Instructional Software Integration Lesson Plan:
Fourth grade English Language Arts & History:
Simulation/Problem Solving Software: Oregon Trail Game ~ Tutorial Software: Google Earth Tutorial
Topic: Life on the Oregon Trail
Goals: Students will be able to:
Day 1:
Goals: Students will be able to:
- explore and interpret how life was on the Oregon Trail.
- identify at least 5 points of the Oregon Trail and the implications of those locations
- synthesize information to write journal entries as a pioneer on the Oregon Trail.
- 413.15 (1) Describe the preparations necessary for the trip west to Idaho.
- 413.15 (2) Research using multiple sources and integrate information to write journal entries about the Oregon Trail
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACYW.4.3.A Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
- ensure students have read about Oregon Trail in previous textbook lesson.
- familiarize themselves with Google Earth (& download if necessary) to assist students.
- create student accounts on a blogging site & ensure students are familiar with blogging process and/or
- create student accounts on Google & ensure students are familiar with document processing.
- put one chart paper & markers (one per student) on each groups desk
Day 1:
- Engage: (5 minutes) To begin, have students talk to their group and notate on their chart paper (on desks) about what they have read previously in their textbooks about life on the Oregon Trail. Have students share their notes with the class, while teacher puts up chart paper notes around the room.
- Explore: (30 minutes) Tell students that today they will have the opportunity to experience life on the Oregon Trail by playing a game with their group. Remind students to read all of the notes on the game carefully with their group and ensure the "family" agrees before making any decisions, if necessary, voting is helpful to decide. After playing all groups will decide upon and write on their "notes" page their most valuable lesson about the Oregon Trail that they learned from playing the game.
- Explain: (10 minutes) Reporters will come up and share what occurred during their game and what the group decided was their most valuable Oregon Trail lesson that they learned from playing the game. While the teacher notates important points from each group on the board. Students will watch the tutorial on Google Earth to familiarize themselves with the process of place marking and creating tours using Google Earth.
- Elaborate: (40 minutes) Then, using the information they have learned from reading the text book, playing the simulation game and the tutorial on Google Earth they will create an interactive journal/tour of the Oregon Trail. In this tour students are to
- Place mark at least 5 Oregon Trail points(including starting & ending point)
- Write the name of each point in the "title"
- Write a short, fictitious, 2-3 sentence journal entry on each point under the "description" based on the information that was learned
- Put all place marks in order of the "trail" to create a tour
- Put all place marks in a folder titled "Oregon Trail Tour first name & last name"
- Evaluate/Share: (5 minutes) Students will evaluate their own & each other's tours using the checklist below. Students will complete a "gallery walk" of the tours to share their work & evaluate one another. Teacher will evaluate student's tours using the same checklist.