Performance Task
Week 6 - 8
The transcontinental railroad will be the final learning experience for students as part of this unit. The railroad changed the landscape of the American continent, it's people, the economy and the world.
There were a great many peoples involved in building it, and through this culminating task students will be divided into 4 groups and will react to the building of the railroad from the group's perspective.
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Railway builders will create an ad to promote their venture and to hire people to work on it.
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Passengers will write diaries about traveling this great new innovation.
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Chinese workers will write letters home about their experiences building the railroad.
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Native Americans will write and perform speeches, poetry about their loss
By this point in the unit students have looked at various perspectives for a number of inventions and innovations. They have created a poster that has categorized different innovators and their motivations for those innovations.
They have reached a point in the unit when they can see the need for an innovation but also see the effects it might have both positive and negative.
Students will find one modern day invention and complete a perspectives graphic organizer anticipating its effect on society.
As a final activity students will also complete the KWL chart they started at the onset of the unit.
Summary
Learning Outcomes
Advancements originate from a strong need.
Advancements lead to different experiences for different people.
Resources in nature, through trade and geography are very influential in innovation
Why do people invent?
Did industrialization make life better for everyone?
How do people, laws and technology shape a nation?
Standards
4.6c Improved technology such, as the steam engine and the telegraph made transportation and communication faster and easier. Later developments in transportation and communication technology had an effect on communities, the State, and the world.
R1.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RI.4.3
Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text. Including what happened and why.
(Standards: 1, 3, 4; Themes: TCC, GEO, ECO, TECH)
practice
focus
Economics and economic systems:
Explain what necessitates decision making
Gathering, interpreting and using evidence:
Create an understanding of the past by using primary and secondary sources.
Civic Participation:
Identify people in positions of power and how they can influence people's rights and freedoms.
learning
Theme
Time, Continuity, and Change (TCC)
Geography, Humans, and the Environment (GEO)
Creation, Expansion, and Interaction of Economic Systems (ECO)
Science, Technology, and Innovation (TECH)
Kind of Learning
Acquisition (A)
Meaning Making (M)
Transfer (T)
4C's
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Communication
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Collaboration
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Critical Thinking
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Creativity
Instruction
Online
iMovie/Quicktime video of slides with voice over
PDF with texts
In Class
PPT
Copies from texts
Assessment
Google slides for students to add their own slides and allow for collaboration
Poster and Graphic Organizers can be used in class or online on google slides.
Essential
question
Enduring Understanding
What the student will see/read/listen to/think about/ do
The Grandest Enterprise
Students are introduced to the Transcontinental Railroad a true engineering marvel and a testament to the human spirit.
They will watch the PBS documentary The West Episode 5, The grandest Enterprise.
1:22 - 12:02 Introduction
to the railroad.
As they watch the video they will stop and jot responses to the prompts in the graphic organizer.
Political and topographical maps will be used by students to understand the breadth of the project and it's complications.
Vocabulary Focus: Level track, lobbyist, malleable, plateau are explained in English and in languages of students
The Social studies glossary can be provided to all students as required. This will deepen understanding and encourage home language, discourse specific acquisition.
Information about the resource
Teaching Resource
PBS Ken Burns The Grandest Enterprise
Student Resource
Graphic Organizer - Stop and Jot
Student Resource
Maps: Historic maps: Political and Topographical Maps of the Railroad construction
Visual Reference or Link for the resource
Why the resource is relevant to learning
The documentary offers a very holistic view of this event in American and world history.
Students can get enough background to learn about the railroad as well as be equipped to dive deeper into the history of the different segments of people involved.
The organizer will serve as a tool so that students may be able to note down important dates and events which they can refer to as they proceed with the task.
The "This led to.." Section of the organizer will also serve as a starting point for class discussion about
the cause and effect of actions of all parties involved in the process.
The Maps will serve as an additional layer of information about the complexity and magnitude of the undertaking.
Kind of learning or assessment
Learning:
Acquisition
Meaning Making
4C's
Creativity
Critical Thinking
Step/ Experience
Resource
Visual/Link
Purpose
category
By Group Class Activity
Group 1: Railroad owners
Group 2: Passengers
Group 3: Chinese Workers
Group 4: Native Americans
Each group will be provided with access to the following research materials:
1 text
1 Image
Relevant sections in the PBS documentary
Their Stop and Jot Organizer will be available to use as required
Once students have researched in their groups they will create their tasks.
All work will be posted on a railroad bulletin board.
Student Text Resource
Primary Source: Lewis Clement Assistant Engineer Central Pacific Line
Learning:
Acquisition
Meaning Making
Transfer
Assessment:
Summative
4C's
Critical Thinking
Communication
Collaboration
Creativity
GROUP 1: Railroad owners
Student Image Resource
Primary Source: Pawnee Warriors 1867
Student Text Resource
Text: Perspectives on the Industrial Revolution, Carla Mooney
GROUP 3:
Chinese Workers
Student Image Resource
Primary Source: Image from the driving of the golden spike in Utah
Student Video Resource
Student Text Resource
Text: Industrial Revolution For Kids: The People and Technology That Changed the World, Cheryl Mullenbach
GROUP 2: Passengers
Student Text Resource
Primary Source: Gretchen Schafer Diary
Student Image Resource
Primary Source: Union Pacific Poster
GROUP 4:
Native Americans
Student Text Resource
Student Video Resource
Analyze an Invention
EXIT TICKET
Connect to the 4th Industrial revolution
Students will analyze one current invention in the field of Robotics, AI, Engineering and predict
Student Resource
Graphic Organizer
Response Exit Ticket
This is the point when students will really show if they can transfer their learnings to something real and in their everyday life.
Learning:
Meaning Making
Assessment:
Final Reflection
4C's
Critical Thinking
Know Wonder Learn
REFLECTION
The learned column is revisited at the end of the unit as part of a reflection of their learning.
Student Resource
Graphic Organizer
KWL chart
Students will complete the learned section of the graphic organizer as a final reflection
Learning:
Meaning Making
Assessment:
Final Reflection
4C's
Critical Thinking
Assessment Resource
Rubric