I. Curricular Framework

Concept:

to pioneer

Essential Question:

How did the adversity faced by the settlers of Colorado in the 1800’s shape the history of their

Bridge:

my family history

Content:

Outcomes:

II. Standards Aligned

III. Instruction and Assessment

1. Connect: Connecting to the Concept Experientially

Objective: To acquaint students with life in Georgetown, Colorado, in the mid-1800's.

Activity: The teacher conducts a guided imagery taking students back in time. The imagery emphasizes the harsh living conditions of the time and how people of strong character emerged from these conditions. Visualization material is taken from The Mineral Belt, by Digerness; Women of the West, by Luchetti & Olwell; and Firearms, Traps, and Tools of the Mountain Men, by Russell.

Assessment: Engagement of students.

2. Attend: Attending to the Connection

Objective: To develop empathy for these pioneers and an understanding of their problems. To develop discussion techniques.

Activity: Show photographs and drawings of early Georgetown. Many of these are available from the local Historical Society. See how these photographs compare with their own images from the guided imagery. Discuss problems of the era and how the students feel about these people. Break students into small groups to make lists of pioneer problems and student feelings. Students teams brainstorm and record in mindmap form what they already know about their local history. From their mindmap, the students prepare questions for interviewing several native senior citizens who will visit the class during this unit and share their experiences about growing up in Georgetown in another time.

Assessment: Quality of discussion and group lists.

Assessment, Phase One, Level of Engagement, Fascination:

3. Image: Creating a Mental Picture

Objective: To compare life of early Coloradoans with those of the students' ancestors.

Activity: Students bring in photos, family histories, or family trees and discuss similarities and differences between their own ancestors and Georgetown pioneers discussed earlier. Draw analogs to describe comparisons.

Assessment: Quality of discussion and analogs.

Assessment, Phase Two, Seeing the Big Picture:

4. Inform: Receiving Facts & Knowledge

Objective: To teach about the lifestyles of early pioneers and the changes in those lifestyles. To teach summarizing techniques.

Activity: Bring in several native senior citizens to tell about their memories of growing up in Georgetown, and students ask the interview questions developed in the first activity. In addition, bring in a guest speaker from the local Historical Society to share information on local Georgetown history. Students write summaries of presentations.

Assessment: Student interest during presentations and quality of written summaries.

Assessment, Phase Three, Success with Acquiring Knowledge:

5. Practice: Developing Skills

Objective: To reinforce learning about the pioneers. To reinforce research skills.

Activity: Students use the computer software Oregon Trail which deals with some of the problems pioneers encountered. Students select an aspect of pioneer life which interests them and write a brief paper from materials in the classroom and media center.

Assessment: Quality of student reports.

Assessment, Phase Four, Success with Acquiring Skills:

6. Extend: Extending Learning to the Outside World

Objective: To personalize the learning by allowing students to choose a project related to their report. To form cooperative learning groups for projects.

Activity: Students groups choose from the following suggested projects: 1. Produce a skit about pioneer days. 2. Make a model of early Georgetown. 3. Write up a mock newspaper page from the period. 4. Make a model of a silver mine or sluice box. 5. Draw scenes from early Georgetown. 6. Take pictures of buildings which existed in early days. 7. A project of their own.

Assessment: Students' ability to form teams and get on task.

7. Refine: Refining the Extension

Objective: To help students work cooperatively. To help students plan and work systematically.

Activity: Each group will write out a plan for its project, including materials needed and time of completion. Students will conference with the teacher for approval of their plan.

Assessment: Quality of student plans.

8. Perform: Creative Manifestation of Material Learned

Objective: To increase student ability to work as a member of a group and to share what they have learned.

Activity: Students complete projects and share their results with the class through visual and oral presentations.

Assessment: Quality of completed projects, participation, and sharing.

Assessment, Phase Five,Performance, Creative Use of Material Learned: