PROJECT OVERVIEW Page 1 s4

E X P E R I E N C E O V E R V I E W

Name of Project: On the Move! Duration: 2 weeks

Subject/Course: Social Studies / US History Teacher(s): Grade Level: 8 Kerry Carzola, Cheri Grimes, Kristiin Pershey

Other Subject Areas: Language Arts

Unit Goal for Student: Students will travel back in time to the era of Manifest Destiny as various individuals. Along the way, they will create a photo collage timeline of Summary of the issue, their experiences. They will document their journey in a personal journal. When completed, students will be able to relate to various individuals challenge, investigation, who moved westward during the era of Manifest Destiny, empathize with the hardships and challenges faced, and identify routes, landscapes, scenario, or problem: and landmarks along the way. Students will be able to describe push / pull immigration factors, relate to various individuals who moved westward during the era of Manifest Destiny, and be able to answer the question, “what happens when cultures collide?”

Enduring Understanding(s)  Westward Expansion affected the political, economic, and social development of the nation.  Various sections of the United States developed different patterns of economic activity  Differences between people of various racial backgrounds can cause conflict when cultures collide.

Essential Question(s) What were the typical challenges faced by pioneers? What happens when cultures collide? Were the pioneers justified in displacing thousands of Native Americans? What were the causes of voluntary migration? What were the causes of forced migration?

Curriculum Standards Bundle (Stage 1)

Content and Process 6) History. The student understands westward expansion and its effects on the political, economic, and social development of the nation. The student is expected to: Standards (TEKS) to be (A) explain how the Northwest Ordinance established principles and procedures for orderly expansion of the United States; (B) explain the political, economic, and social roots of Manifest Destiny; taught and assessed: (C) analyze the relationship between the concept of Manifest Destiny and the westward growth of the nation; Highlight those targeted for (D) explain the causes and effects of the U.S.-Mexican War and their impact on the United States; and depth. (E) identify areas that were acquired to form the United States, including the Louisiana Purchase. (10) Geography. The student understands the location and characteristics of places and regions of the United States, past and present. The student is expected to: (A) locate places and regions of importance in the United States during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries; (B) compare places and regions of the United States in terms of physical and human characteristics; and (C) analyze the effects of physical and human geographic factors on major historical and contemporary events in the United States. (29) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired through established research methodologies from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to: (A) differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such as computer software, databases, media and news services, biographies, interviews, and artifacts to acquire information about the United States; (B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions; (C) organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps; (D) identify points of view from the historical context surrounding an event and the frame of reference which influenced the participants; (30) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to: (C) transfer information from one medium to another, including written to visual and statistical to written or visual, using computer software as appropriate; and (D) create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information. (31) Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others, in a variety of settings. The student is expected to: (A) use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution; and (B) use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision, gather information, identify options, predict consequences, and take action to implement a decision.

Region 10 ESC A D A P T E D F R O M B U C K I N S T I T U T E F O R E D U C A T I O N Other Required Standards to CCRS be taught and assessed: (i.e. English Language Arts II. Reading CCRS, Graduate A) Locate explicit textual information, draw complex inferences, and analyze and evaluate the information within and across texts of varying lengths. Expectations, Local B) Describe, analyze, and evaluate information within and across literary and other texts from a variety of cultures and historical periods. Objectives, etc.) C) Explain how literary and other texts evoke personal experience and reveal character in particular historical circumstances. Math I. Mathematical process standards. The student uses mathematical processes to acquire and demonstrate mathematical understanding. The student is expected to: (A) apply mathematics to problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace; B) use a problem-solving model that incorporates analyzing given information, formulating a plan or strategy, determining a solution, justifying the solution, and evaluating the problem-solving process and the reasonableness of the solution; C) select tools, including real objects, manipulatives, paper and pencil, and technology as appropriate, and techniques, including mental math, estimation, and number sense.

Authentic Learning Elements Provide authentic context that reflects the X Provide multiple roles and perspectives X Promote articulation X to be integrated: way the knowledge will be used in real-life Check all that are targeted in this unit. Provide authentic activities X Support collaborative construction of X Provide coaching and scaffolding X knowledge

Provide access to expert performances X Promote reflection X Provide for authentic assessment of X and the modeling of processes learning within the tasks

21st Century Skills/NETS to Creativity and Innovation (NETS 1) X Information, Media, or ICT Literacy (NETS 3) X be taught and assessed: Communication and Collaboration (NETS 2) X Life and Career Skills X

Critical Thinking/Problem Solving (NETS 4) X Digital Citizenship, Technology Operations and Concepts X (NETS 5and 6)

Major Products & Group: As a group of 3 or more, students will create a character within a group that is moving west. Performances Groups are moving for a variety of push-pull reasons. Students will research the Era of Manifest Destiny using a variety of texts from the library and the Internet. The group culminating activity will be to create a point-of-view journal/diary with both written and picture entries that encompass their participation in the journey. Students will not only include interactions between the other characters in the group, but will also experience “culture collision” by having an encounter with Native Americans on their trip. Individual: Individual students will research and create their own personal journal that will be reflected in a variety of product outputs: PowerPoint, Video (You tube, or .wmv, Edmodo, Voicethread, and will use a variety of tools to create these outputs (MS Word, or a Flip camera video, Bump, etc), which records their personal challenges and struggles with the move west, and will include various hardships on the way. Students will be required to have a minimum of 20 separate journal entries, with at least 1 including an encounter with Native Americans.

Assessment (Stage 2)

Region 10 ESC A D A P T E D F R O M B U C K I N S T I T U T E F O R E D U C A T I O N Entry Event to After initial background on Manifest Destiny is established in the traditional classroom, students will be invited to travel back in time to the 19th century launch inquiry, and assume a role. The roles could consist of, but are not limited to: a pioneer/homesteader, a Mormon/Religious group family/member, a Native engage students: American Indian, a Texas settler, a miner, a railroad laborer, a government official, a Chinese or Irish immigrant, etc. Students will receive an invitation and will meet with their groups and decide on what roles within the group they will create. Students will then create a photo collage timeline in journal format of their experiences, as they journey West.

Assessments Formative  Character creation Assessments  Character Essay (During Project)  Presentation of journey to class.

Summative  Free Response Essay (addressing the Enduring Understandings to have student synthesize what they learned). Assessments  Individual journal with story/summary of journey in character point-of-view. (End of Project) **Journaling (through PPT, Voicethread, Edmodo, Animoto, .wmv (can be uploaded to Youtube), hand-made scrapbook/journal/ PPT, or Flip camera video converted to Windows Movie Maker)  Photo timeline / scrapbook (journal)  Objective quizzes and tests

Resources Needed Materials: Class notes on Manifest Destiny, textbooks, individual research, computer, scrapbook/ photobook in format student decides to create in.

Reflection Methods (Individual, Group, Whole-Class Discussion X Focus Group and/or Whole Class)

Survey X Fishbowl Discussion

L E A R N I N G E X P E R I E N C E S ( S T A G E 3 )

Students reported feedback that reflected a high percentage of satisfaction and growth with this project. They did enjoy the freedom this project gave them. Students were able to come up with their own ideas, problems and solutions to the factors that surrounded their character’s move west. Growth occurred with the necessity to research the geography, calculate distance, determine routes based on time factors, examine cultures that their character interacted with, and students had to create characters that had to make decisions based on the circumstances of Region 10 ESC A D A P T E D F R O M B U C K I N S T I T U T E F O R E D U C A T I O N their group, and those decisions affected everyone in a different way (perspective/bias). Many TEKS were met with this project, including cross- curriculum, with the integration of needing to calculate distance, miles traveled per day, etc. By putting themselves in various situations, students created a world that helped them connect to real-world issues.

In addition, students presented their journals to the class, and discussed their journey by reviewing their diaries.

Region 10 ESC A D A P T E D F R O M B U C K I N S T I T U T E F O R E D U C A T I O N