Exploring America: Picture Book Teacher's Guides

2015-03-03T14:07:00.000-08:00

This teacher's guide includes a collection of book overviews, themes, standards-based activities, historical overviews, and additional resources relating to several books addressing exploration of the United States during the 1800s. The guides were designed by third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers as part of the Clark County School District's Teaching American History Grant module on westward migration. During the module, teacher participants were provided with picture and chapter books relating to nineteenth century exploration and westward migration of the United States. Each module participant selected one picture book or several chapters of a chapter book for which they would prepare a teacher's guide. These guides are accessible via the links on the left. This blog provides teacher's guides for the following picture books:

America in the Time of Lewis and Clark: 1801 To 1850 by Sally Senzell Isaacs
Apples to Oregon: Being the (Slightly) True Narrative of How a Brave Pioneer Father Brought Apples, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Grapes, and Cherries (and Children) ... the Plains by Deborah Hopkinson
Conestoga Wagons by Richard Ammon
The Coast Mappers by Taylor Morrison
Dakota Dugout by Ann Turner
Daily Life in a Covered Wagon by Paul Erickson
Kids Discover: Lewis and Clark
Kids Discover: Pioneers
If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon by Ellen Levine
If You Were a Pioneer on the Prairie by Anne Kamma
Lewis and Clark on the Trail of Discovery: An Interactive History by Rod Gragg
Sacagawea by Liselotte Erdrich
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Seaman's Journal: On the Trail with Lewis and Clark by Patti Reeder Eubank
You Wouldn't Want to Live in a Wild West Town! by Peter Hicks

Each teacher's guide is accessible by clicking on the "Book Guides" links to the left. The remaining blogs are for chapter books including Patty Reed's Doll: The Story of the Donner Party, Sallie Fox: The Story of a Pioneer Girl, Little House in the Big Woods, and Little House on the Prairie.

If you have any questions about this guide, please contact Christy G. Keeler, Ph.D., this blog's designer and the pedagogy scholar for the module. You may also enjoy visiting other grant module blogs. Each module was five weeks long with a focus on an historical era (taught by Drs. Michael Green and DeAnna Beachley) and pedagogical technique (taught by Dr. Keeler). The modules include:

Kids Discover: Pioneers II

2008-11-17T18:39:00.001-08:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Jennifer Bonilla, 3rd Grade Teacher, Hollingsworth Elementary School, Clark County School District
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This teacher's guide is for the Kids Discover magazine Pioneers. Note that there are two teacher's guides for this periodical (I and II). Additional teacher's guides are available for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.
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Book Overview:

Kids Discover Pioneers is a magazine for children. It is broken down into sections with the first section being an introduction to the theme of the magazine. It starts by defining what a pioneer is and providing examples of types of pioneers, not only from the 17^th century, but from different time periods. The next section, Early Pioneers, is divided into three movements over 100 years. The first was in the 1760s when pioneers moved around the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The next movement was in the 1840s when pioneers crossed all the way to Oregon and California. The final movement in the 1860s was when the pioneers settled in the Great Plains. The next section of the magazine describes in detail the wagons used by pioneers as they traveled hundreds of miles to their new homes. The next part describes life on the trail, how the wagons crossed the terrain, and include an aerial picture of the ruts from wagon wheels that are visible today. The sections are about the sod houses the pioneers built when they moved into the Great Plains and farming on the plains. The last section is on what the pioneers did for entertainment. Finally, at the end of the magazine, there are some puzzles for the reader to solve and a recipe on how to make Johnnycake.
Book Themes:
Early pioneers, Oregon and California pioneers, the Great Plains, Daniel Boone, Conestoga wagons, prairie schooners, log cabins/sod houses, corn, farming the plains, weather on the plains, entertainment, windmills.

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Conestoga Wagons vs. Prairie Schooners

Students will read the two sections, Early Pioneers and The Ships of the Plains, in the Kids Discover Pioneers. In small groups, they will discuss and draft information on the two types of wagons. They will complete a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the two types of wagons the pioneers used when traveling in the 17^th century.

Standards Addressed

After-Reading Strategies: It is expected that students will:
(3) 2.3 A. select after-reading strategies based on text and purpose to
1. Recall details/facts [PS/NS 2.3.3]
3. Organize information (e.g., graphic organizer [PS/NS 2.3.3]
4. Record information [PS/NS 2.3.3]
6. Evaluate text (e.g., draw conclusions, make inferences) [PS/NS 2.3.3]
8. Connect, compare, and contrast story elements
Responding to Text: It is expected that students will:
(3) 3.E. evaluates text (e.g., draw conclusions and make inferences) [PS/NS 2.3.3]
F. recall details/facts [PS/NS 2.3.3]
H. organizes information (e.g., graphic organizer) [PS/NS 2.3.3]
J. connects, compare, and contrast story elements

How to Build a Log Cabin or Sod House

Students will read the two sections, Early Pioneers and Sodbusters, in the Kids Discover Pioneers. In small groups, they will discuss and draft information on the two types of pioneer homes. Students will write directions on how to build either a log cabin or a sod house. For additional information, refer to these links:
Life in a Log Cabin from Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area
http://www.campsilos.org/mod2/teachers/r3_part4.shtml
Learn about building a log cabin and living in one.
Shelter on the Western Frontier
http://www.over-land.com/shelter.html
This site links to information about sod houses and dugouts, root cellars, log homes, barns, shanties, and even outhouses, .
Standards Addressed

Directions: It is expected that students will: (3) 6.8 A. write directions to complete tasks [NS 6.3.8]
Reading Fluency and Comprehension: It is expected that students will:
(3) 1.5 B. read aloud with a focus on accuracy
D. participate actively in reading from a variety of literary genres and expository selections (e.g., stories, plays, poetry, biographies, articles, encyclopedia, realistic fiction, electronic resources) 1. Read silently daily 2. Read assigned and self-selected text appropriate to purpose and reading ability.3. Read to locate information and solve problems.

Mathematics

Calculations on the Oregon Trail

Students will read the two sections, The Ships of the Plains and On the Trail, in the Kids Discover Pioneers. Small groups will be given different jumping off points and destinations. They need to map their journey and calculate how long it would take them to travel. They will also need to determine the quantity of supplies needed. They will use the following link for this information. http://library.thinkquest.org/J001587/supplylist.htm
For an extended lesson on the Oregon Trail, please visit:
EDSITEment - Lesson Plan
After completing the lessons in this unit, students will learn about the pioneer experience on the Oregon Trail. Compared and contrasted modern day http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=274
Standards Addressed
(3)3.1 estimate and use measuring devices with standard (customary and metric) and non-standard units to measure area, volume/capacity, and weight
(3)3.3 compare, order, and describe objects by various measurable attributes for area and volume/capacity
Problem Solving: It is expected that students will:

(3)A.1 select, modify, develop, apply, and justify strategies to solve a variety of mathematical and practical problems and to investigate and understand mathematical concepts

(3)D.6 identify, explain, and use mathematics in everyday life

Creating a Pioneer Quilt

Students will read the section, Time for Fun, in the Kids Discover Pioneers. They will create a classroom quilt from geometric shapes and patterns. For complete thematic units, please visit these sites:
Quilt and math lesson
http://www.learningtogive.org/lessons/unit121/lesson3.html
Free Pioneer Quilt Patterns with Their History
There are quilts with names that had a special meaning to pioneer women. Here you will find free patterns and history for some them.
www.patternsfromhistory.com/pioneer_patterns
Pioneer Quilts: Women's Quilting Brings Comfort through Hardship
The role of pioneer quilts in preparing for the journey, on the overland trail an quilting after pioneers settled in their new homes.
www.womenfolk.com/quilting_history/pioneer.htm
Grade 3 Pioneer Quilting Bees Lesson Plan
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
Grade 3 Pioneer Quilting Bees Lesson Plan. By Karen Prowse Clysdale. Subject: Social Studies; Heritage and Citizenship Strand. Unit: Adapted from: ...
www.trentu.ca/education/schoolofed/esa/ideas/lessons/Pioneer_Quilting_Bees_Lesson_Plan_G3.pdf
Standards Addressed

It is expected that students will:
(3)4.1 describe, sketch, compare, and contrast plane geometric figures [NS/PS 4.3.1]
(3)4.2 demonstrate and describe the transformational motion of geometric figures (translation/slide, reflection/flip, and rotation/turn) [NS/PS 4.3.2]
(3)4.3 identify a figure after transformation (flips, turns, slides)
(3)4.4 identify lines of symmetry
(3)4.5 create two-dimensional designs that contain a line of symmetry [NS 4.3.3.]

Social Studies

Pioneer Quest

After reading the Kids Discover Pioneers, students will continue to learn about the prairie by completing a Pioneer quest. They will choose one of the following internet quests and journal their responses.
Pioneer Life in America (2000 ThinkQuest Junior Project)
http://library.thinkquest.org/J001587/
Have you ever wondered how you would have survived if you were a pioneer traveling to a new, wild, undiscovered land?
Pioneer Webquest
Once pioneers traveled to a new territory, they needed to build homes and a pioneer village. This webquest will help you design your own town as you learn ... http://edujourney.net/Webquests/Pioneer/Frame.htm
Pioneers
educational page about the pioneers of the 1800s in the United States and how they traveled to the frontiers and began new lives.
library.thinkquest.org/6400/
Wisconsin Long Ago
This site is made to help you learn about Wisconsin pioneers. You will learn about the pioneers' clothing, toys, foods, and games. There are also activities ...
library.thinkquest.org/5419/
Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie. This site was created for the Thinkquest Junior Competition located at www.thinkquest.org ...
library.thinkquest.org/J0113212/
Standards Addressed

Geography: It is expected that students will:
(3)3.14 compare visual images of the same place over time [NS 2.3.6]
(3)3.15 identify neighborhoods and communities as places where people live, work, and play
(3)3.34 use visual clues to determine when and where an event took place in the past
History: It is expected that students will:
(3)4.3 use charts, graphs, and tables to interpret historical information
(3)4.4 ask history-related questions [NS 2.3.1]
(3)4.10 describe the lives of pioneers from diverse groups [NS 6.3.17]
(3)4.15 read and interpret historical passages

Prairie Weather

Students will read the section, The Perils of the Plains, in the Kids Discover Pioneers. Students will be divided into small groups and assigned one of the perilous weather conditions as described in the Kids Discover magazine. They will research more information on their weather condition using the following links and then create a Weather alert broadcast. They will need to describe the weather event, tell viewers what precautions they need to take, and what happens afterward.
http://www.nebraskastorms.com/
http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/weather.html
http://www.weatherwizkids.com/
Standards Addressed

Geography: It is expected that students will:
(3)3.17 identify various natural hazards (e.g., floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions)
(3)3.36 recognize a geographic issue or theme that affects home, school, or community
(3)3.37 predict possible geographic changes that could take place in the neighborhood or community

Science

Prairie Ecosystems

Students will read the section, Sodbusters, in the Kids Discover Pioneers. They will research the prairie ecosystem and create a visual representation of the system. They may use a shoebox, poster board, or slideshow for their project. Each project must show at least 3 types of plant life and 5 animals found in the prairie. Students need to include a 2-3 sentence narrative on each item. For reference information on prairie ecosystems, visit:
Grasslands from the Evergreen Project, Missouri Botanical Gardens
http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/grasslnd/main.htm
By exploring this virtual biome, you will learn about the grasslands types and the plants and animals found there.
Related Site:
2) Grasslands Biome http://mbgnet.mobot.org/pfg/diverse/biomes/grasslnd/index.htm
Prairie Ecosystem
http://www.blackfootedferret.org/prairie.html#top
Here you find information about the North American prairie, one of the most endangered ecosystems on earth.
Related Websites:
2) North American Prairies http://www.runet.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/tempgrass/prairie.html
3) Temperate Grasslands
http://www.runet.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/tempgrass/tempgras.html]
Standards Addressed

Life Science: It is expected that students will:
(3)4.3 investigate and describe the interactions of organisms with each other and their ecosystem.
(3)4.4 identify and compare needs common to most living things.
(3)1.6 create and use labeled illustrations, graphs (number lines, pictographs, bar graphs, frequency tables), and charts to convey ideas, record observations, and make predictions.

Growing Prairie Grass

Students will read the section, Farming the Plains, in the Kids Discover Pioneers. In small groups, students will grow different types of grass. Using the scientific method, they will need to chart observations of growth, describe the growth cycle, and journal explanations and procedures. For an extended lesson in farming, please visit:
Family Farm
http://www2.kenyon.edu/projects/famfarm/whatis/whatis.htm
What is family farming? Where does our food come from? How do farmers relate to their environment? What is life like in a farm community? How has farming changed through history? What will shape farming in the future?
Standards Addressed

Nature and History of Science: It is expected that students will:
(3)1.2 cooperate and contribute ideas within a group [N5B3]
(3)1.3 conduct investigations based on observations and questions raised about the world [N5A5]
(3)1.4 keep a record, in a science notebook, of observations and measurements taken over time (life cycle and classification) [N5A1]
(3)1.5 use science notebook entries to develop, communicate, and justify descriptions, explanations, and predictions [N5A1; N5A3; N5A4]
Life Science
(3)4.6 investigate and describe how changes to an environment can be beneficial or harmful to plants and animals [L5C3]
(3)4.7 investigate, compare, and contrast identifiable structures and characteristics of plants and animals that enable them to grow, reproduce, and survive [L5B1; L5C5; L5D1]

Historical Overview of Magazine Themes

The Kids Discover magazine briefly describes the three early pioneer movements. The first was in the 1780s when pioneers moved around the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. In 1785, congress passed the Land Ordinance, which was a method of raising money through the sale of land west of the Appalachian Mountains. There was initial confusion on how this new land would be organized. This led to the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 which defined the territories around the Great Lakes, Ohio River, and Mississippi River. The first group of pioneers to settle in this area was referred to as the “First Forty-eight”. They were carefully chosen men because of their skills and abilities in establishing a new settlement. With the settlers moving into this new area, it created tension between them and the Native Americans. This led to the Northwest Indian War (1785-1795) where the U.S. defeated the Indians for control of this territory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. The Indians gave up much of their land in the 1795 Treaty of Greenville.
The next movement was in the 1840s when pioneers crossed all the way to Oregon and California. After the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1803-1806, the path to the Pacific Ocean was mapped out. For the next several years, fur trappers and other explorers traveled in this area, but it was not until the 1840s when settlers started migrating towards the Pacific. The first group of men sent to colonize the Oregon Country was referred to as the Peoria Party. Unlike the “First Forty-eight”, this group was disorganized and frequently fought amongst themselves. Out of the original 19 men, only 9 arrived in Oregon. The first organized wagon train left Elm Grove, Missouri on May 16, 1842. It included more than 100 pioneers and was led by Elijah White. One of the initial driving forces for settlement in Oregon was the offer of free land. Married couples could claim up to 640 acres and singles could claim 320 acres. After the Donation Land Act of 1850, settlers had to purchase the land from the government for a very reasonable price. The other driving force for movement west was the California Gold Rush. In 1848, James Marshall discovered gold in Sutter’s Mill. After the news spread, over 300,000 settlers traveled west to strike it rich. This movement again had devastating affects on the Native American population. With the huge increase in foreigner numbers, the Indians became victims to disease, starvation, and genocidal attacks.
The final movement in the 1860s was when the pioneers settled in the Great Plains. The Homestead Act of 1862 encouraged settlers to claim land in the Great Plains. They were required to live and cultivate the area for five years. Most settlers turned their land into ranches or farms, sometimes building their houses from sod. However, this was not ideal farming land. It was often dry, with harsh weather conditions. Many settlers attempted to farm and were unsuccessful.

Additional Resources

Oregon Trail Pioneers by www.oregonpioneers.com/ortrail.htm : This website on Oregon History and Oregon Pioneers features wagon train lists and information on early explorers, fur traders, missionaries, NW Indians, and the Oregon Trail.
Old West History by http://www.lonehand.com/ : Take a stroll through this Old West history site which is packed with chuckwagon lore, western music, cowboy stories and songs, vintage cowboy song books, Dutch oven recipes, history of the fur trade, pioneer history, and other historic tidbits.
Telling America's Story by
http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/histryotln/expansion.htm : U.S. Department of State website that has full text books. This link is for the publication Outline of U.S. History.
America.gov Student Corner by http://www.america.gov/publications/student-corner.html: U.S. Department of State website for students. It contains nonfiction books and journals for student reference.

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Note: This teacher's guide was developed as part of one of the

Clark County School District's

Teaching American History grants. In this

grant module

, teachers focused on using children's historical literature to teach cross-curricular concepts relating to 19th century westward movement. For more information about this blog, related teacher's guides, or the grant module, please contact

Dr. Christy Keeler

Sarah, Plain and Tall (Patricia MacLachlan)—Chapters 7-9

2008-10-29T18:28:00.001-07:00

Teacher's Guide Author: George Probert, 3rd grade teacher, Rowe Elementary School, Clark County School District

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Teachers' guides exist for Sarah, Plain and Tall for chapters 1-3, 4-6, and 7-9.

Additional teacher's Guides are available for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, and other exploration children's books.

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Book Overview: In chapter 7, as the family receives some help with their field work and farm animals from their neighbors. Sarah has a heart to heart talk with her new neighbor Maggie, and is able to express how much she misses her family and home near the sea. Maggie suggests that a garden will help cheer Sarah up. So Sarah decides to take the wagon, alone, into the village to get the materials to plant her garden. In chapter 8, the family experiences a hailstorm. They frantically try to bring the animals in the barn for protection. During the time in the barn, the children learn more about the sea in Maine from Sarah. Caleb and Anna have never seen the ocean and want so desperately to conceptualize the ocean. In Chapter 9, after the hailstorm, Sarah ventures off to the village to get the seeds for her garden. While she is away, Anna and Caleb fear that she will not return because they think that they made a bad impression on her. Sarah returns home and the children are elated upon her return. Sarah gives the children a gift three colored pencils: blue, gray, and green. According to Sarah, throughout the novel, these are the colors of the sea. Since Sarah missed the sea so dearly, the children will use these pencils draw her pictures of the sea so Sarah will always have the sea wherever she lives.

Book Themes: sharing and giving, cooperation, loneliness, fear of losing someone, making people feel welcome, flowers, sadness, fear of the unknown, learning to do new things, friendships, summertime, independence, confidence in one’s abilities, farming, nature, protecting basic needs, resilience and determination, love that grows over time, trust, hope, fear of desertion, fear of not being accepted, creativity, art, relating to the unknown, belonging and acceptance

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Character Trait Maps
Using a large piece of construction paper, students will fold it twice to make four rectangles. Unfold and draw lines along the creases. Inside each of the four parts students will draw a Bubble Map. In the center of a bubble Map, students will write the name of a character from the story. In each extending bubble, students will write a word that describes that character. Words must be adjectives.

Standards Addressed

3.3.2: Describe physical and personality traits of characters; describe the motivation for a character's actions; make inferences and draw conclusions about a character(s) based on evidence.

Writing a Friendly Letter
Students will write a friendly letter from the point of view of one of the children. This letter should be addressed to Sarah and should explain how they feel about her being in their lives and the hopes and desires they have for the future.

Standards Addressed
6.3.7: Write friendly letters following an established format.
5.3.2: Draft paragraphs about a single topic that addresses audience and purpose with an introduction, supporting details, and a conclusion.

Mathematics

General Store Shopping Trip

Students will be given a list of items that were available at a general store during the era of this book. Students will be told that they have a given amount of money to spend. Students will make a shopping list of items that they believe would be needed for a household in the late 1800’s, but the sum of the products they are purchasing must not the exceed the amount of money they are allowed to spend.
Standards Addressed

1.3.7: Add and subtract two- and three- digit numbers with and without regrouping. Add and subtract using money as a model.
3.3.4: Read and write money notation.

Calculating Map Distances
Students will be given a map of the United States with various drawn trails and paths that lead from Maine to South Dakota. Students must determine the distances of various combined trails on the map.

Standards Addressed
5.3.1: Pose questions that can be used to guide data collection, organization, and representation.
1.3.7: Add and subtract two- and three- digit numbers with and without regrouping.

Social Studies

Oceans and Continents

Sarah is always referring to the sea. Students will create and use blank maps of the world (without titles and directions) to identify the oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic) and continents (North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Antarctica, and Africa) of the world. Students will identify the nearest ocean in relation to where they live. Students will identify the continent on which they live.
Standards Addressed

3.3: Use maps, globes, photographs, and graphs to collect geographic information. (NS 1.3.3)
3.4: Construct a simple map, including titles, symbols, and directions. (NS 1.3.4)
3.43: Locate Las Vegas, Nevada on world maps and globes.
3.44: Locate hemispheres, continents, and oceans on maps and globes.

Population

Students will conduct a Google Search to determine the populations of Maine and South Dakota in 1880, 1950, and 2000. Students will create a bar graph for each state to represent the state’s population data. Using the graphs students will compare and contrast the data and write 2 statements that are true about their graphs.
Standards Addressed

3.2.1: Construct a graph or chart to compare population distribution in different areas (NS 4.3.6)
MATH 5.3.1: Pose questions that can be used to guide data collections, organization, and representation. Use graphical representations, including number lines, frequency tables, and pictographs to represent data.

Science

Flowers

Students will plant seeds of the same flowers that appear in Sarah Plain and Tall: zinnias, marigolds, and nasturtiums. Over the course of time (4-6 weeks) students will measure and record growth daily in a science journal. At the end of 6 weeks, students will compare the similarities and contrast the differences of the 3 flowers.
Standards Addressed

1.4: Keep a record in a science notebook, of observations and measurements taken over time. (N5A1)
4.2: Investigate, compare, and contrast the life cycles of various living things.
4.7: Investigate, compare, and contrast identifiable structures and characteristics of plants and animals that enable them to grow, reproduce, and survive.

Clouds

Students will be able to identify the three basic types of clouds (cirrus, cumulus, and stratus). During the course of a month, students will take daily observations of the skies to record the type of clouds seen that day. Using the data from the daily observations, students will create a bar graph to represent the number of the types of clouds that were seen that month.
Standards Addressed
1.4: Keep a record in a science notebook, of observations and measurements taken over time. (N5A1)
3.1: Investigate and describe that the Earth is composed of different kinds of materials (rocks, soils, water, air).

Historical Overview of Book Themes

Resilience and Determination

I chose the topics of resilience and determination because the people of who participated in the westward expansion were a hardy, tough, resilient, and determined group of people. They had to face many unknowns and stay the course to survive. In Joy Chapter 2, people were offered free land in exchange for promising to settle and develop the land for 5 years. This was one of the main reasons for people moving west. They wanted to get a fresh start. In Sarah, Plain and Tall, Sarah is portrayed as a very strong-willed person and in Riley women of the west had to be strong, often do hard laborious work in the house and on the land, and juggle a family as well. Despite many hardships, people of the westward expansion were determined to make their new lives in the west livable and as successful as possible. Given that the prairies had no trees, homes were improvised: sod homes, shacks, paper for windows, etc.

Additional Resources (I am posting some websites that you might find useful when using this book as part of a literature study in your class.)

Sarah, Plain and Tall Lesson Activities by Mountain City Elementary School: This website offers some great lesson activities for comprehension through question, vocabulary development, and quizzes.
Webquest for Sarah, Plain and Tall by Dora Tamayo & Dina Martinez M.: This website offers teachers an web based approach to the study of Sarah, Plain and Tall. Students would follow the instructions of the webquest to complete the task that has been presented to them. In this case, students will be attempting to retrace the possible routes Sarah had taken from Maine to Kansas.
Sarah, Plain and Tall Literature Unit by edHelper: If you have an account (if not you can create one), you can access these great activities (worksheets, book reports, vocabulary, quizzes, word walls, crosswords, etc.) that can be used in conjunction with the novel.
Science Notebooks by The North Cascades and Olympic Science Partnership: This is a resource for teacher to help them learn how to use science notebooks in their classrooms. This website offers some great ideas on how to use them and how it helps students refine understanding.

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Note: This teacher's guide was developed as part of one of the Clark County School District's Teaching American History grants. In this grant module, teachers focused on using children's historical literature to teach cross-curricular concepts relating to 19th century westward movement. For more information about this blog, related teacher's guides, or the grant module, please contact Dr. Christy Keeler.

Sarah, Plain and Tall (Patricia MacLachlan)—Chapters 4-6

2008-10-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Nohemi Arias, 3rd grade teacher, Lewis E. Rowe Elementary School, Clark County School District

_________________________________________________________________

Teachers' guides exist for Sarah, Plain and Tall for chapters 1-3, 4-6, and 7-9.

Additional teacher's Guides are available for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, and other exploration children's books.

_________________________________________________________________

Book Overview: Book Overview: Sarah, Plain and Tall is a novel set in the late 19th century. It is the tale of a widowed farmer (from Kansas) who posts an advertisement for a wife and a mother for his two children, Anna and Caleb. A woman from Maine, Sarah, responds to the advertisement and heads to Kansas for a visit. When Sarah arrives she is homesick for Maine, especially for the ocean which she misses greatly. At the end, Sarah decides to stay with the family. In chapter 4, Sarah and the kids go picking wildflowers and they discuss the different plants and flowers that grow both in Kansas and in Maine. In chapter 5, Sarah talks to the family about the sand dunes in Maine and they create a hay dune so that Sarah felt more at home. In this chapter the family remembered the places they cheriched and their loved ones through music. In chapter 6 Sarah and the kids go for a swim in the pond and they discuss winters in Maine and how different they would be from winters in Kansas.

Book Themes: abandonment, loss, love, adventure, westward movement, womens' experience moving west, gender roles, family life, everyday life in the prairie, coping with change, singing, friendly letters, friendship, wildflowers, sand dunes, weather and climate, environment, emotions, communication.

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Describing a character with two words.

Sarah described herself as plan and tall and Anna as fair and thin.. Have students pair up and create titles for their own stories. They should use two adjectives to describe their partner. You can write on the board: ________(name), ______(adj.) and ________ (adj.) Then have students write descriptive paragraphs that go with their titles.
Standards Addressed

CEF (3)6.2.A: write narrative/descriptive paragraphs
CEF (3)1.4.A8: comprehend, build, and extent vocabulary using parts of speech

Write a song about your favorite season

Singing was another important element in the novel. Have students get into groups (4-5) and compose a song about their favorite season. Have each group record their song and create an album.
Standards Addressed

CEF (3)6.7.B: write a variety of communications in appropriate formats
CEF (3)8.0: students speak using organization, style, tone, voice, and media aids appropriate to audience and purpose.
Science CEF (3)1.2: cooperate and contribute ideas within a group

Mathematics

The cost of advertisement

Read an advertisement from your local newspaper. Then have students estimate the cost of the advertisement. After, figure the cost of the advertisements based on the number of words and its dimensions.
Standards Addressed

CEF (3)1.13: immediately use and recall addition facts
CEF (3)1.16: round numbers to nearest tens and hundreds to determine reasonableness of answers.
CEF (3)1.17: use a variety of appropriate strategies to estimate, compute, and solve mathematical and practical problems.
CEF (3)1.22 add and subtract decimals using money as a model.
CEF (3)3.10 read and write money notation

Planes, trains, and automobiles

Find out the approximate mileage from Maine to Kansas and then figure out how much money it would cost to drive there based on the national average price of gas. You can extend this lesson by comparing and contrasting the cost of driving there, flying there, or taking an alternative mode of transportation.
Standards Addressed

CEF (3)1.17: use a variety of appropriate strategies to estimate, compute, and solve mathematical and practical problems.
CEF (3)1.13: immediately use and recall addition facts
CEF (3)1.16: round numbers to nearest tens and hundreds to determine reasonableness of answers.
CEF (3)1.22 add and subtract decimals using money as a model.
CEF (3)3.10 read and write money notation

Social Studies

Out to the west!

Plan a route from Maine to Kansas using a U.S. Highway map. Discuss with your class how many states you crossed, terrain changes, and natural features.
Standards Addressed

CEF (3)3.3: use maps, globes, photographs, and graphs to collect geographical information.
CEF (3)3.5: recognize different types of maps
CEF (3)3.9: identify the differences between physical and human features

Now and Then

Have students create a graphic organizer (double bubble map works great) comparing and contrasting life in the mid 1800’s and the present. Students can focus on communities, families, gender roles, and reasons for migration/moving.
Standards Addressed

CEF (3)3.10: identify how language, stories, art, and customs express culture
CEF (3)3.11: discuss how people view their communities
CEF (3)3.10: identify how language, stories, art, and customs express culture
CEF (3)3.27: compare the wants and needs of people in different communities and the means used to fulfill those wants and needs
CEF (3)4.15: read and interpret historical passage

Science

Wild about Wildflowers

Divide your class into groups (4-5) and assign each group a wildflower to research. Each team will need to learn where their flower grows, when it blooms, color of the blossoms/characteristics, and at least one interesting fact. Have students present their findings in a power point presentation. Compile all the presentations to form a wildflower guide. (www.wildflowers.org/plants/)
Standards Addressed

Technology CEF (3)3.1: select a research topic using technology\
Technology CEF (3)2.5: use a wide variety of media and technology resources
Science CEF (3)1.2: cooperate and contribute ideas within a group
Science CEF(3)4.3: investigate and describe how different organisms coexist and interact with one another

Build a Prairie

Visit http://www.bellmuseum.org/distancelearning/prairie/index.html and and print the prairie guide. Divide your class into groups (grasses, forbs, birds, herps, insects, mammals) and they will need to become experts in their assigned field. When students have acquired enough information about their assigned field go back to the bellmuseum.org site and as a class build a prairie together.
Standards Addressed

Technology CEF (3)3.1: select a research topic using technology
Technology CEF (3)2.5: use a wide variety of media and technology resources
Science CEF (3)1.2: cooperate and contribute ideas within a group
Science CEF(3)4.3: investigate and describe how different organisms coexist and interact with one another
Science CEF(3)4.7: investigate, compare, and contrast identifiable structures and characteristics of plants and animals that enable them to grow, reproduce, and survive.

Historical Overview of Book Themes

With the concept of Manifest Destiny clear in the American mind, the US embarked on territorial expansion from the end of the American Revolution to the beginning of the Civil war in 1860. Many American settlers began to move west bringing their own lifestyles and ideals. The Americans moving west had to adapt to a new lifestyle and face new challenges like dealing with the Native Americans, adapting to land and climate, and gender roles changing especially for women.
At the beginning of the “internal” expansion, as Mark S. Joy calls it in his book American Expansionism, women were expected to act in a weak and almost hysterical manner after losing their sense of community and dealing with life in the frontier. Gender norms and expectations affected all types of western women in the same way and yet they pushed customary boundaries and tested the limits.
"Sometimes they had feminist’s intentions, but other times they sought to fulfill their own needs, talents, and desires. As a result, women turned up everywhere and often in unexpected places: holding jobs, fighting for the right of suffrage, forming labor organizations, and divorcing their spouses at a higher rate than women in any other region of the country." (Riley 1992)

Additional Resources

http:www.nps.gov/plants/cw by the National Park Service: This site is names Celebrating Wildflowers, which is a a collaborative commemoration between the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service, which emphasizes the importance of conservation and management of native plants and plant habitats and highlights the aesthetic, recreational, biological, medicinal, and economic values of wildflowers.
http://http//www.letterwritingguide.com/friendlyletterformat.htm This site is a letter writing guide that contains tips, advice, and sample letters to help you in your letter writing activities.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/info_glance/petroleum.html by The Energy Information Administration : Office site for government energy statistics.
http://www.vinton-shellsburg.k12.ia.us/tms/seventh/rdg7/hf/1800.html Information on Westward expansion and frontier life and more.

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Sarah, Plain and Tall (Patricia MacLachlan)—Chapters 1-3

2008-10-29T18:26:00.000-07:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Luis Bachelier, 3rd grade teacher, Jay Jeffers Elementary School, Clark County School District

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Teachers' guides exist for Sarah, Plain and Tall for chapters 1-3, 4-6, and 7-9.

Additional teacher's Guides are available for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, and other exploration children's books.

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Chapters 1-3 Overview: In Chapter 1 Papa tells his children Anna and Caleb that he has placed an advertisement in the local newspaper for a wife. Anna and Caleb want to remember their mother who died one day after Caleb was born. Papa receives a letter from a lady from Maine named Sarah who wishes to come for a month. In Chapter 2 Papa, Anna and Caleb each write a letter to Sarah each asking different questions about what she likes and dislikes. In Chapter 3 Sarah arrives by train and has gifts for all from her "former home." Sarah describes herself as "Plain and Tall."

Chapters 1-3 Themes: Dependence on family members, Women having a strong role in the family, Children's responsibilities, Vulnerability of the weather on the prairie, Rural life in the late 1800's, Animal companionship and the codependency of owner and animals.

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Advertisement for Help?

In pairs or a small group, students will develop or create an advertisement as Papa did in the story. You will advertise for help-someone who will do all of your chores that Anna and Caleb had to do around their home. Students must include the reason for needing help as well as how much work is required each day. Parents can get involved and write down chores that they would like their child to do around the home. Look at different classified ads in the newspaper for ideas.Teacher and students can discuss bias, marketing, and propaganda when looking at the different newspaper ads.
Standards Addressed

(3) 6.7 Students will write a variety of communications in appropriate formats.
(3) 5.1 Students will use pre-writing strategies, both independently and collaboratively with peers, to plan written work.

View of the Prairie!

Students will write a paragraph or more about what they think Anna meant or thought when she looked outside and stated, "the prairie reached out and touched the places where the sky came down." Students who are limited in their language abilities can draw their scenario and write a shorter version along with their sketch. Use persuasive language to respond.
Standards Addressed

(3) 4.5 J Students will evaluate text (e.g. draw conclusions, make inferences).
(3) 4.2 B2 Students will identify, with assistance informal and formal language.
(3) 6.6 Students will write paragraphs that include supporting evidence.
(3) 6.4A Students will write persuasive responses to literary text.

Mathematics

The Wagon Ride

Anna and Caleb "saw the dust from the wagon rising above the road." Students will predict how far away (using time) the wagon was using familiar points of interest that were used in the preceding chapters. How long did it take the wagon to reach the fenced field, the windmill, the barn, the Russian olive tree and the finally the porch. They will map out there points of interest first, then students will write down predictions using mathematical words, phrases, and symbols to express their thinking.
Standards Addressed

(3) 3.13 Students will use elapsed time, beginning on the hour or half hour, to determine start, end and elapsed time.
(3) 3.6 Students will express mathematical ideas and use them to define, compare, and solve problems orally and/or in writing.

Farm to the Train Station?

Papa got up early for the long days trip to the train station and back. Using a map of today locate two points of interest that are a distance you think Papa traveled that day. Create a schedule using time for that day. How many miles do you think he spent? How much time do you think he spent at each location? Take everything into consideration-Did he feed the horses, give them water to drink, buy goods while in town, etc. Students can work in pairs and students who are limited in their language can contribute with a drawing or sketch to determine the solution. After the students answer the math problem, have each student write 1 or 2 problems with each others' story problem. This will give the students a better connection with the calculations and practice.
Standards Addressed

(3) A.2 Students will apply previous experiences and knowledge to new problem solving situations.
(3) D.1 Students will link new concepts to prior knowledge.
(3) C.4 Students will ask questions to reflect on, clarify and extend thinking to solve problems.

Social Studies

Mode of Transportation

Students will use a double bubble map (Thinking Maps) to compare and contrast two types of transportation. One must be a wagon and the other may be a car, bus, train or bicycle. The double bubble map must consist of at least fives differences and five similarities. Students will work in no more than four in a group. Working in groups help students who are limited in their language contribute with a drawing or sketch if needed.
Standards Addressed

(3) 5.0 Students understand the effects of interactions between human and physical systems and changes in use, distribution, and importance of resources.
(3) 1.12 work cooperatively in a group.

Sheep, Cows, and Chickens

Students will chart using a tree map (Thinking Maps) to discuss what each animal was used for and produced during this period. They can discuss the differences of today and during this time period also. The animals they will chart is a cow, sheep, chicken, horse, dog, or cat. Students will choose 3 animals from the list provided. They must have at least four items for each.
Standards Addressed

(3) 2.23 Students will describe various products from animals (i.e. food, milk, leather products.)
(3) 5.0 Students will understand the effects of interactions between human and physical systems and the changes in use, distribution, and importance of resources.

Science

Fog Bound Sea?

Students understand that changes in weather often involve water changing from one state to another. In a large group format- teacher will demonstrate using dry ice and water to see one change. A couple of students will pour slowly water into the dry ice and they will see changes occurring with the dry ice and what it produces. Students will be able to observe what Sarah means when she said in her letter to Anna"fog bound sea". Students will write or draw in their science notebooks what they observed.
Standards Addressed

(3) 1.3 Students will conduct investigations based on observations and questions raised about the world.
(3) 1.1 Students will identify, gather and safely use tools and materials needed in investigations.
(3) 1.5 Students will use a science notebook entries to develop, communicate, and justify descriptions, explanations, and predictions.

Gopher vs. Woodchuck

Students will research each animal that lived on the Caleb, Anna, and Papa's farmland. The students will present their findings by classifying their physical characteristics, behaviors and habitats. To present they will use visuals-any Thinking Map graphic organizer they find appropriate as well as orally presenting it to their peers using science based inquiry. (ERIC)
Standards Addressed

(3) 4.2 Students will investigate, compare, and contrast life cycles of various living things.
(3) 4.3 Students will investigate and describe the interactions of organisms with each other and their ecosystem.

Historical Overview of Book Themes

A women's role in society was drastically influenced by many beliefs of the times. One of the ideals was the concept of "Republican motherhood." This concept stated that women should stay at home to raise children because only women could turn children into responsible adults and productive American citizens. This unfortunate belief severely limited the roles a women might other wise have taken in society. According to Glenda Riley in her book, A Place to Grow- Women in the American West many historians reflect that the women of these times were bonnet wearing mothers sitting on porches watching their husband's labor on their farmland. To the contrary, many women worked extremely hard to keep up with the growing demands of the role that they needed to play. They cooked, sewed, cared for the children, feed the animals, cleaned and cared for the home amongst the harshest of weather and economic times. Many married and single women were asked to bear many children not only to help the population but to offer more hands of the farm. Single or unmarried women were considered highly skilled laborers who assisted to the rural economy which in turn were essential to the progress of her relatives or parents well being. With many men having gone west in search of new land, many women found themselves poor and unmarried or living far away from family and friends. Many young women born of these farms tended to migrate in search of a better life to the drudgery and isolation of farm life. Isolation was an experience more common in these times.

Additional Resources

http://www.thinkingmaps.com/Thinking Maps Inc. is a common visual language aid for learning within and across disciplines used as graphic organizers.
http://www.ericdigests.org/1993/inquiry.htm by Haury, David L., Teaching Science through Inquiry
http://www.ericdigests.org/2004-4/notebooks.htm. by Hargrove, T & C. Nesbit. 2003. "Science Notebooks: Tools for increasing achievement across the curriculum.

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America in the Time of Lewis and Clark (Sally Senzel Isaacs)—"Life on a Wagon Train" through "Historic Sites to Visit"

2008-10-29T18:04:00.000-07:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Charles Bellavia, 5th grade teacher, Fong Elementary School, Clark County School District

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Teachers' guides exist for America in the Time of Lewis and Clark: 1801 To 1850 separated by book section:

Additional teacher's Guides are available for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

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Section Overview: It was called Oregon Fever. Between the years 1840 and 1860 some 300,000 families made the harsh journey from Oregon to California. These families risked much in search of land which would make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. This long 4 to 6 month journey began in May, to ensure safe passage through the Rocky Mountains before the rough winter started. However, not all the pioneers made it all the way. Many pioneers settled in the Great Plains. This prairie land was great for growing wheat, corn, and potatoes. It was conducive for raising sheep, cattle, and pigs which were instrumental for survival. When gold nuggets were discovered at John Sutter’s sawmill everyone wanted to get rich quick. People moved in record numbers. California’s population jumped from 15,000 to 100,000 in two short years. This gold rush caused an influx of people from Mexico, China, Australia, and Europe. However, most people never found much gold and were forced to leave the goldfields and find jobs in California. Ironically most miners did not get rich instead store, and saloon owners did. This influx of immigrants looking for gold enriched America in many ways. They helped in factories, farming, and introduced music, language, and foods to our culture.

Section Themes: Opportunity, food, riches, culture, immigrants, and environment.

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Individual Writing Journal

Students will be asked to relate to the pioneers. They must write about an important opportunity that has or may occur in there own life. What challenges must you meet. Are these risks worth the reward. Why or why not?
Standards Addressed

5.5.1 write informative papers that develop a clear topic with supporting details.
5.5.6 Write short essays: speculate on cause/effect and offer persuasive evidence.

Storytelling

Students will be asked to create a list of similarities between their own life experiences and those of the pioneers. Using a large bubble map students will share these experiences with the class.
Standards Addressed

10.5.1 participate in discussions as a contributor and leader.
2.5.4 use summarizing, note-taking, and outlining to comprehend information

Mathematics

Spread Sheet

Students are given a cost of living sheet. This sheet will have the cost of every day items which were needed for gold miners to survive. The expenses were hammers" pickaxe, shovels, water barrels, bags for carrying gold, wide metal pans used for sorting gravel from gold. Other expenses included provisions for food, water, and shelter. Students are given a spread sheet with five separate miners beginning incomes. Students must calculate how much gold must be found daily, and weekly in order for the miner to sustain himself economically. How much disposable income is there, if at all.
Standards Addressed

6.5.5 Verify, interpret, and elevate results, determining an efficient strategy for a given situation.
6.5.7 Apply multi-step, integrated, mathematical problem solving strategies.

Advisor

Students using their spread sheets try to explain to the class (Miner) why or why not they should either continue mining or find a new occupation. They must prove their case using concrete numbers as solid proof.
Standards Addressed

9.5.8 Identify, explain, and use mathematics in everyday life.
8.5.4 Use patterns and relationships to analyze problems: draw conclusions about problems.

Social Studies

Double Bubble Map

Using a double bubble map students will compare and contrast life in America before the large influx of immigrants due to the gold rush. How have the immigrants changed life in this country? Students will use this bubble map to point out changes in everything from music to food. Students work in groups of four to create one large bubble map.
Standards Addressed

3.4.10 Describe the lives of pioneers from diverse groups
4.4.11 Discuss how and why people from various cultures immigrated and migrated to the American West

Debate

Students will debate the importance of immigrants in America. Using the double bubble maps they created together, they will debate the pros and cons from cultural to increased population in America. The debates will not last more than 5 minutes. Each side presents its position using information obtained from their bubble maps. All positions must be supported with facts and details.
Standards Addressed

5.4.4 Organize historical information from a variety of sources. 3.4.7 identify the purpose of historical documents

Science

Environmental Art

Students are to draw pictures on what they perceive California looked like in the 1850's, from plants, trees, grass, sand, and vegetation. Using these pictures they write a quick summary on why and how these environmental factors are difficult or easy in which to survive. Students are then permitted to use text books and technology to prove or disprove these beliefs.
Standards Addressed

4.4.13 identify appropriate resources for historical information
5.4.3 ask a historical question and identify resources to be used in research.

Surviving in the Desert

Using all the information obtained in researching the external environmental factors earlier, they are to work in small groups creating a list of at least ten environmental factors such as lack of water and how they would remedy the problem. Students will share their concerns and solutions with the whole class.
Standards Addressed

4.4.4 describe experiences of pioneers moving west
3.4.4 ask history related questions

Historical Overview of Section Themes

This is a story to which everyone can relate. Life on a Wagon Trail was very difficult; however, students who have moved from a different state, or changed schools can understand why people uproot. Families were forced to work together in order to survive the elements. Families moved out west for the same reason that people move out west today. They move to
California for better jobs, more opportunity, land, and a chance for a better life. Immigrants also moved to California in record numbers during the gold rush and changed America in many ways. Music, art, culture, food, entertainment, were all enriched. America is still a land where people travel to in hopes of becoming rich and creating a better life for their loved ones. Even though most miners did not find gold in large quantities, the increase in population was instrumental in developing this country from simply rural to an industrial power.

Additional Resources

http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/search/assetdetail.cfm
Moving west.
If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon by Ellen Levine: What is was like to travel west and duties of people of all ages.
If you were a Pioneer on the Prairie: By Anne Kamma: Life of a pioneer.

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America in the Time of Lewis and Clark (Sally Senzel Isaacs)—"The Trail of Tears" through "The Big City"

2008-10-29T18:02:00.000-07:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Robin Nicolis, 4th grade teacher, Fong Elementary School, Clark County School District

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Teachers' guides exist for America in the Time of Lewis and Clark: 1801 To 1850 separated by book section:

Additional teacher's Guides are available for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

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Section Overview: In the 1820’s, many of the Native American tribes were happy to live among the white settlers. Unfortunately, the land hungry settlers were not as accommodating. In the winter of 1838, U.S. soldiers forced more than 15,000 Native Americans west into unknown land. Along the trail at least 4,000 Native Americans died, this grueling trip was known as the Trail of Tears. In time the settlers had Native Americans sign treaties to give up their land but not all Native Americans were in agreement, this incited wars between the Seminoles and the U.S. army. The British encouraged the Seminoles to fight American settlers. As more settlers came many battles took place. One of the most famous battles was the Battle of the Alamo, a fort in San Antonio were Mexicans had settled. Fifteen hundred Mexican soldiers were killed. As the Americans came they began to change farms to cities. As cities grew, so did the problems such as bad housing, crime, and garbage.

Section Themes: Territory, Communication, migration, transportation, wealth

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

[Communication Alphabet]

Students will be given materials and instruction to alphabet. Students will work in pairs to create an alphabet using symbols they design. The students will use the alphabet to write a short story (2 paragraphs) of the Native American encounters with the American settlers.
Students will present their short stories in the same pair group.
Standards Addressed

3.4.1 explain setting, sequence of events, conflict, climax, resolution, and turning point
3.4.2 Describe physical and personality traits of characters
5.4.1 use prewriting strategies and explore a topic to plan written work
5.4.5 Edit for correct work usage
5.4.6 Edit for use of complete sentences
5.4.7 Prepare a legible final draft to display or share
7.4.1 Listen for a variety of purposes; gaining information, being entertained, and understanding directions.

Mathematics

Difference and Average

The students will use the information given to determine the average number of whales killed from 1820 to 1850, the increase in speed of a steam locomotive from 1807 to 1830 to 1850, The difference in speed between the locomotive and the canal boats, the average distance of the Erie canal completed per year, and the average number of soldiers lost per day at the battle of the Alamo.
Standards Addressed

1.4.3 Read, write, compare, order, whole numbers
1.4.3 Read and write number words
1.4.6 Estimate to determine reasonableness of an answer in math and practical solutions
A.3-5 Apply previous experience and knowledge to new problem solving situations.
B.3-5 Identify and translate key words and phrases that imply math operations

Estimating Goods

The student will determine a monetary value for goods and trade from the 1820’s to the 1850’s. The students will compare their estimates for reasonableness with small group.
Standards Addressed

B.3-5 Discuss/Exchange ideas about math
C.3-5 use patterns & relationships to analyze math situations/problems & draw logical conclusions
A.3-5 interpret & solve a variety of math problems by paraphrasing, identifying necessary & extraneous information, & ensuring answer is reasonable

Social Studies

Map
The students will use the Internet to gather photographs and drawing of the different methods of transportation used by the pioneers. They will place the drawing cutouts on a prepared map illustrating the methods and locations of 4 settlements. For each settlement the student will explain why this location was important to the pioneers. The students will site the Internet sources.

Standards Addressed:
4.4.7 recognize the ongoing nature of history
4.4.11 discuss how and why people from various cultures immigrated and migrated to the American West
4.4.13 identify appropriate resources for historical information

Timeline

The students will generate a timeline from the 1820’s thru the1850’s. The student will list 10 events of their choice and explain why that event was intrusting to them.
Standards Addressed

4.4.13 identify appropriate resources for historical information
4.4.9 create timelines that show people and events in sequence using months, years, decades, and centuries

Science

Tea Stained Letter

The students will be given the material and instructions to tea stain paper to make the paper and writing appear aged. The students will rewrite the story created in the previous lesson using symbols to replace letters and present a finished product.
Standards Addressed

N.5.B.3 Students know the benefits of working with a team and sharing findings.

P.5.A.4 Students know that, by combining two or more materials, the properties of that material can be different from the original materials.

Historical Overview of Section Themes

The chapters from Lewis and Clark (The Trail of Tears thru The Big City) cover a particularly interesting time period because it tells of migration and prosperity. Today so many of our students are from other countries, states, and cities. Their families for economic, educational, and or social reasons have uprooted many of our students.
The students can relate their moves to the movements of the American settlers or the Native Americans. Many students are being moved again from the once riches of Nevada to other prospering states. Each student has a story of a friend that is moving because, the family has lost their home, or a parent that has a new job in another state. The 1820’s were a historical time and 2008 has been historical as well.

Additional Resources

Lewis and Clark on The Trail of Discovery by Rog Gragg: Information on the Lewis and Clark expedition
www.lone-star.net/mall/texasinfo/alamo-battle : Information on The battle of the Alamo
www.flickr.com/photos/seian/219223321/: Information on how to create aged paper
www.utube.com/trailoftearscherokeelegacy : Information on the Cherokee Legacy Native American Indian

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America in the Time of Lewis and Clark (Sally Senzel Isaacs)—"Introduction" through "Factories"

2008-10-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Jeremiah Norman, 4th grade teacher, Goldfarb Elementary School, Clark County School District

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Teachers' guides exist for America in the Time of Lewis and Clark: 1801 To 1850 separated by book section:

"Introduction" through "Factories"

"The Trail of Tears" through "The Big City"

"Life on a Wagon Train" through "Historic Places to Visit"

Additional teacher's Guides are available for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

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Section Overview: This section of the text focuses on specifics aspects of American history from 1801 - 1825. Isaac introduces the reader to Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase with appropriately leveled terminology. Other concepts such as the Lewis and Clark expedition and the war of 1812 are also discussed. The book has several graphic aids that dramatically enhance comprehension. Pictures with captions, map and time lines all add to the text. Isaac creatively introduces young readers to the early 1800's.

Section Themes: [Thomas Jefferson, Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark, Native American relations, The War of 1812, Factories]

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Meriwether Lewis Letter - Primary Document Recreation

Students will take on the role of Meriwether Lewis and write a letter to Thomas Jefferson explaining what they are encountering on their expedition. Teacher will beginning by teaching a lesson on friendly letters and their five parts. Upon completion teacher will read "Seaman's Journal" to the students. Teacher will then read aloud parts of actual letters that Meriwether Lewis wrote to President Jefferson. Students will then be given approximately forty-five to write their letter from Meriwether Lewis to Thomas Jefferson. Students will then keep their letter until he class's computer. In the computer lab students will type out their letters and SAVE them. Once saved the students will change the font to a nostalgic looking cursive style and SAVE again. Once typed each student will print their letter. Once back in the classroom students will take their letter and tear off approximately a half an inch around the entire border. After tearing students will crumple the paper and then attempt to flatten it back out. Teacher should prepare the next step as the student are tearing and crumpling. Students will have tea bags soaking in water that their teacher has placed on the desk along with newspaper. Students will place their letter on a reasonable amount of newspaper, and then take the tea bags and "paint" the letter. After they have completely "painted" their letter they will set them off on a secondary table to dry. The next day your kids should have letters that actually look like Meriwether Lewis wrote them over 200 years ago!

Standards Addressed

(4) 5.3 write organized friendly letters, formal letters, thank you letters, and invitations in an appropriate format for a specific audience and purpose [NS/PS 5.4.2]]

(4) 6.8 produce writing with a voice that shows awareness of intended audience and purpose

Create a War of 1812 Picture Book

Students will works in small groups to create chapters that will eventually be combined to develop a picture book for the War of 1812 intended for 1st grade readers. Groups of 4 - 6, depending on your class size, will each take one of the 5 main events of the War of 1812 mentioned on page 12 and create two pages with pictures that explain the event they have. An additional group will research Francis Scott Key, the Star Spangled Banner, and their relationship to the War of 1812. That group will create a two page chapter of the relationship. Groups that finish first will develop the Cover and table of contents. Teacher will need to provide necessary research materials for each group. Entire project should take 2 - 3 days.

Standards Addressed

(4) 5.7 write short expository texts with supporting details

(4) 6.1 use the writing process

Mathematics

Social Studies Statistics based word problems

Students will be given information about an important event in American history and then asked to create a word problem with that information. A sample word problem would look something like this; Factory workers worked 12 hours a day, 6 day a week. How many total hours did factory workers work in an average week?

Standards Addressed

(4) 7.8 express mathematical ideas and use them to define, compare, and solve problems orally and in writing

(4) 6.1 select, modify, develop, and apply strategies to solve a variety of mathematical and practical problems and to investigate and understand mathematical concepts

Map Scale Multiplication

Students will be given maps with scales showing the Lewis and Clark expidition. Students will be asked to use multiplication and the map scale to calculate the total number of miles on the journey.

Standards Addressed

(4) 1.20 multiply multi-digit numbers by one-digit numbers, with regrouping

(4) 3.1 estimate and measure length

Social Studies

Symbols of Friendship

Students will work in groups to create symbols of friendship similar to the items Lewis and Clark gave to Native Americans they encountered. Lesson will begin with a short discussion about Native American and Early American relations using a KWL chart. Students will design a double sided medallion with four symbolic images. Students will explain why each image is symbolic.

Standards Addressed

(4) 4.11 discuss how and why people from various cultures immigrated and migrated to the American West

(4) 3.12 describe the characteristics of another culture from their own point of view

Event Timeline

In groups of 5 -6 students will take the main ideas of several topics such as the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark Expipedtion, and The War of 1812 and create timelines of their major events. Students must also add color pictures for each event named.

Standards Addressed

(4) 4.1 record events on a graphic organizer, such as a calendar or time line

(4) 1.13 work cooperatively in groups

Science

European Americans / Native American Compare and Contrast Diagram

Students will work in groups to research the physical similarities and differences between Native Americans and European Americans. Each group will turn in one diagram that includes a minimum of five differences and five similarities

Standards Addressed

(4) 4.2 observe and describe variations among individuals within the human population

(4) 1.10 cooperate and contribute ideas within a group

Water; Solid, Liquid, or Gas?

Teacher will begin by teaching a lesson on the importance of water to westward expansion, and that Lewis and Clark were attempting to find a water route to the west. The class will then discuss water and it's forms. Students will use their science journals to determine what properties determine which state matter is in solid, liquid, or gas. Students will then make Oobleck and discuss whether it is a solid, liquid, or gas and why.

Standards Addressed

(4) 3.1 investigate and describe the properties of water

(4) 3.4 investigate and explain that water can be a liquid, a gas, or a solid and can go back and forth from one form to another

Historical Overview of Section Themes

Lewis and Clark

The Corps of Discovery was more than just two men traveling through the unknown, it was an epic journey that would forever reshape our country.
On October 20th, 1803 senate approval of the Louisiana Purchase was finalized. President Thomas Jefferson was adamant that the newly acquired area by research. Jefferson wanted to find a link connecting the Missouri and Columbia Rivers that would create a water passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Additionally Jefferson was curious about Native American cultures in the vastly unknown space as well general geographic information about the area. Jefferson decided that he should send his trusted secretary, Meriwether Lewis, on the mission. Lewis then enlisted the services of his commanding officer in the army, William Clark.
On May 14th, 1804 the Lewis and Clark expedition officially began. Accompanied by several soldiers, volunteers, river men, and Lewis's Newfoundland dog Seaman the journey left St. Louis at four o'clock in the afternoon. The quest was immediately difficult as a slew of men were stricken with illness and disease on behalf of their poor diet and lack of consistently clean drinking water.
As time passed the party encountered Native American tribes both hostile and friendly. Lewis and Clark usually dressed in full military dress for these meetings. Furthermore, Lewis and Clark were instructed give the Native Americans various gifts including medals indicating peace and friendship. The journey as also filled with new discoveries. Animals such as the badger, Pronghorn Antelope, and the Prairie Dog were all recorded In Lewis's journal and typically shot and stuffed so that they could later be the bearers of scientific experimentation.
As time passed on more difficult circumstances arose for Lewis and Clark. Even though the Hidatsa Tribe had warned them Lewis and Clark still encountered a Grizzly Bear. Lewis was able to shoot it. The group was also wandering into areas extremely unfamiliar to them. Luckily the were able to enlist the services of a young Shoshone woman, who not only gave the party geographical guidance, but also had translating capabilities that proved useful. This Shoshone woman named Sacagawea helped the expedition all while being pregnant and then some after her son was born. Furthermore the journey had to deal with waterfalls, dyssentary, rugged terrain, and several other difficulties before and after they reached the Pacific Ocean.
After completing their mission, discovering over 100 new animals, 200 new plants, mapping a fair portion of the western landscape, traveling more than 8,000 miles Lewis and Clark returned home to a heroes welcome on September 23, 1806. Such success you would imagine transcend throughout the lives Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, but say this was not the case for Lewis. Just two short years after the epic journey, Lewis was found dead from gunshot wounds at his home. Many speculate that he took his own life following some poor choices, such as bad investments. William Clark on the otherhand led a very prestigious life after the trip. He also got married and raised five children. His first child, a son, he dedicated to his dear friend, and named him Meriwether Lewis Clark.
While they went on to lead completely different lives following the Corps of Discovery they will forever be immortalized for their contributions to the shaping of the United States of America.

Additional Resources

Seaman's Journal - On the Trail with Lewis and Clark by Patricia Reeder Eubank: This text is a picture book about the Lewis and Clark Expidition told through the eyes of Meriwether Lewis's dog Seaman. The book includes an easy to follow timeline of the events.

American Expansionism by Mark S. Joy: This text retraces the earliest steps of American expansionism from 1783 - 1860. Several topics are embraced and deconstructed by Joy, such as the Louisiana Purchase and the Mexican American War.

In Their Own Words: Lewis and Clark by George Sullivan: Using quotations and passages from Meriwether Lewis and William Clark's journal and other primary documents Sullivan weaves the tale of the Lewis and Clark journey.

Lewis and Clark: On the Trail of Discovery by Rod Gragg: A beautifully compiled resource on the Lewis and Clark expidition that includes several replications of original primary source documents, such as maps, diagrams, and letters.

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Daily Life in a Covered Wagon (Paul Erickson) — "Disaster" through "Glossary"

2008-10-29T17:54:00.000-07:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Kathleen DeBeer 3rd Grade, Tartan Elementary, CCSD

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Teachers' guides exist for Daily Life in a Covered Wagon separated by book section:

Additional teacher's Guides are available for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

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Section Overview: In the picture book, "Daily Life in a Covered Wagon", is a description of a family's journey, the Larkin family in a covered wagon during the Westward Movement in the 1800's . The Larkin family's accounts of their journey are documented through journals & diaries they kept while on the trail to the west.

Disasters were many, threw the grueling, hardship filled days and nights. Rumors of Disasters spread quickly on the Oregon Trail, during the Great Westward Movement. Disasters of death, disease, famine, outbreaks, taking shortcuts and getting lost, attacks, from Indians. The Donner Party made mistakes from maps made by men, who had never seen or scanned the area.

Once the rough mountains were scaled,the next stop for the Larkins were be Fort Laramie, to stock up on supplies for the last leg of their journey. Most of the forts at this time had built into a booming businesses.

Special occasions were rarely celebrated, but very welcomed. Weddings, Fourth of July Feasts, and Sunday services were among the occasions celebrated during the long travel.

Sickness and death were ghastly events that happened along the trail. There were some doctors that were travelling west to begin a new life, but very rarely, were they travelling in the same wagon party. Cholera, Measles, Typhoid, Dysentery were among the most common atrocities that affected the travelers. A doctor's medical case carried such items as Quinine, Laudanum, Camphor, and Citric Acid. Many of the remedies often calmed the situation, but rarely curred diseases.

Section Themes: Disaster, Forts, Religion, Special Occasions, Sickness & Death, Setting up Camp, Entertainment, Finding Oregon

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Journal/Diary Writing on the Westward Trail

SW Journal/Diary write about the daily life on the trail to Oregon. SW create and act out life on a trail from the viewpoint of a pioneer in the 1800's . SW incorporate writing to describe their lives and hardships along the trail. SW also incorporate art to draw scenes in their journal about the scenery and describe the setting of camp and the wagon train.
Standards Addressed

Recall essential points; make and revise predictions. [2.2, 2.5]
Restate facts and details in text to share information and organize ideas. [2.13]
Interpret information in new contexts.

Use title, table of contents, chapter heading, glossary, index, charts/maps, and diagrams. [4.1]
Distinguish cause/effect, fact/opinion, main idea, and supporting details in text. [4.2]
Draw conclusions about text and support them with textual evidence. [4.4]
Read and follow multi-step directions to complete a task. [4.5]
Writing Genre
Locate and use at least three sources to write an informative paper. [5.2]
Write friendly and formal letters. [5.3]
Write responses to literature, drawing upon experiences. [5.5]
Composition
6.3.3
Write simple compositions and persuasive essays that address main idea and supporting standards

Homesteading on the Frontier/ Compare and Contrast

SW create a compare and contrast chart comparing children of today, and pioneer children. SW use the following questions to compare the daily lives of both children's lives. (How do they get food?, How do they get clothes?, How do they travel?, How do they help friends?, What is school like?, What chores are done at home?, How do they get news about other people and places?") SW will they write a paper comparing both lifestyles, then state an opinion on if they would like to try living during the Westward Movement?

Standards Address-Power Standards-LA-Nevada
Use title, table of contents, chapter heading, glossary, index, charts/maps, and diagrams. [4.1]
Distinguish cause/effect, fact/opinion, main idea, and supporting details in text. [4.2]
Draw conclusions about text and support them with textual evidence. [4.4]
Read and follow multi-step directions to complete a task. [4.5]
Writing Genre
Locate and use at least three sources to write an informative paper. [5.2]
Write friendly and formal letters. [5.3]
Write responses to literature, drawing upon experiences. [5.5]
Composition
6.3.3
Write simple compositions and persuasive essays that address main idea and supportin Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]

Mathematics

Wagon Train Math- ( How to calculate the pounds of supplies needed for the journey to the west.)

SW incorporate math to determine how math to determine how much money to spend on supplies needed for their journey, using addition and multiplication. SW choose supplies based on weight and necessity to carry in their covered wagon for a five month journey. SW use the "General Store" worksheet created by, "The Cowboy Eye Witness Book", Thematic unit on Cowboys. SW also use "The Supply List" worksheet created by, Creative Teaching Press.
Standards Addressed-Power Standards
Identify, use, and model place value positions of 1’s, 10’s, 100’s, and 1,000’s [1.1]
Identify the value of a given digit in the 1’s, 10’s, 100’s, and 1,000’s place. [1.2]
Identify and model the unit fractions 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, and 1/8 as equal parts of a whole or sets of objects. [1.5]
Read and write unit fractions with numbers and words. [1.6]
Read, write, compare, and order numbers from 0 - 9,999. [1.7]
Read and write number words to 100. [1.8]
Immediately recall and use addition and subtraction facts. [1.13]
Immediately recall multiplication facts (products to 81). [1.14]
Add and subtract two- and three- digit numbers with and without regrouping. [1.19]
Add and subtract decimals using money as a model. [1.22]
Generate and solve two-step addition and subtraction problems and one-step multiplication problems based on practical
situations. [1.26]
Model addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in a variety of ways. [1.24]
Use mathematical vocabulary and symbols to describe multiplication and division. [1.27]

Counting Mileage From Beginning Destination To The End Destination.

SW will calculate mileage from different beginning destinations, to different ending destinations in Oregon.
Standards Addressed

Compare, order, and describe objects by various measurable attributes for area and volume/capacity. [3.3]
Select and use appropriate units of measure. [3.6]
Measure to a required degree of accuracy (to the nearest 1/2 unit). [3.5]
Describe, sketch, compare, and contrast plane geometric figures. [4.1]
Identify, draw, and describe horizontal, vertical, and oblique lines. [4.7]

Social Studies

Explorer Report/Bibliography on Famous Explorers Discovered the West for the Westward Expansion

SW create a written report based upon the historical facts of different explorers of the west. (Lewis & Clark; James Bridger, Sacajawea, William Henry Ashley, etc.) SW use the Internet to search for their explorers. SW look for their accomplishments, and why they are remembered in history. SW also use resources from books, to cross reference their information for validity. SW also and create a poster with intersecting facts and pictures of their explorer. SW then give an oral report on their explorer.

Standards Address
History 1.0- Chronology-Students use chronology to organize and understand the sequence of events.
History 6.0 1700-1865 Students understand the people, events, ideas, and conflicts that led to the creation of new nations and distictive cultures
Geography 1.0 The World in Spacial Terms; Students use maps, globes and other geogrphic tools and technologies to locate and derive information about people, places, and environments.
Technology CEF (3)3.1: select a research topic using technology
Technology CEF (3)2.5: use a wide variety of media and technology resources

Native American Tribe Report on tribes that inhabited the areas of the Oregon Trail.

SW research a Native American tribe that the pioneers could have encountered upon the Oregon Trail. SW research different tribes and their locations on the Internet. SW find background knowledge of their tribe describing if they were friendly or hostile. SW also use resources from books, to cross reference their information for validity. SW also and create a poster with interesting facts and pictures of their tribes. SW then give an oral report on their tribes.
Standards Addressed

History 1.0- Chronology-Students use chronology to organize and understand the sequence of events.
History 6.0 1700-1865 Students understand the people, events, ideas, and conflicts that led to the creation of new nations and distictive cultures
Geography 1.0 The World in Spacial Terms; Students use maps, globes and other geogrphic tools and technologies to locate and derive information about people, places, and environments.
Technology CEF (3)3.1: select a research topic using technology
Technology CEF (3)2.5: use a wide variety of media and technology resources

The Discovery of Gold that were found in Oregon. The examinations of minerals

SW examine minerals based upon their categories: crystal, igneous rock, metamorphic rock, mineral, sedimentary rock. SW use FOSS Kit on Rocks and Minerals to discover the unique differences between all minerals. SW use the Internet to also research were different mineral are found, and specifically Gold, which was the mineral many people were seeking when crossing the west during the westward movement. SW use science journal created by teacher for students to document their research. SW also draw pictures of the different types of minerals.

Standards Addressed-Earth & Space Science

E5C4- Explain that rocks are composed of different combinations of minerals.
E5C5- Explain that soil has biologocal and mineral components an varies from place to place.

Growing Seeds-What is the best terrain to grow seeds to start new crops when settling in t o their new homestead.

SW experiment with different types of materials to grow seeds in. SW use 4 different pots for planting seeds. SW use cotton, standard soil, sand, and rocks to fill the pots and plant seeds. (Any type of seed is good, but pea seeds are best) SW be divided into groups of 4 to track the growth and development of their seeds. SW begin with a hypothesis of which pot will grow the seeds the best. SW track the growth of their plants every couple of days in their science journals. SW water seeds every 3-4 days, depending the temp. of the room. SW measure the growth of their plants in centimeters, and journal their findings. After a 4 week period SW test their hypotheses and share with the class.

Standards Addressed-Life Science

L5B1: Desccribe the structures of that enable plants and animals to grow and survive.
[L5B2 & L5C2- Compare and contrast the life cycles of various living things. Identify examples of organisms that interact with each other and with the non-living parts of their ecosystem.

Historical Overview of Section Themes
Sickness and Death
Sickness and death was a ghastly epidemic on the Oregon Trail. Not having modern medicine and rarely a doctor in their wagon train many pioneers suffered from several different deadly diseases. Among the most common were: Measles, typhoid, mountain fever, the "bloddy flu", dysentery and cholera. Most pioneers carried a few remedies with them while travelling the long disatnce to Oregon. Some of the most common medicines were: Laudanum for pain, camphor for cholera, harrtshorne for snakebites, citric acid for scury, castor oil for bowel disorders, borax and alum for boils and sores, and various dried herbs. Many pioneers came in contact with friendly Indians, who were more than generous when sharing their medicinal remedies to heal certain diseases. Unfortunately the White Man brought many of the fatal diseases into the West, which killed hundreds of Indians.
The disease that was most fatal to the overlanders was CHOLERA!The cholera outbreak along the Oregon Trail was part of a worldwide pandemic which began in Bengal. Cities throughout the United States were struck, and the disease reached the overland emigrants by traveling up the Mississippi River from New Orleans. Cholera was spread by unsanitary conditions along the trail. Cholera could start in the morning with a stomache ache, and a person could be dead by nightfall. If death did not occure in the first 12-24 hours, the patient usually lived, after excuriating pain.
Many odf the accidents that occured on the trail were usually from negligence, exhaustion, guns, animals, and the weather. Shootings were common, especially accidental shooting of oneself. Deaths along the trail were especially common among women during chidbirth, and young children because of the fragile immune systems. Unfortuantely these deaths were the most heartbreaking to the overlanders.

Vocabulary Needed: For additional vocabulary please check glossary at the back of Daily Life in a Covered Wagon.

Emigrant:
A person who is leaving one country to enter another. Pioneers in the early years of the Oregon Trail were called emigrants because most were leaving the United States to enter the unorganized "Oregon Country." Later, Oregon became a part of the U.S., but the word "emigrant" stuck.
Cholera:
An infectious disease caught by many emigrants on the Oregon Trail. It spread rapidly because of unsanitary water. There was no cure and most died within a day. There is almost no Cholera in the United States today because of better living conditions, but there have been epidemics recently in poor countries.
Manifest Destiny:
Belief that the United States had an innate right to settle the entire West. Most Americans believed the British, the Mexicans and the Indians should be driven out because the United States had the real 'right' to expand to the west.
Pioneer:
An early settler in a new territory. All the people on the Oregon Trail were pioneers, but there were many other pioneers who did not go to Oregon.
Blacksmith:
Worker who shapes heated iron by pounding it with a hammer. Blacksmiths were common on the Oregon Trail because the iron rims of the wagon wheels were often in need of repair.
Ford:
To cross a river on foot or horseback. Often the pioneers forded streams or small rivers. However, many rivers were too deep to ford, so they floated their wagons across or hired a ferry. On rare occasions a toll bridge was available.
Pass:
A gap in a mountain range. Most passes are narrow gorges, but South Pass on the Oregon Trail was a large `saddle' in the mountains--many miles wide.
The West:
Term used to describe the part of the United States that lies beyond the Mississippi River.
"Oregon Country:"
Refers to a large territory that was originally not a part of any other nation. Oregon Country encompassed all of what is now Oregon, Washington, and Idaho; much of British Columbia; and small parts of Wyoming and Montana. Later, Oregon Country was jointly held by Britain and the U.S.; eventually it became a part of the United States.

Additional Resources

www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subject/westwardmovement.htm: This is a website created for kids that is very user friendly, and has great factual information on the Westward Movement. This is an interactive website as well.
Going West: Jean Van Leeuwen 1992 [This is a Juvenile Fiction, that follows a a family's journey from East to West, and the challenges they face.]
Roughing it on the Oregon Trail, Diane Stanley 2000 [This is a Juvenile Fiction that takes a family back in time to the pioneer days on the Oregon Trail, experiencing the perils of life with their own ancestors.]
Across the Plains in the Donner Party, Karen Zeinhert 1996 [Diary excerpts from some of the remaining survivors of the Donner Party, told by children and adults.]

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Daily Life in a Covered Wagon (Paul Erickson) — "On the Trail" through "Crossing a River"

2008-10-29T17:53:00.000-07:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Jamie Autin, 4th Grade Teacher, Ruben P. Diaz Elementary School, Clark County School District

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Teachers' guides exist for Daily Life in a Covered Wagon separated by book section:

Additional teacher's Guides are available for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

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Section Overview: Paul Erickson, the author, has compiled a rich supply of information and primary resources about travel in covered wagons. The book resembles a chronological text taking the reader from what lead families to venture west to reaching their destination. The journey takes these brave people many months and sometimes years, while they contend with supplies, safety, difficult terrain, sickness and death, and Indian country. This text leads the reader through how members of wagon trains and lone travelers made it from day to day while traveling this vast distance. The text is loaded with information about tools used on the trip, what kinds of clothes were practical while traveling, hunting practices on the prairies, and how people dealt with difficult times. Browsing through the pages brings us an array of visual information: pictures, maps, drawings, and loads of primary resources.

In this part of the book, we are on the trail! What we need, tribal relations, weapons used, mishaps, and children's activities are all discussed. A very special part of this book is the inclusion of diary entries from members of the Larkin family. This primary resource gives us exciting details into peoples' experiences and perceptions of the day.

Section Themes: Expansion, Mapping, Cultures, Hunting, Native Americans, Games, Travel, Teamwork

Suggested Activities

Language Arts
- Book Study-Jigsaw
- Standards
  - Identify main idea and supporting details [PS/NS 2.4.2]
  - Make inferences [PS/NS 2.4.2]
  - Recall details/facts [PS/NS 2.4.3]
  - Record information [PS/NS 2.4.3]
  - Summarize information [NS 4.4.5]
Building a Covered Wagon

I have an all boys class, which makes me look harder for creative ways for them to engage in a text. For the purpose of understanding how to follow directions, this lesson would center around students building a model covered wagon with a team by following written instructions given by the teacher. The directions would include what materials were needed, how much of the materials were needed, what steps to follow to construct the wagon, what and how much to cut and paste with measurements. First, the teacher must make sure that students understand how directions work. Usually, we cannot complete one step until the one before it has been completed. Students should all receive a copy of the directions for building the wagon. Next, as an example, the teacher should provide an oral quiz asking students what comes before Step 3 or Step 4. The students will comprehend that directions have a chronological order by which the task is completed. After this, materials such as cardboard, paper, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, scissors, glue, crayons and pencils will be needed. Students should be allowed to bring any other materials from home they like. For instance, if some students have miniature people, this would be a great way for them to personalize their project. After having read Conestogao Wagons, the students should be aware, with tema effort of course, how wagons are constructed. Following the teacher directions and assigned team jobs, the teams will be able to complete this in about 3 days. This could be a center activity.

Standards Addressed

Understand and use key vocabulary [PS/NS 2.4.2]

Describe sequential and/or chronological order [PS/NS 4.4.3]

Read and follow directions to complete tasks or procedures [NS 4.4.7]

Mathematics

Measuring Materials for Covered Wagon

Students will use their measurement skills to measure and cut materials for Language Arts project. According to the designated teacher directions for length, width, and height of covered wagon materials, student will break into already-established groups to measure materials. For instance, the wagon will use cardboard. The team's job will be to following the directions for height and length and cut out the piece to the correct size according to the directions.

Standards Addressed

(4)3.3 measure, compare, and convert length in inches, feet, yards, and miles to the nearest fractional part (1/4, 1/2)

Calculating Distances

Students will use MapQuest to calculate distance in miles from various points in the eastern and midwestern US to various points in the West. For example, students will first measure distance from Baltimore to St. Louis. Then, they will measure distance from St. Louis to Oregon. For the higher level students, I would make more stops along the trail. Using mental math, they will estimate distance and figure an exact distance as well. After some practice, I would allow the students to study a map and detemine their own route: where they would like to stop and through which parts they would like to travel. Then, they may use MapQuest to figure exact distance.

Standards Addressed

(4)1.17 use estimation and mental computation in appropriate situations to solve problems
(4)1.18 add and subtract multi-digit numbers [NS 1.4.7]
(4)3.5 use technology to organize data

Social Studies
Daily Life in a Covered Wagon KWL

Standards Addressed

Summarize information [NS 4.4.5]
Recall details/facts [PS/NS 2.4.3]
Restate main ideas [PS/NS 2.4.3]
Organize information (e.g., graphic organizer, outline) [PS/NS 2.4.3]
(4)1.13 work cooperatively in groups
describe changes in how people move from one place to another [NS 4.4.3]

Create a Flyer

Students will talk in groups about why people formed wagon trains. What were the benefits and hardships of this decision? Why would people want to move West? What are some conflicts that could have risen? Come together as a whole class to understand the benefits and consequences of this. Using this information, students will form pairs to develop a flyer advertizing for people to join their own wagon train.
Standards Addressed

describe how cooperation and conflict affect people in different communities [NS 4.4.9]
(4)4.11 discuss how and why people from various cultures immigrated and migrated to the American West

Science

Weather of the Day

Students will understand which parts of the US have the harshest weather and determine the best route to travel. They will understand how temperature chags throughout the day. First, students will go outside in the morning, preferably winter or fall, and estimate thier own temperature. Write down any observations about precipitation and sun position. After going inside, the teacher will check online (or have a trained student do this) and write the correct temperature on the board for students to see. Make predictions about what will happen later in the day with temperature, sun position and precipitation. Students will then make an afternoon trip to observe same details. They will notice that temperature has warmed, sun is farther west, and precipitation is, most likly, dried. Talk about how this affects travel.
Standards Addressed

(4)3.2 investigate and describe the water cycle, including the role of the sun [E5A2]
(4)3.3 investigate and describe the factors that affect the processes of evaporation and condensation [E5A2]

Nighttime on the Trail

Teacher will ask students to vote. Who thinks the Sun moves around the Earth? Who thinks the Earth moves around the Sun. Teacher will use a lamp and round ball to demonstrate how the sun's distance from us affects our light source. Turning off or dimming the lights, the students will observe how the teacher moves the lightbulb (Sun) around the ball (Earth) and see how to area facing them falls into darkness when the lighbulb is behind the ball. Students will use a globe to determine what area of the Earth was getting light when the wagon trail had to stop for the night. As a homework assignment, the students are asked to take a trip outside their house at night to observe what the pioneers might have observed. Ask them to venture outside at (in winter) about 6 PM and the again right before bedtime noticing certain landmarks or traits in the night sky. Write down observations. Are constellations or stars you noticed in the same spot? When done, students will report findings with a partner and talk about patterns and distances they noticed. Write a brief report of your findings.

Standards Addressed

(4)3.6 investigate and describe how distance affects the brightness of a light source (stars) [E5B1; E5B3]
(4)3.7 identify the sun as a star, and as the main source of energy for planet Earth [E5A1; E5B3]
(4)3.8 describe how the stars in the sky are not scattered evenly, and they are not all the same in brightness or color [E5B1]
(4)3.9 describe how the components of our Solar System (planets, moons, sun), as well as constellations, appear to move through the sky [E5B2; E5B4; E5B5]
(4)3.10 explain that stars look small because they are extremely far away [E5B3]

Historical Overview of Section Themes

"Nooning", as it was called, was a concept developed to give the travelers and animals rest during the hot days of travel. Most travel was done in pleasant weather for obvious reasons, and so with nice weather came the heat. The idea of nooning was very beneficial, especially for care of the animals.
After purchasing your wagon, you could decide if you wanted oxen, mules, or horses to carry your load. Horses were faster but not an economical choice give the care they needed. Mules were very praised for their toughness but also uncooperative. Oxen were cheap but also susceptible to the heat. If you wanted your animals to last, you had to care for them properly.
During the time of nooning, the animals rested while the family ate lunch and procurred some rest as well. Some people took part in a little exercise and play.
Given that we are used to being able to travel hundreds of miles a day in a car, these pioneers only travelled between 15-25 miles a day. Nooning seems a waste of time when so little distance is covered, but for the animals and welfare of the travelers, it was necessary.

Additional Resources

http://www.oregonpioneers.com/oxen.htm : This website offers additional information on "nooning" and animals used for traveling to the West.
If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon by Ellen Levine: This book discusses much of the same information as Daily Life in a Covered Wagon. It enhances on the information with illustrations rather than real pictures and resources.
Conestoga Wagons by Richard Ammon: This book gives detailed information on one type of covered wagon used: the Conestoga Wagon. It informs the reader on construction and purposes for the the wagon's design.

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Clark County School District's

grant module

Dr. Christy Keeler

Daily Life in a Covered Wagon (Paul Erickson) — "Going West" through "Rolling the Train"

2008-10-29T17:51:00.002-07:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Mitchell Kalin, 5th grade teacher, May Elementary School, Clark County School District

_________________________________________________________________

Teachers' guides exist for Daily Life in a Covered Wagon separated by book section:

Additional teacher's Guides are available for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

_________________________________________________________________

Section Overview: These chapters deal with the beginning of a family's trip out West in a covered wagon. The book starts with a chapter using maps to show how the travelers made their journey across the country in the 1840s. Three main trails are shown. The political situation in the United States is also discussed, with President Polk being mentioned as a major booster of the Westward Expansion. Next, the book introduces the readers to a family, whose travels, we will follow throughout the book. The next chapter concentrates on the wagon itself. Using drawings, actual pictures and text, this chapter goes into what was necessary to make a good wagon that would lead to a successful journey. Next, the book goes into what was needed to be packed into the wagon for the travelers and what was needed for the trip. There are details as to the necessities required for the long journey, including food, medicine, animals and means of communicating with others (pens, etc.).

After the book has shown the path of the journey, who was traveling and what was needed (the wagon and supplies), the book shifts into the actual journey itself. These chapters discuss how an actual day traveling in a covered wagon goes. It starts with waking up at daybreak, eating breakfast and then getting the wagon train (the group of wagons traveling together) ready to go and finally starting the day's journey(rolling).
Section Themes: Westward expansion, trip preparation, daily responsibilities (teamwork),

Suggested Activities

Language Arts
Covered Wagon Diary

Students will keep a written diary in their writing journal for two weeks. During this time, they will pretend that they are a 10 year old going west with their family in a covered wagon. The diary will start with an entry before they leave, telling how they feel about their journey that is ahead. Each day, they will make another entry incorporating material covered in class that day. Their last entry will be written, one year after they have arrived at their destination.
Standards Addressed

Nv 6.5.5 Write response to expository text
Nv 5.5.3-7 Revising and editing drafts
Nv 5.5.1 Using pre-writing strategies to explore a topic and organize ideas

Student Response to Expository Text

Students will read pages 2 through 12 in Kids Discover Pioneers magazine. After reading, students will pick one of the articles and write a summary to be turned in. In addition to the summary, the students will list 3 things learned from the article and two questions that have after reading that article.
Standards Addressed

Nv 6.5.5 write response to expository text
Nv 5.5.1 Revising and editing drafts
Nv 5.5.3-7 Using pre-writing strategies to explore a topic and organize ideas

Mathematics

Story Problem

Students will answer the following story problem: A wagoner who traveled across country would sometimes stay overnight at an inn. If it cost the wagoner $1.75 for a meal and an overnight stay, how much would the total cost for a wagoner be if he had to spend a total of 13 nights at an inn during his journey?
Standards Addressed

Nv 1.5.7 add and subtract decimals
Nv 1.5.8 generate and solve problems using whole numbers and decimals in practical situations

Food Weight

Students will be provided with a list of supplies needed for the trip:
100 pounds of flour for each adult (50 pounds for each child),70 pounds of bacon, 30 pounds of hardtack and 10 pounds each of beans, rice, coffee, sugar, dried fruits, baking soda and vinegar. Students will then need to figure out how much all of these supplies would weigh if their family had to pack a wagon train. Students will be told that their family would include all people living in their household. Students will be paired up for this in heterogeneous groups pairing low and high students.
Standards Addressed

Nv 1.5.8 generate and solve problems using whole numbers and decimals in practical situations
Nv C.3-5 identify and translate key words and phrases that imply mathematical operations

Social Studies

Map Skills

Students will use a scale on a map to determine approximately how far it is to travel from Independence, Missouri to Oregon City in Oregon. Students will use a compass rose to tell the direction that they would be traveling.
Standards Addressed

NS 1.5.2 use map and map features
NS 1.5.3 read and derive geographic information from maps

Timeline skills

Students will prepare a timeline which will give important information relating to their wagon train's journey west. For this activity, when they are done with the unit on wagon trains, the students will construct a timeline detailing important events that happened on a wagon train going west. The timeline will include when they pass notable geographic locations as well as fictionalized accounts of a trip using knowledge gained from the unit. The timeline should be for a 4 month period of time (about how long it would take to make the trip)
Standards Addressed

NS 1.5.2 record and interpret events on a graphic organizer, such as a calendar or time line
NS 2.5.2 organize historical data from a variety of sources

Science

Biomes Identification

Students will be told that the journey from Independence, Missouri to Oregon City will be a long journey. In addition to being long, the trip will be go through many different biomes. The students assignment will be to identify the different biomes that the travelers pass through. They will also tell approximately where each biome is located and finally identify the characteristics of each biome. Students will be able to use the magazine that comes with the Foss Environments kit to help them with this assignment.
Standards Addressed

E5 C2 compare and contrast various kinds of landforms
E5C3 compare and contrast various kinds of landforms

Biotic or Abiotic

Students will list everything that is brought on the journey out West. Students will list all of the supplies,the animals, and the people. Students will then label each item as biotic or abiotic.
Standards Addressed

(5)1.5 create and use labeled illustrations, graphs..to convey ideas
(5) 4.6 investigate and describe the interrelationships between living and non living parts of a habitat

Historical Overview of Section Themes

Without the westward expansion of the United States, there would have been no need for the covered wagons. Covered wagons were necessary so the pioneers would be able to navigate the long and arduous journey that would take them out west. The covered wagons needed to be able to carry the supplies, and the people that were making the trip. The wagons had to act as shelter, storage, protection and transportation.
So, what was it that drew the people to get in the covered wagons and make this long trip? Turner, an early historian, said that space was the appeal. Out west, there was much more space for people than there was in the increasingly crowded cities back East. Limerick said it was the opportunity to shape a new area to suit ourselves. People could go out west and make a new start for themselves.
This draw to go west was not just manifest destiny, as some have suggested, but instead, this expansion was led by politicians in an effort to enlarge the reach and power of the United States. Thomas Jefferson was very instrumental with his procurement of the Louisiana territory with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and just as importantly his decision in 1804 to send Lewis and Clark on the expedition to go West. The Louisiana Purchase greatly increased the size of the United States, and Lewis and Clark's findings opened the door for others to follow their path to Oregon. In the 1820's, the first major treks to Oregon followed, and the floodgates to Westward expansion were well under way. The pioneers needed covered wagons to make the long trip out West, and wagons became the first major mode of transportation for going great distances with many people and their possessions. Horses alone, could not do what covered wagons could.
Politics continued to play a major role in the westward expansion. By 1841, "Oregon Fever" was spreading throughout the northern states and more and more people were hitching up their wagons and heading west. Westward expansion was a major issue in the 1844 presidential election and both candidates, Polk and Clay, favored expansion. A couple of reasons that the politicians favored the expansion were the opportunities for trade with the nations of the Pacific that were present out west and the desire to limit the British presence out there. Due to these and other reasons, politicians pushed the expansion west and also southwest. Therefore, with their government pushing the expansion, stories coming back out the great opportunities (the stories of failure and hardship were probably not as widely disseminated) and with the opportunity for a new start and adventure, it is no wonder that pioneers loaded their wagons to make the journeys out west.

Additional Resources

Conestoga Wagon by Richard Ammon; Illustrated by Bill Farnsworth: picture book
If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon by Ellen Levine; Illustrated by Elroy Freem: soft cover book with illustration
Kids Discover Pioneers by Editor Stella Sands: magazine
American Expansionism 1783-1860 by Joy: soft cover book dealing with factors involved in the westward expansion of the United States

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You Wouldn't Want to Live in a Wild West Town (Peter Hicks)

2008-10-29T17:51:00.001-07:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Denise Charles, 3rd Grade, Don E. Hayden Elementary School, Clark County School District

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This teacher's guide is for the book You Wouldn't Want to Live in a Wild West Town by Peter Hicks. Additional teacher's Guides are available for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

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Book Overview: The reader becomes the marshal of a fictional town called Dustville. And discovers that the allure of living in the Wild West is not all it seems. There are all sorts of things that are not written in the stories about the West. Everyone from the good, bad and the wild are attracted to Dustville and as the marshal you must keep everyone and everything under control. Sickness, disease, weather, and even stampedes are detailed in the book.

Book Themes: Cowboys, hunting, law and order, illnesses, weather, death, cemeteries

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Help Wanted

Students will interview and apply for various jobs in the old West such as Marshal, cowboy, and fur trader. Small groups will advertise for the positions and make a help wanted poster. The prospective employees will need to research the position they would like to apply for.
Standards Addressed

(3) 4.4 A. compare text from different
1. cultures [PS/NS 4.3.4]
2. time periods [PS/NS 4.3.4]
(3) 8.3 A. communicate information by
1. maintaining a clear focus [PS/NS 8.3.3]
2. following a logical sequence [PS/NS 8.3.3]
B. use public speaking techniques to deliver presentations with appropriate
. prosody [NS 8.3.3]
2. volume [NS 8.3.3]
3. eye contact [NS 8.3.3]
4. enunciation [NS 8.3.3]
5. posture [NS 8.3.3]
6. expressions [NS 8.3.3]
7. audience [NS 8.3.3]
8. purpose [NS 8.3.3]
Communicate information by illustrating information with media aids with assistance [NS 8.3.3]
Communicate statements that express an opinion [NS 8.3.3]
Defend a position using evidence with assistance [[NS 8.3.3]
Read aloud and/or recite (e.g., literary, expository, and original works)

[Title of Activity Idea 2]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Add more standards/objectives as needed]

Mathematics
[Title of Activity Idea 1]
[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]

Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]

Cowboy Quilt

Students will design a quilt square detailing the information found in one chapter of the book. The squares will be measured and pieced together to form a class quilt for display.
Standards Addressed

(3)3.5 measure and record to a required degree of accuracy to the nearest 1/2 unit. [NS 3.3.2]
(3)3.6 select and use appropriate units of measure [NS 3.3.2]

Social Studies
[Title of Activity Idea 1]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]

[Title of Activity Idea 2]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]

Science

[Title of Activity Idea 1]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]

[Title of Activity Idea 2]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]

Historical Overview of Book Themes

[Choose at least one theme you've identified for the chapter. Do research on this topic and prepare an approximately one-page report on the topic. Write in a format that other teachers would find helpful when seeking background information about the historical content of the theme(s) from this chapter. The passage should provide information that goes beyond what exists in the book to help students gain a better understanding of the historical context of the chapter.]

Additional Resources

[Linked Resource Name] by [Author]: [Brief prose-style description of the resource.]
[Linked Resource Name] by [Author]: [Brief prose-style description of the resource.]
[Linked Resource Name] by [Author]: [Brief prose-style description of the resource.]
[Linked Resource Name] by [Author]: [Brief prose-style description of the resource.]

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Pioneers (Kids Discover)—I

2008-10-29T17:50:00.000-07:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Sherri Aragon, 4th & 5th Grade Intermediate Resource, May Elementary School, Clark County School District

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This teacher's guide is for the Kids Discover magazine Pioneers. Note that there are two teacher's guides for this periodical (I and II). Additional teacher's guides are available for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

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Book Overview:

This magazine goes into detail about what a pioneer is. Each article explains the determination and the hard work that was provided by them to towns and cities that they helped build. There are articles about the trails that they traveled on and explains the hardships that they had to deal with on these journeys. The housngi and the farming on the plains discussed how everyone would get involved in each family to help one another. There were many obstacles in farming. There were many snow storms, dust storms, tornadoes, and locusts.

Book Themes: Determination, hard workers, survival, explorers, strong, cooperation and work together.

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Pretend that You Are a Pioneer

Select a destination point. It could be where you live today or anywhere in North America. Then pretend that you are one of the first settlers traveling to that location. Write several diary entries. (At least ten daily entries) about your experiences as a pioneer.
Standards Addressed

3.5.2 Make inferences about characters' traits; predict conflicts and resolutions.
4.5.3 Read to evaluate new information comparing them to known information and ideas.
9.5.3 Give organized reports that demonstrate a clear point of view.

Compare and Contrast Pioneer's Lives

Visit several websites with choices provided by teacher. Pick two pioneer experiences in different locations. Analyze their experiences and chart the similarities and differences that you find.
Standards Addressed

3.5.4 Compare stated and implied themes in a variety of works.
4.5.1 Use format, graphics, sequence, diagrams, charts and maps to comprehend text.
5.5.4 Write responses to literature that support judgments with examples.

Mathematics

Plan An Oregon Trail Trip

Plan a family trip across the Great Plains that follows as closely as possible one of the Oregon Trail routes. Decide what modes of transportation you are going to use and all provisions needed. Identify the stops that you will make; make sure to include the significant landmarks that early pioneers noted on their journey. Map out your route. Itemize costs for all items and find out the total cost of your trip.
Standards Addressed

3.5.4 Determine totals and change due for monetary amounts in problem-solving situations.
6.5.5 Verify, interpret and evaluate results determining an efficient strategy for the given situation.

Chart Farm Products

Select an animal, fruit, or other plant crop. Pick a specific product group like soybeans, cotton, poultry, apples, rice, sunflowers, corn, etc. Diagram and label the production process from the farm to the market, identifying as many different products as possible. Show different varieties. Include a bar graph and a line graph to show results.
Standards Addressed

8.5.4 Use patterns, relationships to analyze problems; draw logical conclusions about problems.
5.5.4 Collect read and interpret data using a variety of graphic representations: tables, graphs. Use data to draw and explain conclusions and predictions.

Social Studies

Uncover An Old Map

Locate the earliest map of the town, city or area where you live. Use the resources of your local public library or a regional historical society. If you are unable to find a historical map, create a map that you think might have been accurate years ago. Write a fictional story about someone who might have used the historical map
Standards Addressed

(5)4.2 Record and interpret events on a graphic organizer or map.
(5)4.28 Read, interpret, and analyze historical passages.

Making A Picture Book with Time-line of Events.

Students will pair-share ideas by collecting books and magazines from the library. Each group will provide a time-line of early pioneers. Students will be creating a picture book that corresponds to the time-line event that is being presented.
Standards Addressed

(5)4.27 Organize chronologically major events and people of United States history.
(5)4.9 Identify and describe the reasons for the early exploration of the New World.

Science

Create a Covered Wagon

Read Pioneer How long would it take you to reach Oregon? Stock your wagon with provisions enough for your family to reach Oregon. You might be able to get a few things at some of the forts on the route, but supplies there would be expensive. You can also count on a little food gained by hunting, but you don't have time to hunt for fresh meat daily. Make an itemized list of the wagon, livestock, and needed supplies and find there cost in the 1840s. Are you overloaded, do you need another wagon or do you need to lighten the load? Display your 'prairie schooner' project.

Standards Addressed

(5)1.5 Create and use labeled illustrations and charts to convey ideas, record observations and make predictions.
(5)1.7 Use models to explain how something works or how something is constructed.

Pioneers/Hardships/Determination

Students will use reciprocal teaching by dividing groups into each section of text. Collaborate with other students to discuss what was learned at first group. Note-taking will be involved. Students will present to class what each group learned.
Standards Addressed

(5)1.1 Use evidence recorded in a science notebook to develop descriptions, models, explanations and predictions.
(4)1.10 Cooperate and contribute ideas within a group.

Historical Overview of Book Themes

Pioneers were the people that settled their region. This also provided opportunities for others to settle also. Pioneers faced many hardships and dangers as they struggled to build new lives away from the civilization they had known in the east region. Everyone wanted a better life. Many pioneers traveled through forests, this was because they believed that farming could only take place where plants and trees could grow. They usually settled near water and lakes. Because they traveled through forests they had access to trees and made sod houses. These houses kept them warm and provided them with a safe place. The pioneers stayed close to bodies of water for their transportation and trade.

The pioneers ran into many problems as they traveled west. If they were not prepared for these problems, it could mean a life or death situation. Pioneers main source of travel was the covered wagon. On the trail there were many dangers which included bad weather, animals such as horses or oxen’s die. Many died from Native American Attacks. Pioneers had to make sure and only take what was necessary for them to survive. Sometimes the hot, dry weather caused the wagon wheels to crack in two or even shrink. Iron rims would loosen and fall off. Some pioneers had blacksmith’s travel with them and they could make repairs quickly so the wagons could keep on moving.

Farming was very important for the early pioneers. Indians taught them how to grow farms. Farming provided food for them. They also kept animals on the farm so that meat could be provided as well. There were many disasters that the Pioneers endured. This included Locusts, Tornadoes, snow-storms, dust storms and fires.

As an American I am fortunate to the pioneers for the settlements that they made to form the United States. The pioneers had to work hard during the settlement period. Many towns and cities show the determination and hard work that was put out by the early pioneers.

Additional Resources

Go West Across America with Lewis and Clark by National Geographic Society. Gives students an idea of journey the pioneers had to deal with during their hardship. Students have to make decisions as to what is needed for their own journey.
Quick Facts by David VanderstelProvides students with fact about early Pioneers.
Shelter on the Western Front by Elizabeth Larson. Provides detailed information on how early pioneers lived in different types of homes.
Laura Ingall's Story by Laura Ingall's. Helpful information on early pioneers. Great website to show the different aspects on the early pioneers hardships.

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Note: This teacher's guide was developed as part of one of the Clark County School District's grant module, teachers focused on using children's historical literature to teach cross-curricular concepts relating to 19th century westward movement. For more information about this blog, related teacher's guides, or the grant module, please contact Dr. Christy Keeler. Teaching American History grants. In this

If You Were a Pioneer on the Prairie (Anne Kamma)

2008-10-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Stacey Seiden, 5th grade teacher, May Elementary School, Clark County School District

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This teacher's guide is for the book If You Were a Pioneer on the Prairie by Anne Kamma. Additional teacher's Guides are available for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

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Book Overview: If You Were a Pioneer on the Prairie by Anne Kamma describes what life was like for the pioneers on their move west and what life was like living on the prairie. Kamma explains that the pioneers weren’t going to the prairie, but they had to cross it to get to Oregon and California. The pioneers were worried, because the prairie was extremely dry and had very little trees. As they traveled, all they saw was grass. As more and more people started traveling through this region, they realized they could in fact live and survive on this land.

Book Themes: survival, determination, struggle, family, team work

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Vocabulary

Students will choose ten words that are unfamiliar to them while reading the book. First, students will choose one word to write on an index card with a short definition. Then the entire class will stand in a circle. Students will take turns reciting their word and acting it out for the class. As they say and act out the word, the class joins in and repeats the word and acts it out at the same time. Follwoing this activity, students will use the dictionary to look up their other nine words. They will write the word, write the definition for each, use it in a sentence, and draw a picture of it. The words will be added for the end of the week vocabulary test.
Standards Addressed

1.2 use knowledge of phonics, structural element, grammar, and syntax to read and determine the meaning of unfamiliar words in context
1.4 use dictionaries and glossaries to find word origins, pronunciations, and to determine the meaning of unknown words
1.9 develop vocabulary by listening to and discussing selection read aloud

Journal

Students will keep a journal as if they are a child traveling west with their family. The journal will be kept for one week. Students will have to dicuss both the move and what life was like living on the pairie with great detail.
Standards Addressed

5.1 participate in writing daily writing activities (e.g., journals)
5.5 write responses to literary selections by supporting ideas with selected examples
7.1 use correct grammar when writing

Mathematics

Wagon Pricing

Students will create a list of important items to bring on their move west. Knowing that they could not take everything due to weight (a number will be given at the beginning), students will choose from a list of items what is most important and add their weights together. They will then decide whether or not they can take all they chose or if they have to change something.
Standards Addressed

1.27 add and subtract decimals
1.32 use a variety of appropriate strategies to estimate, compute and solve mathematical and real-world problems
3.4 determine totals and change due for monetary amounts in problem solving situations

Word Problems

Students will create word problems for each other using time. Word problems can be how long it will take to get west or how long it takes to pack all their belongings etc.
Standards Addressed

6.1 select, modify, develop, and apply strategies to solve a variety of mathematical and practical problems and to investigate and understand mathematical concepts
3.8 identify equivalent periods of time, including relationships between and among seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and years

Social Studies

Mini-Book

Students will use the internet and nonfiction text to learn and discuss why the pioneers decided to move west. Students will create a mini-book incorporating what they learned. The mini-book will consist of both wording and comic book-syle pictures.
Standards Addressed

4.10 describe relationships among Native Americans, Europeans, Asians, and Africans
4.2 record and interpret evens on a graphic organizer such as a calendar, time line etc.

Moving West

Students will map the area traveled by the pioneers. While mapping the area, they will discuss the hardships faced by the change in scenery.
Standards Addressed

3.35 describe how the physical setting influenced an even in the past
3.38 describe geographic issue and the possible impact it could have in the future
3.1 use maps and map feature, including directional orientation, map symbols, and grid system to identify and locate major geographic features
3.4 construct maps, charts, tables, and graphs to display information about human and physical features of the United States

Science

Natural Disasters

Students will explore historical documents and explain the effect of drought, prairie fire, and grasshopper plagues on the pioneer farm.
Standards Addressed

3.3 investigate and describe various meteorological phenomena (flooding, snowstorms, thunderstorms, and drought)
1.7 use models to explain how something works or how something is constructed

Moving West

Students will research the hardships the pioneers encountered moving through the desert like land. Part of this research will include how the land changed with the settlement of the pioneers
Standards Addressed

4.8 investigate and describe how organisms, including humans, can cause changes in their environments
4.10 investigate and describe how environmental changes allow some plants and animals to survive and reproduce, but others may die

Historical Overview of Book Themes

The overall theme of this book was how difficult life was moving west and how the pioneers coped with life once they moved to the prairie. While settlers weren't going to live on the prairie, they had to pass through it on their way west. People thought all kinds of wonderful things would happen for them if they moved west. They were most excited about owning their own land.
While times were tough at the beginning, the pioneers learned how to live on the land and make the best of it. Pioneers thought the only people capable living on this land were the Native Americans.
When settlers moved out west, there wasn't a tree in sight. Since there wasn't an abundance of trees, pioneers had to use what was available. Sod squares were cut from the soil. Not only were the walls constructed of sod, but most roofs as well, which sometimes led to wet bedding and clothes after a heavy rain. Only a minimal amount of lumber was needed, for a door and one or more windows. The sod homes proved to be cool in the hot summer and warm in the winter.

Additional Resources

Pioneers by ThinkQuest: pioneer life
Oregon History by End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
Conestoga Wagons by Richard Ammon
If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon by Ellen Levine

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Conestoga Wagons (Richard Ammon)

2008-10-29T17:35:00.000-07:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Alexandra Reub, 3rd Grade Teacher, Robert Lunt Elementary School, Clark County School District

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This teacher's guide is for the book Conestoga Wagons by Richard Ammon. Additional teacher's Guides are available for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

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Book Overview: This book uniquely describes and beautifully illustrates many aspects of the Conestoga Wagon. The Conestoga Wagon was originally built in the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania between 1750 and 1850 so that goods could be transferred from one area to another. Much of the book describes in full detail how the wagons were built. They had to be built sturdy because of the rough terrain and long periods of time on the rough roads. The book also explains the historical significance and importance of the wagons to the early American economy. This book is a must have for any classroom teacher who is teaching Westward Expansion and pioneer life.

Book Themes: The family unit (families usually traveled together), maps (where and how far did the wagons have to travel?), the building and foundation of the wagons (how and what materials were used?), Colonial Times, Conestoga horses (these were the breed of horses used to pull the wagons), Pennsylvania Dutch, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (the Conestoga Wagon was built here), Revolutionary War, colonial America, necessities for living (food, coal, paper, tools, etc..), taverns (where the drivers would sleep when it came time to rest at night), bartering (sometimes, the innkeeper would barter for items that the driver had to pay the bill at the end of the stay), steam engine (this technology was developing and starting to threaten the use of the Conestoga Wagons).

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Life on a Wagon

After reading the book, Conestoga Wagons, ask the students what they thought it might be like to a passenger on one of the wagons. What was life like?
Have students write a friendly letter to a friend or family member that they have left behind describing a day in the life of someone traveling on the wagon. On a separate piece of paper to be handed out to the kids, there are some questions to help the students gather their ideas.

*How old you? Are you a child on the wagon? Or are you an adult?
*Are you a girl or boy? How different would the life be because of gender?
*Who is on the covered wagon with you? Brothers or sisters? Mom and dad?
*Where are you leaving from and where are you going?

Students may use a Circle Map to first write down all their ideas from the questions.
After students have drafted and edited their letters, have them share with the class (Author’s Chair).
Standards Addressed

NV 5.3.2. Write friendly and formal letters.
NV 7.3.4 Use correct capitalization: names and titles, dates, moths, holidays, place names; first word in a sentence: pronoun “I”; salutation and close of letters.
NV 9.3.3 Present ideas and supporting details in a logical sequence.

Comparing Wagons

After have read the book, Conestoga Wagons, remind them that the Conestoga Wagon differed from other regular wagons that were traveling on the trails.
Explain to students that they are going to be finding out at least 4-6 similarities and differences of the two types of wagons.
Have students use the internet, read books and/or look at pictures to find out information.
Have students complete a Double Bubble Map or other graphic organizer to explain the similarities and differences between the two kinds of wagons.
After students have completed map, have them share with others to see if they missed any attributes of the two.
After students have shared their maps, have them choose either a regular covered wagon or a Conestoga Wagon and write a paragraph explaining what and how it traveled. They can also illustrate the wagons.
Differentiated Instruction: If students have a difficulty with writing, they may use the computer program of Thinking Maps to help them generate their answers.
Standards Addressed

NV 9.3.3 Present ideas and supporting details in a logical sequence.
2.3.4 Restate facts and details in text to share information and organize ideas.

Mathematics

Cooking Corn Fritters

Explain to student’s that pioneers ate simple food because it was easy to take on the road and most items were fairly inexpensive to make. One example of this food, was the corn fritter. Tell students that today, they are going to be making corn fritters. Find the recipe at http://www.kidspot.com.au/recipe+114+Easy-Corn-Fritters.htm.
Hand out recipes to everyone. Read over thoroughly with students.
Materials will already be complied and ready to use. After putting corn fritters together, teacher will bake.
After baking corn fritters, everyone can enjoy!
Standards Addressed

NV 3.3.2 Select and use appropriate units of measurement; measure to a required degree of accuracy, and record results.
NV 7.3.16 Express math ideas; use them to define, compare, and solve problems.

Staying Within the Budget
This activity was taken from the website, http://www.cyberbee.com/wwho/tips.html. It should give students a basic understanding that at that time, people had little money so it had to be used for only the important things to be able to survive and live a safe and healthy life. Students will have to “earn” cash and “spend” it on their necessary supplies for the family.

Standards Addressed

NV 6.3.1 Select and apply strategies to solve practical and mathematical problems.
NV 7.3 16 Express math ideas; use them to define, compare, and solve problems.
NV 3.3.4 Read, write, and use money notation, determining possible combinations of coins and bills to equal given amounts.

Science

Can You Grow Your Own Food?

Discuss with students how the pioneers used the land to make their food. They did not go into the grocery stores to buy food! If space is available, have students plant some basic vegetables or herbs; tomatoes, peppers and beans. If not, then plant a few inside. Depending what happens and what grows, allow the students to make something edible from their own garden foods- just like the pioneers did!
Standards Addressed

4.6 investigate and describe how changes to an environment can be beneficial or harmful to plants and animals.
4.7 investigate, compare, and contrast identifiable structures or characteristics of plants and animals that enable them to grow, reproduce and survive.

Making a Covered Wagon

Explain to students that they are going to be making their own Conestoga Wagon out of a shoe box. The original plan came from the website, http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/groundtrans/l/blcovwag.htm. I chose to modify it because after the wagons are completed, I would like the kids to use their previous knowledge from the Measurement Foss Kit to measure certain dimensions of their wagons and to compare their wagon with others.
Standards Addressed

7.3.16 express math ideas; use them to define, compare, and solve problems.
3.3.3 estimate and use English and metric measuring devices to measure length.
1.1 identify, gather and safely use tools and materials needed in investigations.

Social Studies

ABC Book

Tell students that they are going be making an ABC book about the Conestoga Wagon.
Show an example on the board: H is for handmade. The Conestoga Wagon was made by hand-not in factories! Many were built by blacksmiths.
After reading the book, assign each student a letter of the alphabet. Repeat until all letters of the alphabet have been assigned.
After students have written a sentence for their letter, have them draw a picture to go with it
After all pages are completed, put together and make into a book.
Read the completed book to the class!
Standards Addressed

(3) 4.12 describe various types of transportation and communication used throughout the history of the United States.
(3) 4.10 describe the lives of pioneers from diversity.

How Long? How Far?

Hang a map of the U.S. in the classroom. Tell students the push pins at the starting point are going to be them. As the student's find out more information through picture books, the internet or other resources, they can start to move their push pin as though they were making the journey themselves. In addition to moving, the students can also find out how long it took them to make some of the trips and the distance between starting and ending points.
Standards Addressed

4.4 ask history related questions
3.38 ask questions about why things are located where they are
3.39 gather geographic information from maps

Historical Overview of Book Themes

As stated before, this book does a very nice job explaining and visualizing the Conestoga Wagon. The first Conestoga Wagon emerged in Pennsylvania around 1749. The name came from the Conestoga Valley near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The construction of the wagon is very interesting. The builders knew that they had to be built tough because the wagons would be hauling heavy freight for many miles on rough terrain. To make sure the wagons would last, they were large, heavy, and had beds shaped somewhat like boats, with angled ends. The floor of the Conestoga wagon sloped so that nothing could fall out of either side. To avoid harsh weather conditions, such as rain, the cover of the wagon was built with watertight canvas that would shelter the precious cargo of people and goods. The canvas was 16.5 feet in length and 4.5 feet in width. The frame and suspension were made of wood, while the wheels were often made of iron or steel. This made the wagon more durable for any kind of condition. The roads ahead of the pioneers could come as a surprise to the drivers. Past rainstorms might have left huge muddles or big holes in the roads or loose gravel. In this condition the planks, spokes, hubs and boards were ranked in their proper places and re-ranked twice. This lumber was kept under the careful eyes of the wagon-maker for three years, before any of it was used in a newly constructed, first-class wagon. The Conestoga Wagon had to also be ready for hills. This is where the "brake" system came to be. If a wagon was traveling fast enough downhill and did not have control, it could be tipped over and everything could fall out of the wagon or people could get hurt.

There were many wagons made with six wheels belonging to it. The higher set was to be used for a trip to Philadelphia; and the lower set to be used on the farm. The wheels used under the front carriage in a trip to the city would be used under the rear part when the wagon was used on the farm. The high bodies were different to fit their intended uses. The commercial wagons had high sides, with three adjustable chains across the tops to hold them together. The bottom had an enormous double swell, so that barrels, casks or hogsheads, which constituted many of their loads, would work towards the middle instead of breaking out the sides as the wagons rolled along the road. The body used for hauling charcoal from the mountains, had only one swell, but much higher sides and extra top shelvings with extra guard chains.

There were four varieties of lumber used in the construction of the early wagons. The axles were hickory and the hubs were of gum. These two parts were the foundation of a good wagon. The heaviest pieces were always seasoned four years before used. On the cut of the wooden spindle, the proper iron plating and the setting of the ponderous wheels, depended the success or failure of the construction. Any practical teamster, or maker, could tell the quality of a wagon when the many squads or caravans lumbered down the pike.

Excerpts from wikipedia.org/wiki/Conestoga_wagon and Theodore Roosevelt

Additional Resources

http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/groundtrans/l/blcovwag.htm by Sherri: Here is an official lesson plan on how to make covered wagons using milk cartons.
http://www.kidspot.com.au/recipe+114+Easy-Corn-Fritters.htm by kidspot-anonymous parent: This is the place to find an easy recipe for corn fritters.
http://www.cyberbee.com/wwho/tips.html by WestwardHO! Teaching Press: This website gives information on the game, Staying Within the Budget. It also explains some of the history of the life of a pioneer.
http://library.thinkquest.org/6400/wagon.htm by Thinkquest: This website allows students to click and learn about different parts of the Conestoga Wagon.

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Dakota Dugout (Ann Turner)

2008-10-29T17:18:00.000-07:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Janelle Adesko, third-grade teacher, Fong Elementary School, Clark County School District

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This teacher's guide is for the book Dakota Dugout by Ann Turner. Additional teacher's Guides are available for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

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Book Overview: A pioneer woman narrates her move from the city to a sod house, or "dugout," on the prairie. The author evokes a vision of an elderly woman telling her story to a younger child. The narrator's descriptions of the sights and sounds of the pioneer times leave the reader with a strong visual image. The simple black and white illustrations aid the reader in developing an image of life in simpler times. The reader travels along with the narrator as she experiences the hardships associated with living in a sod house on the prairie. In the end, the narrator makes a bittersweet move to a new wood house, and the reader is reminded that "sometimes the things we start with are best."

Book Themes: Sod house, dugout, pioneer, pioneering, settlers, west, western exploration, Dakota, Great Plains, prairie, hardship

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Preparing students to write Personal Narratives

The story Dakota Dugout is an example of a Personal Narrative. This story can be used as an example when preparing students to write their own personal narratives. Read the story to students once for enjoyment. Reread the story, asking students to focus on the details given. Make a list of the words used to describe sights and sounds. Explain to students that the descriptive words used help the reader to visualize and feel the experiences of the narrator. Students can then brainstorm ideas for their own narrative topic. Once students have chosen a topic, refer back to the list of descriptive words from the story. Encourage students to use similar descriptive words to help their readers become a part of their stories.
Standards Addressed

3.3.5 Identify examples of imagery, similes, and personification
3.3.6 Identify words and phrases that reveal tone
3.3.7 Compare text from different cultures and time periods
6.3.2 Write narrative/descriptive paragraphs appropriate to audience and purpose with a logical sequence, characters, and setting.

The Vocabulary of Dakota Dugout

Students will need to understand key vocabulary words in order to comprehend Dakota Dugout. Before reading the story, have students work in partners or groups to create four-column vocabulary charts. Divide a sheet of paper into four columns. Label the first column "word." Label the second column "definition." Label the third column "sentence." Label the fourth column "illustration." Have students work in partners or small groups to look up each word in a dictionary (online or book). Students should list the word, write the definition, create their own sentence, and draw an illustration of the word on their four-column chart. As students read the story Dakota Dugout, they should refer back to their chart for the definition as needed. Key words from the story that should be included are: prairie, sod, brick, plow, buffalo, hide, iron, dugout, buggy, grain, burrow, willow, coal, clapboard. Also may include hawk, heron, and sparrow.
Standards Addressed

1.3.4 Comprehend, build, and extend vocabulary using homophones, homographs, synonyms, antonyms, context clues and structural analysis
2.3.1 Use before-reading strategies based on text and purpose (build background knowledge)
2.3.2 Use during-reading strategies based on text and purpose (understand and use key vocabulary)

Mathematics

Dakota Dugout Model

Students will build a three-dimensional model of a sod house as described in Dakota Dugout. After reading the story, have students list and describe the materials used in the story to build a sod house. (See the background information section of this guide for more information on sod house materials). Have students sketch their own design of the dugout, drawing squares and rectangles to represent the sod bricks. Have students identify the shapes, angles, and lines (horizontal, vertical, oblique) used in their sketch. Allow students to then build their own model of a sod house. Any square of rectangular material can be used, such as snap-cubes. A fun way to do this would be to provide the students with containers of dirt and water, and have them shape the dirt into rectangles. After the cubes have dried, students can stack them for a more realistic experience. Provide grass to cover the floor of the dugout. Once students have completed their dugout, have them compare their building experience to what it may have been like for a pioneer to build a life-sized sod house. Allow students to display their work with a description of the materials used, the lines and shapes identified, and the historical significance of their buildings.
Standards Addressed

4.3.1 Describe, sketch, compare, and contrast plane geometric figures
4.3.6 Identify, draw, and describe horizontal, vertical, and oblique lines

When Were the "Prairie Years?" (Elapsed time in years)

Remind students of the beginning of the story: "Tell you about the prairie years? I'll tell you, child, how it was. Present students with a timeline of western settlement (see social studies lesson for a timeline idea to make with the class based on Dakota Dugout). Ask students when the "prairie years" were. Have students locate various events on the timeline, estimate, and then calculate the elapsed time in years from past events to the present year. Also have students estimate, then calculate, the elapsed time between various events on the time. Allow students to describe the methods they used to find the amount of time that has passed between events on the timeline, and present day.
Standards Addressed

1.3.3 Read, write, compare, and order numbers from 0-9,999.
1.3.7 Add and subtract two- and three-digit numbers with and without regrouping.

Social Studies

Dakota Dugout Timeline

Ask students to estimate how long it would take to complete the actions in the story Dakota Dugout. For example, how long would it take to pack up your home, gather your supplies, pack your wagon, travel to the frontier, and build your new sod home? As a class, create a fictional timeline of the events narrated in the story. Encourage students to look for clues indicating time change in the story, such as weather changes, crop planting, and harvest time.
Standards Addressed

4.2 Read a timeline
4.14 Create timelines to show people and events in sequence using days, weeks, months, years, decades, and centuries.

Introduction to Natural Resources

After reading Dakota Dugout, explain to students that pioneers had to "live off the land." Explain that this means people had to use the resources that were available to them naturally in order to survive. Have students imagine that they are pioneers on the frontier and that the conveniences of today are not available. Have students brainstorm a list of items they must have in order to survive. This should include food, water, shelter, and clothing. Create a two-column comparison chart listing these items. Have students compare how they get these items today to how the pioneers would have gotten them. For example, students may say they get water from the faucet. In comparison, help them realize that pioneers often had to travel great distances to a water source to get their water, and had to carry it back with them. Examine the chart when completed, and help students conclude that pioneers used our natural resources in a much different way than we do today.
Standards Addressed

3.32 Describe ways humans depend on natural resources
4.10 Describe the lives of pioneers from diverse groups

Science

Grow Your Own Food

Help students understand that in the time of Dakota Dugout, pioneers could not simply go to a grocery store when they needed food; they had to grow their own. Tell students that they are going to be growing their own food. Provide students with small potting containers, or perhaps an area on the school grounds where students can start a garden. Have students plant seeds of fruits and vegetables that are easy to grow, such as beans, corn, or tomatoes. Have students care for the plants and measure their growth. Students then record their observations and measurements in science notebooks. If food is produced, have the students sample it. Discuss with students what it would be like to not have a variety of foods available. If fruit is not produced, use this as an opportunity to have students discuss the fact that pioneers' crops could easily be lost due to extreme weather conditions, insect infestations, or natural disasters. Have students discuss what it would be like to live with very little food variety. Also discuss the various dishes that could be made from one crop, such as corn.
Standards Addressed

1.4 Keep a record, in a science notebook, of observations and measurements taken over time

4.4 Identify and compare needs common to most living things

Soil Composition

Remind students that in the story Dakota Dugout, the home was built from soil, or sod. Explain that the composition of soil varies from place to place and has various components. Bring in examples of different types of soil. Have students collect samples of soil from around the school if possible. Have students compare and contrast the different types of soil and discuss which types would be best for building a sod house and why. Next, allow students to work with the soils and water to explore which soils they could shape into bricks as was done in the book Dakota Dugout. After comparing and exploring the different types of soil, ask students to select the ideal soil for building a sod house.
Standards Addressed

3.3 Determine and explain that soil varies from place to place and has biological and mineral components
3.1 Investigate and describe that the earth is composed of different kinds of materials (rocks, soils, water, air)

Historical Overview of Book Themes

In order to better understand the story Dakota Dugout, readers may need more background information about sod houses. Sod houses, also referred to as the "soddy" or dugout, were commonly built by settlers of the American frontier in the 1800s and early 1900s. Due to the Homestead Act, settlers were able to receive free land if they built a home on their property. Because materials such as wood and stone were unavailable on the plains, the sod from the roots of prairie grasses was used as a building material. This was an inexpensive way to build a home on the prairie.
To build a sod house, the builder would cut sod into large rectangles, which was no easy task. The sod was then stacked like bricks to form walls. Sometimes walls were covered with clay to strengthen them. The floors of sod houses were usually dirt, unless the family was able to afford rugs or even wood beams to cover the floor.
Sod homes came with many unique challenges. Because windows had to be cut small, the inside of sod homes were poorly lit. Sod homes could be easily damaged by heavy rainfall. Walls and roofs were often leaky. This meant repairs had to be made frequently. Since the homes were made of dirt, they often became homes to other creatures like insects and snakes, which would occasionally drop into the family living area. The inside of the home was difficult to keep clean. Sod homes were small, usually consisting of only one room.
There were some benefits to living in a sod home. Sod houses were actually very energy efficient. They kept the hot summer heat out, and kept the stove's heat in during the cold winters. Sod houses were also fireproof, which was a benefit when prairie fires occurred.
Most families would live in their sod home for at least six years. Many children also went to school in sod schoolhouses. Over time, many families were able to upgrade to wood frame houses when wood became more readily available due to railroad transport. Many families simply built their wood home right next to their sod home, and continued to use the sod home.

Additional Resources

Sod House Photograph Collection by Wichita State University Libraries: Photographs of sod houses from the Fred Hultstrand and F.A. Pazandak exhibit.
The Sod House by James L. Nelson: Description of sod houses and photographs of a sod home in various phases of the construction process.
Building a Sod House by Smithsonian National Museum of American History: Sod house building game. Read a question, answer, and build your own sod house.
Letter from a Homesteader by Lily M. Kerns: A letter from a homesteader to his grandson, describing how to build a sod house.

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Exploring America: Picture Book Teacher's Guides

Kids Discover: Pioneers II

Pioneers

Wisconsin Long Ago

Little House on the Prairie

Sarah, Plain and Tall (Patricia MacLachlan)—Chapters 7-9

Sarah, Plain and Tall (Patricia MacLachlan)—Chapters 4-6

Sarah, Plain and Tall (Patricia MacLachlan)—Chapters 1-3

America in the Time of Lewis and Clark (Sally Senzel Isaacs)—"Life on a Wagon Train" through "Historic Sites to Visit"

America in the Time of Lewis and Clark (Sally Senzel Isaacs)—"The Trail of Tears" through "The Big City"

America in the Time of Lewis and Clark (Sally Senzel Isaacs)—"Introduction" through "Factories"

Daily Life in a Covered Wagon (Paul Erickson) — "Disaster" through "Glossary"

Daily Life in a Covered Wagon (Paul Erickson) — "On the Trail" through "Crossing a River"

Daily Life in a Covered Wagon (Paul Erickson) — "Going West" through "Rolling the Train"

You Wouldn't Want to Live in a Wild West Town (Peter Hicks)

Pioneers (Kids Discover)—I

If You Were a Pioneer on the Prairie (Anne Kamma)

Conestoga Wagons (Richard Ammon)

Dakota Dugout (Ann Turner)