assigned section from the
book: If You Traveled West In A Covered Wagon.
B. Students will work
in cooperative groups to create 3-4 power point slides that highlight
4 or more key ideas from their assigned text. Each slide will include
an appropriate picture.
Lesson:The topic of the lesson will focus on the different aspects of pioneer travel. There will be 6 cooperative groups (up to 4 students in each group). Each group will be assigned a different subtopic to research and then later present the data to the class using power point. The six areas that will be covered are: food, what a covered wagon is, what to bring, dangers, what a wagon train is, and the different trails. Students will be required to take notes and collect at least 4 key points about their subtopic. The teacher will monitor and guide each group’s efforts of data collecting. With their information, the students will create up to a four-slide presentation using Power Point. Appropriate pictures are included, however sound is optional. Each group will then present their information to the class using a projector.
- Day 1: Research, collecting
facts from assigned section of book: If You Traveled West In A Covered
Wagon.
Topics for Power Point Project:All topics taken from: If You Traveled West In A Covered WagonWhy did some people want to travel all the way to Oregon? Page 8
What kinds of people traveled West? Pages18-19
How would you cross the rivers when there were no bridges? Pages 25-27
What were the dangers and difficulties of the trip? Pages 32-34
What would you eat? Pages 40-43
Would you go to school on the trip? Pages 50-51
Was it hard driving wagons over mountains? Pages 65-67
What special tricks of the trail did the pioneers learn? Pages 73-75
- Day 2: Creation of Power Point Slides
- Day 3: Present slides to class
Assessment:The presentation will be graded by a rubric.
Adventure # 4: Journal Entry
Length of Time: Ongoing research from the beginning of unit. Two days to write the actual journal entry.
Materials and Resources: Computer, Internet, book, paper, pencil
Goal: Students will write a journal entry describing their adventures on the Oregon Trail.
Objectives: Students will research the daily happenings of a family traveling on the Oregon Trail. Students will write a journal entry based on their research. Students will write in first person, sharing their thoughts, as if they were the ones experiencing these adventures.
Lesson: This lesson will bring the social studies, writing, and technology standards together. The students will be responsible for researching information about the Oregon Trail on the Internet and in their books; this will be done as a group. From this information, they must determine what it would have been like to be on the Oregon Trail. They then will individually choose several important events that they feel important to write about. After researching and deciding what their day will include, the students will write a journal entry to share this information. The students will be provided with a rubric to help guide them in writing their entry.
Assessment: Students will be scored using the same rubric that they were given with the assignment. See the attached rubric.
Differentiation: Students who are more comfortable working on computers can search the Internet for sites other than the ones provided.
Acceptable
Use Policy for the students
Prior to beginning the Pioneer
Travel Web students will be asked to sign an acceptable use policy provided
by the teacher (parents will have already signed a district AUP previously.)
Resources
1. Wagons
on the Trails West-descriptions of covered wagons
2. Pioneers
of the Wild West-links to other sites
3. Oregon Trail Field Trip
4. On the
Trail and Covered Wagons-photos of wagons
5. Going for
Gold-photos for projects and information about the gold rush
