December 12th, 2014

EDCP 331

Social Studies

Project Plan: Pioneers

Grade 2/3

Overview:

Class Description

This project plan is designed for a grade 2/3 class. This specific class is quite hyper-active and

becomes bored and distracted easily. The students feed off each others' energy, which can be

negative, but also includes their energy to engage in a topic. The gender of the students are an

even mix of boys and girls. There is a great amount of diversity in regards to the academic

abilities in this class- there are students with mixed abilities in reading and writing since there are

only eight Grade 3’s and 15 Grade 2's. There are several students that are behind in their

language arts skills for their age. Some students lack fine motor skills (eg. colouring and

writing). This class includes two students with high functioning autism and has several students

that have a hard time paying attention. Class management strategies are needed a lot during

activity time. There is also diversity in terms of the maturity levels of the children in the class.

Some students are able to work independently and productively in groups, whereas others are

constantly off-task and creating problems with other students.

Rationale

This unit was designed as a progression from the Community unit that the class had completed

prior to. With a background knowledge of what a community is comprised of, this unit will

further develop the students' understanding that communities develop and change over time. This

unit is also intended to broaden their knowledge of how Canada started to grow after European

contact with respect to different cultures, technologies, and environments.

Project Plan Objectives

Students will be able to:

- develop an appreciation of the past

- examine communities growth

- understand the relationship between the environment and family life

- different ways the pioneers used the environment for food, clothing, housing, and

equipment

- compare a pioneer community to our modern community

Strategies of Activities

After much altering of the original lesson plans, these final lesson plans represent more of the

students' needs and interests. With respect to the students' short attention spans, the activities are

kept short and concise, with a lot of question asking to increase engagement. The activities are

also integrated primarily with a language arts focus because of the low reading and writing levels

prevalent within this class. The topics chosen in this unit are easily relatable and comparable to

our communities today. Specifically included is a Pioneer food lesson because there is a healthy

eating focus within this class.

Enactivism is created in these lessons from the students' active participation of interacting with

the environment with complex thinking and constructivism. The activities allow for social

interactions and discussions, making them mostly student-centred learning. The unit wraps up

with the field trip to the museum as an enacted activity that allows learning experiences through

interacting with real life objects, events, and context. The artifacts used in these lessons are the

picture books, the world map for a visual aid, and the field trip to the Delta Museum. Natural

integration occurs in these lessons because the students use their literacy skills to listen, ask

questions, write and read, healthy living skills to categorize different foods, and math skills to

understand how long ago 1840s is from today (2014).

Assessment Methods

Various methods of assessment will be used throughout this unit. These will include, but are not

limited to:

- artifacts created in various lessons, such as completed charts and venn diagrams that

demonstrate understanding of the topic, will satisfy the Social Studies PLO's to identify changes

that can occur in communities over time and identify cultural similarities and differences

- asking students to discuss what they think the book will be about and asking students

questions throughout the reading of the picture books will engages them in active participation

and fulfill the Language Arts PLO's for Strategies (Reading and Viewing): use strategies before

reading and viewing, including: accessing prior knowledge to make connections, making

predictions, asking questions, and setting a purpose.

- if students are able to understand the Pioneer summary sheet by correctly answering the

questions on the corresponding question sheet, as well as asking questions to clarify meaning,

then they are fulfilling the Language Arts PLO's- Strategies (Reading and Viewing): asking

questions, setting a purpose, and using strategies during reading and viewing to construct,

monitor, and confirm meaning, including: predicting and making connections, visualizing,

figuring out unknown words, retelling and beginning to summarize.

- when the students correctly underline the important/key words of the Pioneer summary

sheet, read out each sentence, and orally answer what they think the key/important words are,

they are satisfying the Language Arts PLO's- Strategies (Reading and Viewing): using strategies

after reading and viewing to confirm and extend meaning, including: rereading or “re-viewing,”

discussing with others, and retelling and beginning to summarize.

- if the students can categorize the Pioneer Foods into the correct food group, contribute

examples of different foods within each group, and explain why it is important to eat foods from

each group, this satisfies the Health and Career PLO: to describe practices that contribute to

physical health.

- most assessment during this unit is done continuously and is based off of students'

active participation through discussions and question asking. This on-going assessment will

fulfill the Social Studies PLO's of describing how the physical environment influences human

activities, describing how the physical environment influenced early settlement in a community,

and describing how technology affects individuals. I will note down students who demonstrate

knowledge of the relationship the pioneers had with the environment and how they used it during

our discussions.

Resource Critique

Only one external resource was used for the making of this unit plan since it included many ideas

for lesson activities. The adaptations or modifications of these activities from the resource used

in order to suit the needs and interests of the class, were created entirely by myself and from

discussions with my SA.

Solski, Ruth. "In Pioneer Days" (2000). Print.

This book is a teacher's guide for teaching a Pioneer Unit to grades 2-4. It includes 40 different

activities that provide reading comprehension, writing, creativity, and critical thinking. I was

given this resource by my SA, but it is available to order online at sites such as Amazon and

Google Books. I found it a useful reference for information and activities. However, it has a lot

of content, and therefore a teacher would never be able to cover it all in one unit, or school year

for that matter. It is necessary to pick and choose areas to focus on. One thing I noticed about it,

is that it only includes information from a European perspective. It does not touch on any

Aboriginal perspectives, so I think this is important to be aware of when deciding which

perspective you would like to teach from.

Sequence of Lesson Plans

1. Introduction of Pioneers*

This lesson provides the students with a brief introduction on when and why the Europeans came

to Canada and where they settled. Students will be able to form their own visual of Pioneers from

a picture book, and then receive more knowledge from reading a summary sheet. They will then

answer some questions that correspond to the summary sheet, furthering their understanding.

2. Pioneer Communities (focus on the buildings in the community)*

Students will learn about the buildings that created a Pioneer Community and what their role was

for the Pioneers. They will take a look at various pictures of these buildings, as well as pictures

of what Ladner used to look like as a Pioneer Village, in order to connect their learning to the

real world. The students will then compare and contrast the buildings in a Pioneer Community to

buildings that exist in the Community they live in today using a venn diagram. They will finish

off by playing a game that addresses some roles within each building.

3. Pioneer Homes (what was inside of them)

This lesson will provide an overview of what the inside of a typical Pioneer home looked like

through picture books, how different objects within the home were utilized, what materials

Pioneer homes were made of, and the roles each of the family members held. Students will use

Pioneer Homes vocabulary words to arrange under specific headings. They will then compare

and contrast their homes

today with a typical Pioneer Home using a venn diagram.

4. Life at Home (focus on food)*

Students will be introduced to the types of food Pioneers ate through a picture book. They will

then learn about the different food groups: dairy, meat, vegetables, fruit, and grains. Then they

will receive pioneer food vocabulary words to arrange under food category headings: dairy,

meat, vegetables, fruit, grains, and other. Lastly, they will compare and contrast food preparation

in Pioneer Times to today in a fill-in-the-blank chart.

5. Life at Home (focus on clothing)

Students will learn about the different types of clothing the Pioneers wore through the use of

pictures from the internet, as well as in books. They will learn the process the Pioneers went

through to make their clothing, and how the whole family contributed. The students will then

experience a hands-on activity where they will learn the basics of how to sew by hand.

6. Field Trip to the Delta Museum

The unit will be wrapped up by experiencing what Ladner used to look like as a Pioneer Village

by visiting the Delta Museum and its' surroundings (Ladner's Landing). Students will learn about

life in early Ladner and how the community has grown to meet the needs of the people. They

will take a 30 minute guided walk through heritage rich Ladner Village while hearing the history

of how Ladner came to be. Upon returning to the Museum, students will build a town following

a historical timeline, from pioneer days to present. Students will also explore the trades and

technology of early store owners in a turn-of-the-century street scene and learn about the

challenges of transportation and communication in early pioneer communities. This field trip

enables the students to connect their knowledge of the Pioneers with the real world. Students will

then reflect on what they had learned and enjoyed from their experiences upon returning to class.

(*) indicates the fully developed lesson plans

Lesson Plan #1- Introduction of Pioneers

Subject: Social Studies Grade: 2/3

Objectives

Social Studies Prescribed Learning Outcomes (from IRP):

– organize information in chronological order

– identify changes that can occur in communities over time

– describe how the physical environment influenced early settlement in a

community

– describe how technology affects individuals

Language Arts PLO's (from IRP):

Strategies (Reading and Viewing):

- use strategies before reading and viewing, including:

– accessing prior knowledge to make connections

– making predictions

– asking questions

– setting a purpose

- use strategies during reading and viewing to construct, monitor, and confirm

meaning, including:

– predicting and making connections

– visualizing

– figuring out unknown words

– retelling and beginning to summarize

- use strategies after reading and viewing to confirm and extend meaning,

including:

– rereading or “re-viewing”

– discussing with others

– retelling and beginning to summarize

Time

(mins)

N/A

Materials and Resources

- "Going West" (My First Little House Books) by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Renée

Graef (Illustrator)

- "Who were the Early Pioneers" summary sheet and worksheet for each student

N/A

(Prep time)

Lesson Hook

(formation: students still sitting down in the calendar corner)

10

- "Today we're going to learn about some of the first settlers of Canada- called the

Pioneers"

- use pioneer picture book- "Going West" (My First Little House Books) by Laura

Ingalls Wilder, Renée Graef (Illustrator)

- students will predict what this book will be about (from reading the title

and looking at the cover) by talking with a partner and then sharing to the class

- book takes place in 1840s- explain to students how long ago that was

- 2014-1840= 174 years ago- ask students how many

hundreds, tens, and ones that number has so they can understand how big a number

that is (1 one hundreds, 7 tens, and 4 ones)

Introduction

(formation: students are sitting in their desks)

- then brief lesson on when and why the Europeans came to Canada and where they

settled (show on map)

- ask students why they think Europeans came to Canada

5

Activities

(formation: students are sitting in their desks)

First Activity

(hand out summary sheet)

- Read aloud to the students "Who were the Early Pioneers" summary sheet

(Appendix A)

- Show the students on the world map where North America, Canada, Europe,

Asia, and the Atlantic Ocean are

- Explain difficult words: eg. explorers, unsettled, overcrowded

- Ask questions, eg:

Why do you think Europe was becoming overcrowded?

- they didn't know of other land- they didn't know about Canada, families were

growing and there was nowhere to spread out

Why was land for farming disappearing?

- more people were claiming/using it

Why were jobs difficult to find?

-too many people already took the jobs available

Why would the people on the ships run out of fresh fruit and vegetables?

- there were no fridges back then- can't keep fruit and vegetables fresh for 20 days

Why would they die from not eating them?

- fruits and vegetables have vitamins, eg. vitamin C- without having vitamins for a

15

long time, you can become very sick and die

Why would the weather affect their journey across the ocean?

- bad weather like storms can cause the ocean to become rough with big waves,

and the people on the ships can get seasick

- Then students will take out a ruler and pencil and underline the important/key

words

- Do this together as a class- have one student (alternating) read out each

sentence one at a time and ask the students what they think the key/important

words are

Second Activity

(hand out worksheet)

- Go over the sheet with the class

- Read aloud the questions, and ask the students to talk to their desk partner

about them- then call on students for their answers

- Write the answers on the board- the students will copy down the answers

10

Lesson Plan #2- Pioneer Communities (focus on buildings)

Subject: Social Studies Grade: 2/3

Objectives

Social Studies Prescribed Learning Outcome's (from IRPs):

– describe how the physical environment influences human activities

– describe how the physical environment influenced early settlement in a

community

– describe how technology affects individuals

– identify changes that can occur in communities over time

– identify cultural similarities and differences

Mathematics PLO's (from IRPs):

- relate passage of time to common

activities

Language Arts PLO's (from IRPs):

Thinking (Oral Language):

- engage in speaking and listening activities to develop a deeper understanding of

texts (e.g., listening to the telling of a story from an oral tradition, listening to

information text from science or social studies)

Time

(mins)

N/A

- use speaking and listening to develop thinking, by

– acquiring new ideas

– making connections

– comparing and contrasting

Reading and Viewing Purposes (Reading and Viewing):

- view and demonstrate comprehension of visual texts (e.g., signs, illustrations,

diagrams)

Thinking (Writing and Representing):

- use writing and representing to extend thinking by presenting new understandings

in a variety of forms (e.g., comic strip, poem, skit, graphic organizer)

Materials and Resources

- Venn diagram handout for each student

- Pictures of buildings

N/A

(Prep time)

Lesson Hook

(formation: students are sitting in their desks)

Ask the students questions- ask them to talk about it with their desk partner:

What do think communities looked like before?

- what was village life like?

- what did the town look like?

- what does a community need, not want?

5

Introduction

(formation: students are sitting in their desks)

- Show pictures on the projector of what Ladner used to look like

- Explain that Ladner village used to be a pioneer village

- Ask: What did you notice the village had? What buildings does a community

need in it?

- Explain that back then they had more needs and less wants- they had a harder

life and worked really hard to live

- Then use the projector again to show pictures of the main buildings in the pioneer

villages/communities (Appendix B)

- Explain each one that corresponds to the picture (using sheet- Appendix B)

- Throughout explanations, ask: What do you notice? What's different or the

same about these buildings from the buildings we have in our communities today?

15

Activities

(formation: students are sitting in their desks)

First Activity

- Create venn diagram on the board using students' answers

15

Pioneer Communities Communities Today

- students then copy down what's written on the board

Second Activity

Oral Game- buildings in a pioneer town

- Divide the class up into Team A and Team B

- Give them a minute to discuss their answer for each question and one student

from each team will report their final answer

- Where would you go to get a spoon?- Blacksmith shop

- Where would you go to get pants?- General store

- Where would you go to get candy?- General store

- Where would you go to mail a letter?- Post office

- Where would you go to get wood?- Sawmill

- Where would you go to get flour?- Gristmill

- Where would you go to learn?- Schoolhouse

- Where would you go to pray?- Church

5

Lesson Plan #4- Life at Home (focus on food)

Subject: Social Studies Grade: 2/3

Objectives

Social Studies Prescribed Learning Outcomes (from IRP):

– describe how the physical environment influences human activities

– describe how the physical environment influenced early settlement in a

community

– describe how technology affects individuals

– identify changes that can occur in communities over time

– identify cultural similarities and differences

Time

(mins)

N/A

Health and Career:

- describe practices that contribute to physical health

Language Arts PLO's (from IRP):

Strategies (Reading and Viewing):

- use strategies before reading and viewing, including:

– accessing prior knowledge to make connections

– making predictions

– asking questions

– setting a purpose

- use strategies during reading and viewing to construct, monitor, and confirm

meaning, including:

– predicting and making connections

– visualizing

– figuring out unknown words

– retelling and beginning to summarize

- use strategies after reading and viewing to confirm and extend meaning,

including:

– rereading or “re-viewing”

– discussing with others

– retelling and beginning to summarize

Materials and Resources

- "Christmas in the Big Woods" (Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder,

illustrated by Renee Graef

- set of Pioneer Foods vocabulary words for each student

- Compare/Contrast Food Preparation Chart handout for each student

N/A

(Prep time)

Lesson Hook

(formation: students are sitting in the calendar corner)

- read "Christmas in the Big Woods" (Little House Books) by Laura Ingalls

Wilder, illustrated by Renee Graef

- students will predict what this book will be about (from reading the title and

looking at the cover) by talking with a partner and then sharing to the class

- focus on the pictures of the kitchen and food and ask students what they notice

that is different from what they see today

10

Introduction

(formation: students are sitting in their desks)

- explain different categories of food and why they are important to include in

every meal: dairy, meat, vegetables, fruit, grains

- ask students for examples of each and write them on the board

10

Activities

(formation: students are sitting in their desks)

First Activity

Categories

- use pioneer vocabulary words to arrange under food category headings: dairy,

meat, vegetables, fruit, grains, and other

- each student gets a set of vocabulary words to categorize:

Pioneer Foods

soup, stew, cheese, baked beans, berries, potatoes, corn, pumpkins, carrots, fish,

duck, lamb, beef, chicken, butter, maple syrup, corn bread, honey,

porridge/oatmeal

Second Activity

Compare/Contrast Food Preparation in Pioneer Times to Today

Eg.

Food The Settlers We...

Butter Churned, pressed it,

stored it

Buy it at the store

wrapped in paper

Milk Milk cows, stored it in

pitchers

Buy it in cartons

Bread Made the dough and

baked it in the oven

Buy it at the store in

plastic bags

Eggs Collected them from the

barn

Buy them at the store in

styrofoam or cardboard

containers

Vegetables Grew them in a garden Buy them at a store or

market

Meat Hunted and killed, and

preserved it

Buy it at a store

Fruit Gathered from the forest Buy it at a store or

market

- students will each get this chart with the "We..." column blank to fill in

* remember to tell students that some people who live on farms still do these

things today, so not everyone's "We..." column will be the same and that is okay

10

10

Appendix A

Who were the Early Pioneers

Many years ago North America was first visited by many explorers from Europe. They

were searching for Asia when they accidentally bumped into Canada. They were also looking for

gold.

Other Europeans heard of this discovery of new unsettled land, and also wanted to have

their own land. Europe had become very overcrowded and land for farming was disappearing

and jobs were difficult to find.

Sailing ships carried these new pioneers to North America across the Atlantic Ocean.

Poor people could only afford to stay below the deck for the entire trip. This area became very

dirty and smelly. The journey to a new land was not always a happy one. They were often bored

with nothing to do. Many people never reached their destination because they became sick and

died from a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables. These trips lasted from 20 days to 3 months

depending on the weather.

Who were the Early Pioneers

Name:_______________

Number:________

Date:_______________

1. Who were the first visitors to reach North America?

___________________________________________________________________

2. Why did these people come to North America?

___________________________________________________________________

3. Why did other people want to come and settle in North America? (Give two reasons).

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

4. Why was the trip to North America a difficult experience for the new settlers?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Appendix B

Pioneer Communities Buildings

General Store

- usually in the centre of the village

- sold clothes, tools, food items, cloth, etc.

- not like a grocery store today- it was a meeting place of the community- people gathered

outside the store to talk about news or play games like cards or checkers

- very little money was used- people traded things instead

Post Office

- picked up mail there

- dropped off mail there

- ask students: how do you think the mail was delivered? by who? was it fast?

Gristmill

- the mill that ground wheat, corn, and oat into different types of flour

- used energy from the water- had a water wheel to create power

Sawmill

- also used energy from the water

- saw/cut logs into planks

- everything the pioneers made was mainly from wood

- they needed wood to build their homes, barns, storage bins, barrels, furniture, wagons, wheels,

etc.

Blacksmith shop

- where the metal worker made many things out of black iron

- made fireplace tools, cooking utensils, nails, farming tools, horseshoes for horses, etc.

As the village grew larger and there were more people, more buildings were made, such as...

Schoolhouse

- the school of the village

- all the grades were in one classroom

Church

- people would go there to pray and practice their religion

Corresponding Pictures of Pioneer Buildings