ED 345 Calvin College Lesson Planning Form

Teacher: Date: Subject/ Topic/ Theme:

I. Objectives
What is the main focus of this lesson?
Preparations for going west and prairie schooners
How does this lesson tie in to a unit plan? (If applicable.)
Unit is about going west, this lesson is preparing for the journey.
What are your objectives for this lesson? (As many as needed.) Indicate connections to applicable national or state standards. If
an objective applies to only certain students write the name(s) of the student(s) to whom it applies.

Students will be able to describe the kinds of belongings overlanders would bring on the journey.
Students will be able to identify at least three parts of a prairie schooner
Students will be able to put themselves in the shoes of those who travelled west.

II. Before you start

Knowledge from lesson one: Lewis & Clark, travelling west, Louisiana Purchase
Prerequisite knowledge and skills.

Questioning, and the project they will complete at home over the next few days.
Assessment
(formative and summative)

Preparations for the Jouney & Prairie Schooners pages of the packet
Materials-what materials (books,
Covered Wagon (Prairie Schooner) explanation packet for take home project
handouts, etc) do you need for this
$600 of paper money from last lesson.
lesson and do you have them?

Do you need to set up your Sitting on the floor and in desk groups
classroom in any special way for
this lesson? If so, describe it.

III. The Plan

Time Parts The description of (script for) the lesson, wherein you describe teacher activities and student activities
Motivation
(Opening/ Alright quick review: What did we learn last time?
Introduction/ (Lewis & Clark, Louisiana Purchase, etc)
Engagement) Lets sing the song again!
(Stand and sing Westward Expansion song)

Development
 Gather students in a circle on the floor.
Today we are learning about prairie schooners. Does anyone know what those are?
Okay! Lets find out.

Read page about preparing for the journey.

(Pick three students to read each paragraph)
Whoa. $600? This is what that looks like (lay out money)
Not as much as yesterday but still a lot of money!
They had to sell many things to go on this trip.
Okay B- do you want to go west? Alright you gotta sell your things! Okay I will give you $100 for your
sweatshirt. Okay, now I will give you $100 for your beanie. Okay, $100 for your glasses. Wow youre really
giving up a lot for this! You still need $200 more dollars! Give me a shoe for $100. Okay now give me your
other shoe for $100. Okay now you have enough money to go! But.it took selling a lot of things to get
there!

What supplies did they need?

Do you think six months of traveling is a long time or a short time?
Today, we could probably make that journey in a couple hours in a plane or a day or two by car!

Read Prairie Schooners page 1

(Have two students read the paragraphs)
Why were they called prairie schooners?
What kinds of weather do you think they needed to protect against?
What would happen if one of your oxen died?

Read Prairie Schooners page 2

Can you imagine walking all that way and having to sleep outside?

Lets talk about the parts of a wagon. Without looking at the description, tell me the name of a part and
what you think it does.
(Go through all the parts)

Back to desks!

Hand each student a packet for the covered wagon project

Go through the packet with them.

Closure
Questions?

What did we learn today that you thought was interesting or didn't know before?

Your reflection on the lesson including ideas for improvement for next time: