Prepared by: Catherine Holthaus Lesson Title: Web-Based Westward Expansion Research Project Overview: The choice to head

west during the 1800s was not a decision made lightly. Some went west for the adventure, some went in search of riches, and others were looking for a new start. Regardless of the reason they went west, the impact of this influx of people had a profound impact on America and more specifically the Native Americans. Students need to understand how Westward Expansion shaped America. Students participating in this lesson will learn about the impact made by explorers, fur trappers and traders, gold miners, and pioneers. They will also learn what motivated the Native Americans to interact with these groups heading west. As the students conduct the research they will find how these five groups created what was called Westward Expansion. Content Area and Grade or Age Level of Students: Language Arts/Grade 4 Objectives: Students will be able to:

Social Studies &

Evaluate and gather information from teacher pre-approved Internet resources Analyze, interpret and synthesize primary sources such as photographs, prints, and maps to understand a point of view through online primary and secondary sources Integrate multiple resources to develop an understanding of westward expansion

Standards Addressed: W.4.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. W.4.2a Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension W.4.2b - Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic. W.4.2c Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because).

W.4.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. W.4.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. W.4.6 With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.

Lesson Idea: For this project, students are going explore Westward Expansion from the perspective of one of the following groups: explorers, Native Americans, fur trappers and traders, miners, and pioneers. 1. Students will complete a KWL chart on Westward Expansion. 2. The class will be divided into the five primary groups having the most impact on the American west. 3. In the assigned groups, students will conduct their research using preapproved Internet websites at www.ascs4th.weebly.com. 4. Using the Jigsaw organizer, to take notes and record what they have learned. 5. Students will complete the three questions on the attached worksheets for explorers, Native Americans, fur trappers and traders, miners, and pioneers, using complete sentences. 6. Using the notes collected using the Jigsaw, students will write an essay consisting of a minimum of three paragraphs. 7. Students will draft an informative essay and type it using proper spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. They will use Google Docs in Google Drive. 8. Students will edit and revise as necessary before submitting the essay for grading. 9. After sharing the essay with the teacher using Google drive, it will be assessed using a four-point rubric. 10. The final essay will be published using Flipsnak. 11. The Flipsnak will be embedded into the classroom blog. 12. The students will gather together in groups according to the group they were divided to at the beginning of this project. 13. Working collaboratively, students will use Padlet to collect notes for the slide presentation. 14. Next, taking the notes gathered on Padlet, the students will then create a slide presentation using Google drive on what they have learned about westward expansion. There will be a minimum of 7 slides consisting of a title page, five slides of information about the group they researched, and finally a resource page. 15. The slide presentation will be narrated using VoiceThread.

16. Lastly, the students will download slide presentations to classroom blog. Links and Resources: Classroom blog: http://www.ascs4th.wordpress.com Flipsnak: http://www.flipsnack.com/ Google Drive Jigsaw organizer: http://www.classtools.net/education-games-php/jigsaw Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/lessons/journeys/ Padlet: http://padlet.com/ Pre-Approved Internet sites: www.ascs4th.weebly.com VoiceThread: https://voicethread.com/ Assessment: Students will be assessed using a 4-point rubric. Adaptations for Learners with Special Needs: An audio recording of the history of the Corps of Discovery will be made available for students who may experience difficulty completing the reading associated with this project. 1. Audio recording of the history of Lewis & Clark Expedition is available at http://eslaudio.blogspot.com/2010/06/lewis-and-clark-expeditionearly-1800s.html Credit: This activity was adapted from the Journeys West project found at the Library of Congress. Originally it was written for students in grades 6-8 or 9-12, however adaptations have been made to make it grade level appropriate for 4th grade students. Knowing my students needed a safe environment to conduct research, I created a website with resources that have been approved by me. After completing this assignment using Weebly to better manage the research aspect of this project, I am finding many more ways to integrate this type of activity into my classroom.