Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Key Words: Homestead Act, Battle of Little Big Horn, Railroads, Dry farming
Established Goals:
The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision
making, and responsible citizenship by analyzing and interpreting artifacts and primary and secondary
sources to understand events in United States history, as well as analyzing and interpreting geographic
information to determine patterns and trends; interpreting charts, graphs, and pictures to determine
characteristics of people, places, or events in United States history; using evidence to draw
conclusions and make generalizations; The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking,
geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by investigating and
researching to develop products orally and in writing. The student will also use maps, globes,
photographs, pictures, or tables for explaining how physical features and climate influenced the
movement of people westward; explaining relationships among natural resources, transportation, and
industrial development after 1865, and locating the 50 states and the cities most significant to the
development of the United States and explaining what makes those cities significant. The student will
then apply social science skills to understand how life changed after the Civil War by examining the
reasons for westward expansion, including its impact on American Indians (SOL USII 1abcdj, USII
2abc, USII 4a).
Students will reflect how the perspective of the Great plains changed over time and why.
Students will fill out a chart reflecting on the importance of certain inventions and adaptations,
including trying to reason which is the most important of these.
Students write an exit ticket on how the geography of Virginia Beach has effected their lives.
1. Analysis of the Geography of the Great Plains –Students will use maps and pictures in a guided discussion on
the geography and weather of the Great Plains.
2. Long Letter/”Home on the Range” Compare/Contrast- Students will remark on the difference in perspectives of
the two documents and guess as to the causality of it.
3. Personal Geography Reflection – Students will reflect on how the Geography of Virginia Beach has affected their
lives.
4. Why did Americans head west? Two Column notes – Students will work in groups to analyze various
secondary and primary sources and answer corresponded guided reading questions in order to answer the
question of “Why did American head west?”
5. Introduction of Settler Journal – Students will have the end of every class to work on a performance task in
which they will complete a journal following the life and decisions of an American settler by detailing reasons why
the settler headed west, what difficulties they faced, what inventions or adaptations they used and conflicts that
they ran into with Native Americans. They will end this journal with a cost-benefits analysis by their character of
their initial decision to head west.
6. Inventions and Adaptations Photo Matching- Students will be given a collection of photos that they will have to
analyze and identify which (if any) inventions or adaptations are being shown in the photos. They will be able to
figure this out with the help of a word bank and the ability to research on their chrome books.
7. Inventions and Adaptations Research and Discussion – Students will research the purpose of the listed
Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 3
Design Topic Settlement of the West____ Subject(s) US History after 1865__ Grade(s) 7_______
Designer(s) _Nicholas Kowalski________
inventions and adaptation and what their impact on the west would be. After they have worked on their own there
will be a class-wide discussion and the instructor will provide supplemental information.
8. Inventions and Adaptations Reflections discussion- Students will make a claim about which invention they
believe was the most influential and reasons to support it. This will be done individually and class-wide.
9. Vocabulary Quiz – Students will have a 20-question vocabulary quiz covering important terms from the unit.
10. Impacts of Native Americans Group Research – Students will be split into groups and they will have to research
one of 6 topics, answering a small list of “big idea” and cause/effect questions on this topic. Students will then
present their information and students will take notes. Teacher will supply supplemental information after each
presentation.
11. Dawes Act and Native American Citizenship Discussion- The teacher will discuss the Dawes Act and how
Native American reservations became more individualized. Will act as a bookend to the lesson.
12. Summative Multiple-Choice Test – Students will have a 30 question multiple choice test covering the content and
skills learned during this unit.
13. “Heartland” Video Notes – Students will watch this video and take notes.
Consider the WHERETO elements. You must include enough instruction for 20 lessons.
October 2018
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Geography (A) Geography (B)
Long Long
letter/”Hom letter/”Hom
e on the e on the
range” range”
Change of Change of
perspective perspective
on on
geography geography
over time. over time.
Personal Personal
Geography Geography
Reflection Reflection
HW: Study HW: Study
Vocab Vocab
8. 9. 10 11. 12.
Virtual Learning Reasons to go west Reasons to go West Inventions (A) Inventions (B)
Day (No School) (A) (B) Inventions Inventions
“Why did “Why did and and
Americans Americans Adaptations Adaptations
head west?” head west?” photo photo
Two column Two column matching matching
notes notes Inventions Inventions
Introduction Introduction research research
of of discussion discussion
Performance performance Inventions Inventions
task task reflection reflection
HW: Study HW: Study HW: Study HW: Study
Vocab Vocab Vocab Vocab