NCSS Theme: People, Places, and Environment 2nd Nine Weeks
Lesson 2: The Great Wagon Road- Part 1
Question for Exploration: How has geography influenced how my town has grown?
Local Connection-brief description: Students will identify the physical features settlers would have encountered while traveling on The Wilderness Road and The Great Wagon Road. They will interpret whether those features may have helped or hindered their progress?
Key vocabulary: migration, obstacles, physical features
Historical Primary Sources Additional Materials/Resources Local: Copies of a physical map of the United States
National: (Library of Congress) Reference: Virginia’s Montgomery County, Mary Fry-Jefferson map of Virginia, 1751, Elizabeth Lindon, Editor – pp 163-166 showing the Great Wagon Road DIGITAL ID g3880 ct000370 Curriculum Connections: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3880.ct000370 Writing a paragraph 4th grade Virginia Studies-Cumberland Gap
Key Knowledge Key Skills and Processes
The Great Wagon Road led settlers from Analyze and interpret maps to explain Pennsylvania to Georgia. North of Roanoke (Big relationships among landforms, water features, Lick) the road branched to the west and crossed and historical events. the Cumberland Gap taking settlers to Kentucky and Tennessee. It led German and Scots-Irish settlers south to the fertile land west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This westward stretch of road which led settlers into the wilderness and to Kentucky is often referred to as the Wilderness Road. This path was a major route for westward migration between 1790 and 1840.
Products and Evidence of Understanding/Assessment (How will I know they know?)
Exit slip describing route and travel for settlers migrating south and west.
Lesson Structure
Introduction/’Hook’: Brainstorm: Make a list of physical features that are represented on maps. (Rivers, oceans, mountains, valleys, canyons, plateaus...)
Activities:
1) Display a physical map of the US. Using their individual lists lead discussion about some of the features they listed. Have students mark features on the map. 2) Display maps depicting the Great Wagon Road and the Wilderness Road. Identify location of Montgomery County of each map. Trace the outline of the Great Wagon Road on the physical map. 3) Provide copies of maps to each group. In small groups discuss the following: a. What physical features would the settlers encounter on each trail? b. How would those features impact their travel positively? Negatively? 4) Create a class web combining information from all groups. Example: Wagon Road ---- rivers-----provided food and water ----dangerous to cross
Closure: Exit slip
Write a paragraph describing where the Great Road and Wilderness Roads are located. Describe the land features the settlers would have encountered on the roads and the impact they would have on their travel.