DIXIE STATE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

ELEMENTARY 3rd SEMESTER LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE

(1/25/13)

Teacher Candidate

Andrea Hadley

Grade Level 5

Title: Key Events, People, and Trails

CONTEXTUAL FACTORS (classroom factors)

Contextual Factors:
23 Students: 10 Boys, 13 Girls.
16 Caucasian, 4 Hispanic, and 3 American Indian
3 ELL students. (Ceasar: Spanish- WIDA 1; Ron: Navajo WIDA 3; Yareli: Spanish WIDA 3)
1 Student has Tourettes Syndrome (Jared)
3 Students have IEPs (Ron: Reading, Owen: Reading and Math, Alexis: Reading)
High Level Learners: Cami, Gage, Lily Darger, Taye
Behavior Issues: Owen- defiant, un-focused, physical limitations that cause anger.
Rayne- Blurts out a lot. Has a hard time being kind to other classmates. Takes things that arent hers.
Classroom environment:
The classroom is set up with 5 horseshoe tables where the students sit. There are 4-5 students at each table.
They have a tote that holds their supplies (pencils, scissors, rulers, etc.). They keep their things in a cubby that
is assigned to each student. There is a Promethean Board at the front of the room, along with a whiteboard. The
classroom is equipped with an IPad and a Chrome Book for each student. They use these devices for many
different assignments.
WALK-AWAY (As a result of this lesson, what do I want the students to know, understand, and be able to do?)
State Standard/Objective:
Fifth Grade Social Studies Standard 4: Students will understand that the 19th century was a time of incredible
change for the United States, including geographic expansion, constitutional crisis, and economic growth.
Objective 1: Investigate the significant events during Americas expansion and roles people played.
b.
Examine causes and consequences of important events in the United States expansion (e.g.
Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark expedition, treaties with American Indians, Homestead Act, Trail of
Tears, California Gold Rush.)
c. Compare the trails that were important during westward expansion (e.g. Oregon, Mormon, Spanish,
California.)
Content Walk Away: I will identify and write about key events that played an important role in Westward
movement.
Language Walk Away: I will identify and write about key events that played an important role in Westward
movement.
Vocabulary: frontier, Homestead Act
ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE (What evidence do I need to show the students
have learned the Walk-Away?)
Formative Evidence (checking for understanding throughout the lesson):
Students will complete expedition guide worksheet that shows all of the
information they were to research.
Content Walk-Away Evidence (Summative): Students will create a newspaper
article where they will write about the most interesting event on their
expedition along with an advertisement for the Homestead Act.
Language Walk-Away Evidence (Summative): Students will create a

Modifications/Accomodations (ELL, IEP, GATE, etc.)

Students will be paired
strategically with a partner
they can be successful with.
There will be instructions
posted with visuals for ELL
and struggling learners to
refer to and to keep all
students on track.
Provided higher order

newspaper article where they will write about the most interesting event on
their expedition along with an advertisement for the Homestead Act.

Approx.
Time
3 min.

thinking questions for

advanced learners and allow
them to expand and seek more
in depth research.

ACTIVE LEARNING PLAN

Activate/Building Background Knowledge
We talked previously about why people might move. How many of you have moved? What are
some reasons that people move? List reasons on the board. Today we are going to talk about some
more reasons that people moved out West.
Formative assessment:
Learning Goal
Success Criteria
Assessment Strategy
Understand reasons people
Being able to name reasons
Listing reasons people move.
move.
people move.
Modification/accommodations: (ELL, IEP, GATE, etc.)
Ask Cesar specifically about his move to the United States and how it made him feel.

5 min.

15 min.

Focus Lesson (I do it) This will be a 2 day process

Today you are going to go on your own expedition, kind of like Lewis and Clark. You will discover
more key people that played important roles in the Westward Expansion. You will also learn about
important events that caused people to move Westward. You must work well with your partner and
both contribute to your findings.
There will be different areas you will go on your expedition.
Center 1: You will discover and learn about frontiersmen and how they paved the way for future
settlers of the west. Pay close attention to key details in the articles you read so you can complete
each question on your explorers guide.
Center 2: This is a campsite. Here you will learn about the different groups of people who came
west and why they came. You will begin by watching a short video clip about pioneers and their
move out West. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua28Ox2QYwc Then you will read about each
group that came west. Use this information from the video and the articles to answer questions in
your guide book. Read and examine the Homestead Act documents.
Center 3: Using maps provided locate the Lewis and Clark trail, The Oregon Trail, The Mormon
Trail, Pony Express Trail, and the Transcontinental Railroad. Draw these trails on your map and
label them.
Formative Assessment:
Learning Goal
Success Criteria
Assessment Strategy
Students will be able to
Students will follow the
Students are paying close
understand the goals to
directions as information is
attention to directions and are
complete during the lesson
presented.
able to repeat what they are to
today.
do.
Modification/accommodations:
Explicit instructions. Have instructions posted and provide visuals to help struggling learners and

ELL students understand what they should do. Pair students strategically so they can be successful.
2 min.

Guided Instruction (We do together)

Review the centers and what is to be done at each one. Have student tell their shoulder partner what
they are to accomplish at each center.
Formative Assessment:
Learning Goal
Students will understand
where each center is located
and what is to be done at each
one.

Success Criteria
Assessment Strategy
Students can explain what they Listen as students tell their
will be doing.
partners what they are to be
doing.

Modification/accommodations:
Leave instructions up so students can refer to them as needed.

2 days
45 min.
each

Collaborative (You do it together)

Students will now have the opportunity to go on their expedition. They will work together. I will
monitor behavior, help answer questions, give prompts, etc.
Formative Assessment:
Learning Goal
Students will successfully
research and answer questions
about key people and events
during Westward expansion

Success Criteria
Students will finish each
assignment and fill out their
expedition guide.

Assessment Strategy
Examine their assignments and
expedition guides. Observe as
they work with their partners
and discuss in groups.

Modification/accommodations:
Students will be given an ample amount of time to process their answers and to relay their answers
as well to the rest of the class.
High level learners may be asked to expand on their answers.
Students will be strategically paired so they can be successful.
I will walk around the classroom frequently to monitor behavior and make sure students are staying
focused and on task.

30 min.

Independent (You do it alone)

Students will take all of the information they have learned about and make a newspaper article
reporting their findings. They will get to choose the most interesting piece of information to them
and write a newspaper story about it. They will also need to illustrate it. Along with the story, they
will need to make up an advertisement about the Homestead Act.
Summative Assessment:
I will assess their newspaper articles and also collect their expedition guides to see that all the
information is included that was needed and check for understanding from their research.
Modification/accommodations:
Provide clear instruction and leave instructions posted with visuals for all students, but especially
ELL and struggling learners to refer to.

5 min.

Closure/Review of walk-aways, vocabulary, and essential questions

Let us go back and remember what our goal or objective was for this expedition. We will restate the
objective. Lets ask some questions to decide if we accomplished our goals.
Go over key events, people, and places the students were supposed to gain knowledge from this
expedition.

SIOP Indicators (Add SIOP number and description within the lesson plan)
Preparation: 1-Content objectives, 2-Language objectives, 3-Content appropriate, 4-Supplementary materials,
5-Adaptation of content, 6-Meaningful activities
Building Background: 7-Linked to background, 8-Linked to past learning, 9-Key vocabulary
Comprehensive Input: 10-Appropriate speech, 11-Clear explanation, 12-Variety of techniques
Interaction: 16-Opportunity for interaction, 17-Grouping supports objectives, 18-Wait time, 19-Opportunity
for L1 students
Practice/Application: 20-Hands-on materials, 21-Activities to apply content/language knowledge, 22Language skills: reading, writing, listening, speaking
Lesson Delivery: 23-Content objective supported, 24-Language objective supported, 25-Students engaged, 26Pacing
Review/Assessment: 27-Review vocabulary, 28-Review concepts, 29-Feedback, 30-Assessment
TEACHING NOTES
What do I need to remember to do? What materials do I need to have ready? What is the approximate time
needed for this lesson?
Expedition guide and newspaper template copies
Maps
Articles of frontiersmen and pioneers
Video ready to go.
Partners paired accordingly.
REFLECTION AFTER LESSON
How can I use the assessment data to reflect on & evaluate the outcomes of teaching and learning? How can I
transfer what I learned from teaching this lesson to future teaching? What was effective and not effective? What
goals can I set to improve my practice and student learning?