Lesson+Plan+--+UPT

Lesson Plan -- UPT
Here is a rough outline of the UPT. In addition, you may review a more detailed [|action plan] for this unit by clicking here. Please review and edit as needed or click on the DISCUSSION tab to comment.

Working Title: Westward Expansion

Simsbury Curriculum Content Standards for Social Studies:
==== Using a variety of print and online materials, students will learn about the development of the United States through westward expansion. Students will learn how the environment impacted the progress of the explorers. In addition, students will learn how the conflicts between explorers and Native Americans affected change in the United States. Different people's viewpoints throughout this time in our history will be explored to learn about the range of perspectives. ====

Information Literacy/Inquiry Standards/21st c. Skills:
====Students will define their information needs and identify effective courses of action to conduct research and solve problems. Students will understand and demonstrate a command of information skills and strategies to locate and effectively use print and non-print resources to solve problems and conduct research. Demonstrating responsible legal and ethical use, students will then use these resources to interpret, organize and synthesize the information. Students will learn how to use a classroom wiki to communicate ideas, information and conclusions to others. ====

Purpose:
Students should be able to inform others about their topic of westward expansion by summarizing from their resources. Students should also be able to gather enough knowledge to be able to either defend or critique the actions of those who made history with Westward Expansion. Students will develop an appealing and informative Photostory file that incorporates images and narrative.

Essential Question Connecting Content to Purpose: (Define Problem) We live in a time in history that doesn't necessitate expanding our territory. From the study of westward expansion, what have we learned that will connect this part of our American history with how we live now as Americans?

Thinking Skills:
Students will develop an initial understanding of the topic by describing and summarizing it to others; they will then develop their own interpretation of what they've learned by analyzing, comparing and evaluating the materials. Finally, students will make connections to what they have learned to their own personal lives and life in the United States today.

Role of Learner in Task:
A member of a team of directors developing an educational, multi-media tool on western expansion. Instructional Arrangement(s):﻿﻿ Students will work together in small groups. Technology or Resources Suggested: As an introduction to the topic, sample resources are available on this wiki. For print resources, students can come into the media center and use indexes to research and find specific information on westward expansion. For online resources, students can view the pre-selected web sites on this wiki as an overview to their own online searching. Students can then be directed to search our school's internal online services (such as Encyclopedia Brittanica online and Nettrekker). Finally, if time allows, students can be instructed on how to use keyword searches on appropriate search engines.

Collaborative Teaching Roles and Responsibilities: The LMS and classroom teachers will work together in the media center to offer support for students searching for images, and to teach the proper methods of note-taking. The LMS and sixth grade teachers will work together to instruct the students on how they are going to put together their PhotoStory files. The LMS and teachers will also put together a rubric or assessment tool to evaluate the project.