CEP Lesson Plan Form

Teacher: Tim Nichols Date: 9/23/2020

School: Fruita Monument HS Grade Level: Juniors Content Area: US History

Title: Gilded Age Farming Simulation Lesson #:_1_ of1 __

Content Standard(s) addressed by this lesson: (Write Content Standards directly from the standard)

SS20-GR.HS-S.1-GLE.1: Use the historical method of inquiry to formulate compelling questions, evaluate primary and secondary sources, analyze and interpret
data, and argue for an interpretation defended by textual evidence.
SS20-GR.HS-S.1-GLE.1: Key concepts of continuity and change, cause and effect, complexity, unity and diversity, and significant ideas in the United States from
Reconstruction to the present.
SS20-GR.HS-S.3-GLE.1: Productive resources (natural, human, capital) are scarce; therefore, choices are made about how individuals, businesses, governments,
and nonprofits allocate these resources.
SS20-GR.HS-S.3-GLE.7: Apply consumer skills to spending, saving, and borrowing decisions (PFL)
Understandings:​ ​(Big Ideas)

Rural Americans, specifically farmers, faced both financial and geographic challenges in order to survive.

Inquiry Questions:​ ​(Essential questions relating knowledge at end of the unit of instruction, select applicable questions from standard)

What challenges did rural farmers face during the Gilded Age?

Evidence Outcomes:​ ​(Learning Targets)

#1

I can: ​understand how climate and market changes affect the investment returns of rural farmers

This means: ​I can calculate the return on investment for various crops/livestock in different years of the Gilded Age and analyze how that might impact my
survival as a farmer.

#2

I Can: ​understand the perspective of farmers on how bank loans created an obstacle for farmers to overcome during the gilded age.

This means: ​I can reflect upon the outcomes of our farming simulations and write from the perspective of a gilded age farmer.

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CEP Lesson Plan Form

List of Assessments:​ ​(Write the number of the learning targets associated with each assessment)

Formative Assessment (Learning target #1): Students will be assessed on their ability to understand the volatility of the agricultural market by calculating
their profit from each round. This will allow students to understand how their investments are risks, and geographic and market factors can change how much
return they receive.

Summative Assessment (Learning target #2): Students will be assessed summatively by their application of the knowledge they acquired. They will reflect upon
their experience as a group, thinking about what challenges prohibited them from making a profit. They will then take this reflection and write a short creative
letter from the perspective of a farmer, persuading politicians and businessmen to help them overcome their challenges and emphasize why farming is
important to the country.

Planned Lesson Activities

Name and Purpose of Gilded Age Farming Simulation

Lesson
The purpose of this lesson is for students to understand that much like industrial workers in urban areas, farmers
struggled financially during the gilded age. Unlike those in urban areas, farmers were more susceptible to the
elements of their geographic location and by the banks and financiers that provided them loans.
Approx. Time and 75 minutes
Materials Projector, computer, student investment worksheets
Anticipatory Set Students will enter the classroom and immediately answer the warm-up question in their notebook, as is routine.
They will start to think, using their prior knowledge about The West and Westward Expansion, about what challenges
rural US Americans, might have faced during this time. We will then discuss their answers as a class to transition into
our activity.
Warm up questions:
● Using your knowledge about the West and Westward expansion, what do you think life was like for rural
farmers in the Gilded Age?
● What challenges do you think they would’ve faced, if any?
Procedures Teacher Actions Student Actions Data Collected
0-5: Greet students, explain warm-up 0-5: Use prior knowledge to answer Written responses from
question, check to make sure students are warm-up, think about what challenges students, engagement
on task farmers might face.

5-10: Discuss as a class responses they had 5-10: Share out answers and listen to the verbal responses
to the warm-up answers their peers have

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CEP Lesson Plan Form
10-15: Have students get into groups, go
over instructions for activity, give out
“bank loans” to each group
15-20: Introduce the first market to
students, help them calculate investments
20-25: Go over outcomes, display
investment returns, help students
calculate total returns & money they start
the next round with.
25-30: Introduce next year/round to
students, help them calculate investments
30-35: Go over outcomes, display
investment returns, help students
calculate total returns & money they start
the next round with.
35-40: MASK BREAK
40-45: Introduce next year/round to
students, help them calculate investments
45-50: Go over outcomes, display
investment returns, help students
calculate total returns AND calculate their
final amount
50-60: Present reflection questions, have
each group consider the answer for each
question. Additionally, “foreclose” any
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10-15: Listen to instructions
15-20: Decide which crops/livestock to
invest in, calculate total investment
20-25: Respond to the outcomes,
calculate investment returns and their
current savings moving into the next
round.
25-30: Decide which crops/livestock to
invest in, calculate total investment
30-35: Respond to the outcomes, calculate Student calculations,
investment returns and their current
savings moving into the next round.
MASK BREAK
40-45: Decide which crops/livestock to
invest in, calculate total investment
45-50: Respond to the outcomes,
calculate investment returns and their
current savings moving into the next
round.
50-60: Answer questions within their
group and share out during class
discussion. Write answers down on
worksheet
Page ​3
engagement
Students responses, check
for understanding and
accuracy
Student calculations,
engagement
Student responses, check
for understanding and
accuracy.
engagement
MASK BREAK
Student responses, check
for understanding and
accuracy.
Student calculations,
engagement, check for
understanding and
accuracy.
Verbal responses, written
responses, engagement
CEP Lesson Plan Form

groups who did not make enough money

to pay back their loan:
● How much money did your
“family” make?
● Did your family make as much as
you had hoped? REMEMBER – you
still have to pay back your $2000
loan.
● If you were actually a rural family
during the gilded age, would you
have survived? 60-75: Write a letter to an east coast
politician from the perspective of a Gilded Student responses,
60-75: Explain student’s closure activity:
Age Farmer in their notebooks, on the engagement
on a new left side page of your notes, LEFT side of their notebooks (output)
write a letter from the perspective of a
gilded age farmer to an East Coast
politician or businessman. Explain to them
the problems farmers are facing, and try to
persuade them to help farmers.

Closure The strategy I intend to use is: Summative Application

For closure, I am going to have students write a letter from the perspective of a Gilded Age farmer. This letter will be
to an East Coast politician or businessman, persuading them to help farmers by depicting the challenges farmers faced
and their importance to the country. This will give students the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of rural
areas during the Gilded Age and provide a creative outlet for many students.
Differentiation Content Process Product Environment
Modifications: Students were offered Instructions provided Students were Students were
several opportunities for on paper, graphic allowed to create given the option
clarification. organizers for data, their own letter, to work in groups
and fill-in-the-blank however long or or by themself
equation sheet. short, to an east coast (this has been
politician. pre-established
for every activity)

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CEP Lesson Plan Form

Extensions: Students could choose to
calculate totals of
investment return and
investment, for extra
practice.
Students who were Students were Students were
strong in calculations allowed to create given the option
or writing could their own letter, to work in groups
choose to be the however long or or by themself
recorder, and fill in the short, to an east coast (this has been
paper for the group. politician. pre-established
for every activity)

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