LESSON ONE: To Go West or Not to Go West, That is the Question

 

LESSON DESCRIPTION

Using a nonfiction piece, students compare and contrast the pros and cons of going West in the 18th century.  In the process, students use a graphic organizer to assist them in analyzing nonfiction for problems and solutions.  At the end of the lesson, students write a journal entry answering the question, “to go West or not to go West”.

 

GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS ADDRESSED

R3C         identify and interpret author's purpose and

R3C         use details from the text to restate main ideas with supporting details

R3C         respond to a source by comparing and contrasting details from a nonfiction text

R3C         make inferences about problems and solutions and make predictions using details from texts

 

LESSON MATERIALS

 

§         Sources of Literature

o        None

 

§         Supplies

o        Pen or pencil

o        Journals

 

§         Handouts provided

o        T-chart graphic organizer

 

§         Words to know

o        graphic organizer

o        compare

o        contrast

 

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Students respond to the following summary question in their journal:  Which would you do - go West or stay where you are?  Support your decision with information from the letter and your T-Chart.  Scoring guide provided.

 

Idea

 

The journal can be any type of packet that the teacher either puts together beforehand or has students put together before beginning the unit.  It should have several pages to write in and can include the copies that students will be using during the unit. 

 

 

 

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

1.        Lead the class in discussing the purpose of letter writing, journal writing, diary and or some other type of nonfiction writing.

 

Idea

 

http://www.over-land.com/diaries.html has many different diary and journal entries as well as letters that were sent back East to family and friends.

 

 

 

Questions

for

Students

When you go on a trip, what is the purpose of writing a letter to a friend?

Why do you think that it is important that we have the journals, diaries and letters from people that went West?

 

2.        Read nonfiction text (see required materials technology connections).  Fill out a compare/contrast organizer such as a T Chart identifying pros and cons of going West.  Any compare/contrast organizer can be used.