Roll Along
Wagon Communities in the 1850’s

Sandi Steenberg
2nd grade
Donner Springs Elementary

Portfolio Cover Sheet

Author: Sandi Steenberg
Title:  Roll Along
Historical Topic: Wagon Communities in the 1850’s

Nevada History Standards:
Content Standard H1.0 - People, Cultures, and Civilizations - Students understand the development, characteristics, and interaction of people, cultures, societies, religion, and ideas.
H1.2.4 Recognize similarities and differences of earlier generations, in areas such as work, dress, manners, stories, games, and festivals.
H2.2.1 Identify ways in which people cooperate to achieve a common goal.
H2.2.2 Explore the importance of both local and national landmarks, and explain how they create a sense of community among citizens.
                                              
Nevada English/Language Arts Standards:
2.2.1 With assistance, use before reading strategies based on text and purpose to preview text, access prior knowledge, build background knowledge, set purpose for reading and make predictions.
2.2.2With assistance, use during strategies based on text and purpose to make, confirm and revise predictions, understand and use key vocabulary and identify main idea.
5.2.2 Draft sentences about a single topic that address audience, purpose, supporting details.  With Assistance, draft paragraphs about a single topic that address audience, purpose, supporting details.

Background:
Roll Along is a thematic unit on Wagon Trains in the 1850’s.  Nevada was an important part of the westward movement for wagon trains traveling to California.  This area is rich in wagon train history and will be explored fully.

Historical journals and writings visit the Great Basin and the Sierras as they document the arduous journey made by families from the East.  The motivation for money, land and adventure brought these pioneers on a long and dangerous journey before they even reached the area we now call Reno.

Table of Contents

Activity 1:  Wordle Activity:  Wagon Train
Learning Goal:  In groups of 4 , students will discuss the Wagon Train Wordle.  They will identify vocabulary.  After discussion, they will write a paragraph describing the information in the Wordle.

Activity 2:  Literature Connection:  Wagon Train
Learning Goal:  The teacher will read Wagon Train over a period of 5 days.  Groups will share writing a summary of the reading each day. 

Activity 3:  Flipbook: Supplies
Learning Goal:  The students will create a flipbook with the word WAGON.  A list of wants, also, games, oxen and needs will be created.

Activity 4:  Art Piece/Writing: Rag Book
Learning Goal:  A rag book will be created for a daily journal writing. A wagon will be made.

Activity 5:  Internet/Technology:
Learning Goal:  As a class the teacher will direct a internet search for primary sources to create a photo story of a wagon train.

Activity 6:  Wagon Train Skit
Learning Goal:  Groups of 4-5 students will create a given part of a wagon train journey in a skit.

Wordle Activity

Primary Source 1:  “The Halt” picture postcard photograph by Ben Wittick from Photo Source at the Museum of New Mexico

Primary Source 2:  “The Donner Party Chronicles” by Frank Mullen Jr.

The Wordles are intended to create vocabulary and interest in the Wagon Train Week.  The students will have time to look through the book of the Donner Party Chronicles as well as at the postcard.  Words that may need explanation will be written on the board such as Emigrant, buffalo chips, Independence, etc. The U.S. map will be used as well to point out Missouri and to introduce the vast area that the wagon trains crossed.

Once the vocabulary in the Wordles has been thoroughly discussed, the students will be asked to write a paragraph describing the information in the Wordle. This will be the beginning of the Wagon Train Week.  Paragraphs will be collected to assess student learning.

Literature Connection Activity

Learning Goal:  The teacher will read Wagon Train over a period of 5 days.  Groups will share writing a summary of the reading each day.

Wagon Train by Bobbie Kalman is a beautiful read aloud appropriate for 2nd graders.  The pictures and text are full of information for the Wagon Train Week.  The Teacher will begin each day’s read aloud with 4 or 5 focus words from the text on the board to discuss prior to reading that selection.  Teacher will then read the selection and show the pictures.  Teacher will stop after each section on the page to ask questions and take comments from students.  After reading the selection we will summarize orally as a group.  The students will have numbers   Student one will begin writing the summary then student two, three and four.  Teacher will rotate and aid as necessary.  One student from each group will read their summary to the class once completed. Students will then be given their own Wagon Train Paper Book to read & color. This book is taken from HEADING WEST, An Activity Book for Children.

Assessment rubric:

O          Clear penmanship, understands content, word wall words
             spelled correctly. Sentences have correct punctuation.

S          Penmanship is readable. Has some understanding of content,
            most word wall words spelled correctly. Sentences make
            sense.

I           Penmanship is hard to read.  Student does not show under-
            standing of content.  Word wall words misspelled. Sentences
            are unclear.

Activity 3: Flipbook: Wagon Supplies

Learning Goal:  The students will create a flipbook with the word WAGON.  They will list in the flipbook a list of wants, also, games, oxen and needs.

The Flipbook will be used for students to think about what they would take on their wagon train journey.  The needs will be listed first so as to discuss what are their most important supplies. 
The other sections will then be listed and discussed to determine if they think all of these things are necessary and to create an understanding of just how much the pioneers had to give up when they began their journey as well as how little space they had to live in.

Assessment Rubric:

O       Flipbook is cut well and has all of the letters WAGON.
         Handwriting is neat.  The lists are well thought out and
         have an appropriate number in each.
S       Flipbook has been cut satisfactorily.  All of the letters
         are present.  The handwriting is satisfactory.  There
         are a bare minimum of supplies listed.
I        Flipbook is hard to read and inadequate in its supply
         Lists. Book is cut choppy.

 Activity 4: Art Piece/Writing: Rag Book

Students will be directed in How to Build A Wagon using their shoe box they have been instructed to bring provide and the directions included.

After building their wagon, they will receive a make rag book. This is made from brown paper bags. They will cut the 6 pages approximately 8” x 8” and then punch 2 holes in the left side.  They will used twine to tie it together.  Teacher may then burn the edges to give it an “old” effect.  The students will write in the rag book daily.  They will write a journal of what they imagine a day on the trail is like.

Assessment Rubric:

0       Student’s cutting and coloring skills are accurate.  The wagon is
          put together well. The wheels are well rounded. Rag Book
         shows an understanding of wagon train life.
   
S       Student’s wagon has been cut and assembled.  The coloring is
           satisfactory.  The wheels are round. Journal could have more
           writing showing understanding of life on a wagon train.

I         Student’s wagon is not cut and assembled in a satisfactory  manner. The wheels are bumpy and the coloring is sporatic.           Journal lacks understanding of wagon train life.  It is difficult
          to read the writing.

Activity 5: Photo Story

Teacher will bring up Wagon Photo Story that she has created.
Show and discuss the pictures in the photo story.  Then teacher create another wagon train photo story with students assisting.

Activity 6: Wagon Train Skit

Teacher will discuss five different scenarios’ on a Wagon Train Journey.  Teacher will hand out one scenario to each group of
4-5 students.

Scenario 1- Dad, Mom, 8 year old and 6 yr old daughters   
                 and Uncle are preparing to depart from Missouri on 
                 the family wagon headed for California.

Scenario 2- The same family has been traveling for 30 days and
                 is looking for a campsite next to the river to rest for
                 several days before joining their friends on another
                 wagon train from Kansas.

Scenario 3- The family from Kansas has been traveling for 38
                 days in their wagon.  They are Grandma, her two
                 sons in their twenties and her 7 year old
                 granddaughter. They are looking for their friends.

Scenario 4- Two sisters that are 18 & 20 are traveling with their
                 45 year old father to California.  They and their oxen
                 have been crossing the desert in Utah for 5 days a
                 and are almost out of water. 

Scenario 5- A family of 3 small children 2,4,and 6 and their mom
                 and dad are getting ready to cross the Sierra
                 Nevada Mountains to the end of their trip in
                 California.

Groups will be given their scenarios and set off to create their skit.  Teacher will rotate to give ideas and aid through difficulties.  Students will be given 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour after lunch to work on the skit.  Whole class discussion between work time is critical as well as teacher aid and input.

At the end of the day, students will perform their skit for the class.