Social Studies - 4th Grade

Standard I       Standard II       Standard III

Field Trips

Objective 1:
Classify major physical geographic attributes of Utah.

Activities

3D Maps
Objective: To understand Utah’s natural resources such as Great Basin, Colorado Plateau, and mountains.
Materials: Salt dough and watercolor paints

Have each student make a salt dough map of Utah and use waterpaints to identify the different regions on the map. Students should also include important rivers, lakes, etc. (This can be an in-class or a home project.)

As an alternative project, each student can make an "edible" Utah map at home. Give the students a week's advance notice so they can start thinking about how they are going to create the map. They must create a map of Utah that includes landforms and is completely edible. Have each student bring the completed edible maps to school on an assigned day. Give students to explain how they created the map and how they decided on each landform.

 

Drop and Drag Counties
Objective: Correctly identify the counties of Utah.
Materials: Utah map Gameboard (doc) and Drag and Drop Map Template (doc)
Group size: Either divide the class into 4 teams or use this as an individual drill and practice event.

Students take turns as a representative of thier team dragging the county name to the correct place on the map. One (1) point is awarded for each correct answer. The game is finished when all of the counties have been correctly labeled. The team with the most points wins.

This activity can be expanded by adding more state information such as Minerals, Population, Transportation and Income. Use the Drag and Drop Map Template (doc) to create other versions of this activity.

 

Mapping out Utah: A Year Long Activity
Objective: Students will spend the year learning geographic topics, climates, natural resources, routes of commerce and latitude and longitude.
Materials: Overhead projector, map of Utah with outlines of counties, butcher paper (to trace a map), construction paper, Post-it® notes, crayons, colored pencils, thumb tacks
Vocabulary: Climate, longitude, latitude, route of commerce, geographic, landforms

Add the following information to the Utah map as you teach each concept through out the year.

• Climates
• Natural resources
• Geographic landforms
• Rivers
• Longitude & Latitude
• Mountains and water resources
• Routes of commerce

 

Powerpoint Presentation
Climate Change Over Time in Utah (ppt) 1.95 MB
This presentation was created by educators in Davis School District.

 

Learning Coordinate Grids
Objective: This activity will help teach students about coordinate graphing, latitude and longitude, and regions.
Materials: The Fly on the Ceiling by Julie Glass & Richard Walz
Using the book The Fly on the Ceiling will help teach students about coordinate graphing, latitude and longitude, and regions.  This short fun children literature book uses coordinate graphing to help Rene solve his fly problem in his very messy house.  Various activities and extensions are found in the back of the book. 

Another simple way to continue reinforcing coordinate graphing, latitude and longitude is to label your ceiling tiles.  Look at your ceiling and label the various grid lines accordingly.  When you rearrange your classroom always have your students check their coordinates and write them down.  At the end of each day when your students are cleaning up have them “check their coordinates” to see if they are in the right location.

 

Remembering Latitude and Longitude
Objective: This activity will help students that have a hard time remembering longitude/latitude and horizontal/vertical.
Materials: tongue depressors or popsicle sticks

Teach the concept of latitude and longitude.  As a great tool for the children to have and use give each child 2 tongue depressors (popsicle sticks will also work).
 
On one write vertically (up and down) the word, “longitude” and on the other write horizontally (side to side) the word, “latitude.” 
 
These will be a great reminder to students as they use this skill throughout the year.

Lesson Plans

• Playground Grid
  Students will learn about latitude, longitude, and how to read a grid.
• Physical Attributes of Utah
  During this lesson students will use maps to investigate how the geography of Utah has changed over time.

Indicators:

1. Identify Utah’s latitude, longitude, hemisphere, climate, natural resources, landforms, and regions using a variety of geographic tools.
2. Examine the forces at work in creating the physical geography of Utah (e.g. erosion, seismic activity, climate change).

Objective 2:
Analyze how physical geography affects human life in Utah.

Lesson Plans

• The Pony Express
  How do you get to school each day? Is it a well known or marked path? What would happen if they didn't know where they were going? Try to draw a map showing them the information they have just provided.
• Where Do the People in Utah Live?
  This lesson will look at population concentrations in the State of Utah. Students will discuss the physical features that are part of various population centers and look for effects that those features may have on population.

Indicators:

1. Identify population concentrations in the state and infer causal relationships between population and physical geography.
2. Classify the distribution and use of natural resources.
3. Compare the development of industry and business in Utah as it relates to its physical geography (e.g. mining, oil, agriculture, tourism).
4. Make inferences about the relationships between the physical geography of Utah and the state’s communication and transportation systems (e.g. trails, roads, telegraph, rail lines).
5. Examine the interactions between physical geography and public health and safety (e.g. inversions, earthquakes, flooding, fire).
6. Explain how archaeology informs about the past (e.g. artifacts, ruins, excavations).

Objective 3:
Analyze how human actions modify the physical environment.

Lesson Plans

• Utah is the Place for Recreation!
  This lesson looks at the development of tourism in Utah and the many opportunities for sports and recreation that are available here in the state.

Indicators:

1. Describe how and why humans have changed the physical environment of Utah to meet their needs (e.g. reservoirs, irrigation, climate, transportation systems and cities).
2. Explain viewpoints regarding environmental issues (e.g. species protection, land use, pollution controls, mass transit, water rights, trust lands).
3. Outline the development of recreation in Utah since 1900 (e.g. sports, tourism, state, and national parks).
4. Make data-supported predictions about the future needs of Utahns and the natural resources that will be necessary to meet those needs.

Objective 1:
Describe the historical and current impact of various cultural groups on Utah.

Activities

Culture / Ethnic Sharing
Objective: Students will take turns sharing about their heritage.
 
All people came from somewhere. Students will ask their parents where they came from, and about their customs and culture.  Pictures, photos written material and any other creative media can be used. They may also do computer research when they find out their ethnic background information.

There will be a designated place for this work to be hung on a bulletin board. This will change weekly or biweekly depending on how many students are in the class. All students will participate in the sharing by first talking about their culture and then displaying it on the bulletin board. This will go on all year until each student has presented.

Math add-on: Students will calculate how long each piece of work will hang in order for each student to have equal time on the bulletin board. This project must last the entire year.

 

Chinese Immigration to Utah
Objective: Students will learn about the Chinese immigrants to the United States through San Francisco and became laborers for the Central Pacific Railroad thus bringing them to Utah.
Materials / References:

• Coolies, by Yin; ISBN: 0-14-250055-0
• Life in the Old West: The Railroad, by Bobbie Kalman; ISBN: 0-7787-0108-5
• Dragon’s Gate, by Lawrence Yep; ISBN: 0-064-40489-7
• Technology suggestions: Elmo & projector
• Golden Spike web page
• Attachments – Wedding of the Rails photo (pdf), Sample Chart (pdf)

Group Size: Whole Group, Small Group
 
Introduction: (As a class) Show students a picture of Chinese people working on the railroad and ask them to write a summary in their journals of what they see. What does the picture represent?

• Read aloud Coolies and excerpts from Dragon's Gate.
• Discuss who are the Chinese? Why did they come to the U.S.? How did they get here? What jobs did they have? What hardships did they face? Were they respected?
• Make a class chart answering these questions (see sample chart)
• On a map of the West have students trace the route of the CPRR and put in their journals
• Show 2 pictures of the "Wedding of the Rails." (One from the book Coolies and the original photo). What major difference do you see? Why weren’t the Chinese in the original photograph? Should they have been in the picture? Talk a little about prejudice.
• After the railroad, What happened to the Chinese? Did they stay in Utah? Go back to China? Go back to California? Why?
• What happened to those that stayed in Utah? Did they become Farmers, Businessmen, or Restaurant Owners? Are there Chinese living in Utah today? Does Utah have a Chinatown?
• Have students add to their original journal entry expressing what they have learned.

 

Gathering Oral Histories
Objective: Students will learn about the past.
Materials: Sample Questions for Gathering Oral Histories (pdf), The Oral History Manual, By Barbara W. Sommer, Mary Kay Quinlan; ISBN 0759101019, 9780759101012

The Oral History Manual is a basic tool for not only how to conduct and proceed with oral interviews and projects but it carefully outlines the ethics and care that must be maintained in order to be respectful of all participants and the future use of the history.

Have students interview a grandparent, relative, or neighbor about their experiences of moving to the state of Utah and/or the community.

 

Jim Bridger and His Fort
Objective: The students will learn about Jim Bridger and the influences/impact he had on Utah and exploration of the west.
Materials / References::

• Jim Bridger: Frontiersman and Mountain Guide, by Charles W. Maynard; ISBN: 0-8239-6288-1
• Cobblestone Magazine – December 1991, Mountain Men - Volume 12 Number 12; ISBN: 0382404335
• Mountain Men (Tales of the Wild West Ser. : Vol 8), by Rick Steber; ISBN: 0945134088
• Utah History Songs – CD - Sure Tastes Salty

Group Size:

• Discussions – Large Group
• Writing Tall Tales – Individual

Time Frame: 1 week for discussions and 1 week for writing Tall Tale

Introduction activity: Play the song “Sure Tastes Salty” and have students write down things about the song that they want to learn more about. Write the word Rendezvous on the board and generate questions as to what it is and how to say it.

Discuss who Jim Bridger is, what he discovered, his insight into the rendezvous system and the significance his fort played in sculpting the west. Use pictures of Bridger and fort.

Discuss Tall Tales and read examples.

Have students try and write their own Tall Tale based on information they have learned about Jim Bridger. They will then share their tall tale with the class.

Students could begin by researching the size and outfitting restrictions of the handcart pioneers. One site is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_handcart_pioneers (go to section 3 called "Outfitting")

Many math activities could be done with this information:

• Construct a handcart out of paper
• Find the radius and circumference of the wheels
• Find perimeter and area of the handcart box
• Discover how many hand carts it would take for a company of 430
• If five people are assigned to each handcart and each of them is allowed 17 pounds of personal possessions, how much of the 250 pounds allowed in each handcart is for other supplies?

Have each student write what personal items they would take in their handcart. They are allowed 17 pounds total. Their lists must include the actual weight of each item they have on their lists. They could do this at home if they have a good scale or they could bring the things they would take to school and weigh them and keep track of the total weight. They must justify why they would include each item.

Extension: Similar activities could be done with the size, shape and volume of the Conestoga wagons that were used by the wagon train companies.

 

Handcart Pioneers
Objective: This math measurement activity is a good activity to do while studying the Mormon pioneer migration to Utah, primarily the handcart pioneers.
Materials: Internet access, construction/butcher paper, ruler, calculator, scale
Group Size: Have students work in groups of 5

Students could begin by researching the size and outfitting restrictions of the handcart pioneers. One site is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_handcart_pioneers (go to section 3 called "Outfitting")

Many math activities could be done with this information:

• Construct a handcart out of paper
• Find the radius and circumference of the wheels
• Find perimeter and area of the handcart box
• Discover how many hand carts it would take for a company of 430
• If five people are assigned to each handcart and each of them is allowed 17 pounds of personal possessions, how much of the 250 pounds allowed in each handcart is for other supplies?

Have each student write what personal items they would take in their handcart. They are allowed 17 pounds total. Their lists must include the actual weight of each item they have on their lists. They could do this at home if they have a good scale or they could bring the things they would take to school and weigh them and keep track of the total weight. They must justify why they would include each item.

Extension: Similar activities could be done with the size, shape and volume of the Conestoga wagons that were used by the wagon train companies.

 

Invite a Guest Speaker (Tips and Tricks)

Preparing for a guest speaker:

• Plan ahead! Decide how a guest speaker might fit into your scope and sequence. Have a class committee, grade level committee, or school committee help with a list of possible speakers. Guest speakers should represent diverse populations. TIME: provide specifics about time to begin and end.
• Prepare your students: have them read a book or information about the speaker or the population they represent. Let them write questions ahead of time. These questions should be given to the speaker to consider before they come to your class.

Finding a guest speaker:

• Ask local community members or PTA for help. Seek out your district department in charge of social studies curriculum or the district department in charge of English Language Learners. Ask at a local college or university where they have diversity clubs. Contact the State Board of Education Diversity Department.

Etiquette for the speaker:

• Who will meet the speaker at the door and escort them to the meeting area?
• Review the time schedule with the speaker and when they will end.
• Allow for consideration of travel time both in coming and returning home.
• Will you speaker need to have nourishment? What can you offer in the way of drink, snack, and/or lunch.
• What will you provide to your speaker to reciprocate their time on your behalf. [i.e. Money? (Grants, PTA, school funds, etc.) A book, a school certificate of participation, etc.]

After the speaker:

• Sending Thank You notes to the speaker and/or business and family that allowed the speaker to attend.
• Follow up with a phone call or email about the valuable insights gained (so that the speaker will want to return and know that their time was well spent.)

 

Trappers, Traders and Mountain Men
Objective:  The students will learn about mountain men and trappers and traders of Utah.  They will do research on an individual figure and present a written report and an oral presentation.
Materials:  Spotlight On America: Westward Movement, by Robert W. Smith; ISBN: 1-4206-3216-7
Group Size:  Beginning Activities – Large Group; Ending Activities – Individual

• Introduction activity - Post a picture of a typical mountain man and ask students to describe what they see.  Write their outcomes on the board and discuss their ideas.
• Discuss what is a mountain man and what do they do?  Read pgs 10-11 (Westward Movement)
• Talk about mountain men and trappers and traders of Utah.  Read pgs 12-13 (Westward
  Movement)
• Look at and discuss maps of trails and routes they took.
• Take mountain man quiz.  Page 35 (Westward Movement)
• Readers Theater – Hugh Glass Ain’t Dead Yet – pgs 60-62 (Westward Movement)
• Assign individual reports on mountain men
• Do research for report on computers, library, etc. Possible source for information
• Write research papers in class using 6-traits and writing process
• Present oral report to class

Assessments:  Mountain Man Quiz, Written Report, Oral Presentation

 

Trails West
Objective: Students will learn how and why the pioneers came to the West.

Materials:  Pioneer Sort (pdf), Pioneer References (pdf),
Group Size:   Individual, Pairs, small group, whole class

• Copy and cut apart Pioneer Sort page (1 page for each pair of students).  In pairs put sort pieces in categories and write an explanation of the purpose for the categories chosen.
• Discussion about what is a pioneer?  Where did they come from?  Where were they going?  Why were they going there?
• How are they getting there?  Walking, Handcart, Wagon.  Show them replica examples of a handcart and wagon and what provisions they would have taken.
• In small groups of 4-5 do supply list activity.  Given an amount of 2000 lbs what provisions would you take on a journey to support your family.
• Read journal stories to class- Oregon Trail-The Diary of Callie Stokes and Our Journey West.
• Assign journal project – Pretend you are a pioneer and write a journal about your trip.
• Using an overhead or projector display a blank map of United States and give a copy to each student.  Discuss each of the trails west (Oregon, California, Mormon) and draw them on the map.
• Discuss hardships that the pioneers faced on there journeys.
• Do sort again and explain reasoning and did it change from the first time.
• Authors Chair – Have those that want to share their journals read them to the class.
• Hand in journals for grading

Assessment – Pioneer Journal

Lesson Plans

• Angel Island
  Students will learn about the importance and impact of immigration to the building of the United States of America.
• I’m Going on an Immigration
  Students learn about the experience of being an immigrant, which requires the traveler to plan for the journey, to pack, and to make difficult decisions. People from many cultures have created trunks or others containers to hold their belongings while they travel. The size of the carrying device limits the number of personal possessions, mementos, and material goods brought from home to begin a new life.
• Japanese Internment
  Students will learn how various environmental and cultural changes impacted the treatment of Japanese Americans in Utah.
• Ute Indians: Past and Present
  Students will become familiar with the Ute Indians both past and present.
• Connecting to Utah's Diversity
  Students will learn about their own heritage by filling in an outline and then creating a poster.

Indicators:

1. Chart the routes that diverse cultural groups took from their places of origin to Utah, using maps and other resources.
2. Explore points of view about life in Utah from a variety of cultural groups using primary source documents.
3. Explore cultural influences from various groups found in Utah today (e.g. food, music, religion, dress, festivals).
4. Identify and describe leaders from various cultures who exemplify outstanding character and life skills.
5. Explain the importance of preserving cultural prehistory and history, including archaeological sites and other historic sites and artifacts.

Objective 2:
Describe ways that Utah has changed over time.

Lesson Plans

• Immigration in Utah
  Students will understand why the Chinese and Irish immigrated to the U.S. and Utah and what they did when they got here.

Indicators:

1. Identify key events and trends in Utah history and their significance (e.g. American Indian settlement, European exploration, Mormon settlement, westward expansion, American Indian relocation, statehood, development of industry, World War I and II).
2. Compare the experiences faced by today’s immigrants with those faced by immigrants in Utah’s history.

Objective 3:
Investigate the development of the economy in Utah.

Activities

Bartering Day
Objective: Students will develop an understanding of what determines something’s value.
Materials: Letter to parents, student made items to trade/barter

After discussing the definition of money and what makes something valuable and discussing the mountain men and the idea of bartering have a Bartering Day. Be sure to send a letter home to parents explaining the purpose of the project and the guidelines you have set up for items students can bring.

Each student is assigned to bring 8-10 items to trade, preferably something they have made themselves. During the day, each student must trade (barter) his or her items for other items brought by other members of the class. This should generate a lot of discussion about the value of objects….are some things worth more than other things? What makes something valuable?

Assessment Idea: Each student should write a paragraph telling about their trading experiences. Have them focus on whether they feel that they are ending the day with equal value for the things they brought in the morning. They should also include how they determined a fair trade.

Extension: a discussion and writing activity could follow using present day values of various products and services. Again, the emphasis should be on what determines something’s value.

 

Supply and Demand
Objective: In this lesson you will be teaching the students about supply and demand using classroom supplies. Students will learn how to price and set value for objects and the value of what their supplies are that they have to sell.
Materials: S & D (Word) money or any token economy you have in your classroom, 5 pencils, 5 glue sticks, 5 erasers, 5 pens, 5 folders

Students will work in small groups and will be given 5 of each supply. They will set the price for each item. Students will all be given $5.00 in "S & D Money"

Day one: Pass out all supplies and brain storm about what would be the best outcome of the lesson.

• What would happen if team 1 of 5 sold all their “crayons” the first day?
• Would that mean that the pencils had more value than say the folders?

Day two: Open the lesson with a recall or retell of what was discussed the previous day. What happened to the price of the “crayons”? Did it go up, stay the same or go down? What would happen if we were going to buy milk? The price was $3.00 a gallon at store A; however at store B across the street was selling the milk for $1.50 BUT only had 10 gallons. After they sold 5 gallons the manager said STOP... Why? Brainstorm

Final lesson: On the previous days we talked about supply and demand and how when the manager at Store B noticed that he was going to run out of milk….he did what? (Raised his price) Can you see what stores like Walmart; Kmart, ShopKo and Target all price their things about the same? Would they sell out quickly on some things if they were priced higher or lower? (Lower)

Summary of our supply and demand lesson: We can determine that if there is a lot of something then people might price it LOWER than if they had only a few and people really wanted it. Now it is time to sell your items. You can set your price, but you have to sell everything today.

Teams announce that they are open for business and start selling.

 

Utah Agriculture in the Classroom
Web site: http://extension.usu.edu/aitc/

• Free downloadable lesson plans relating to economics and supply and demand
• Access to student magazine inserts from local newspapers created for education purposes
• Lists of good literature resources
• Kits you can purchase to make various activities having to do with agriculture and resources

Lesson Plans

• Ghost Town Awakening
  Students find and research a ghost town of Utah, and select the necessary things that it would need in order for it to function and grow.

Indicators:

1. Explain the relationship between supply and demand.
2. Describe the role of producers and consumers.
3. Identify examples of producers and consumers in the local community.
4. Research the development of Utah’s economy over time.
5. Identify the factors which bring about economic changes (e.g. natural resource development, new technologies, new market development, globalization, global conflicts, education).
6. Examine how economic development affects communities (e.g. dams, sports, tourism, power plants, mining, etc.).

Objective 1:
Describe the responsibilities and rights of individuals in a representative government as well as in the school and community.

Activities

Chinese Immigration to Utah
Objective: Students will learn about the Chinese immigrants to the United States through San Francisco and became laborers for the Central Pacific Railroad thus bringing them to Utah.
Materials / References:

• Coolies, by Yin; ISBN: 0-14-250055-0
• Life in the Old West: The Railroad, by Bobbie Kalman; ISBN: 0-7787-0108-5
• Dragon’s Gate, by Lawrence Yep; ISBN: 0-064-40489-7
• Technology suggestions: Elmo & projector
• Golden Spike web page
• Attachments – Wedding of the Rails photo (pdf), Sample Chart (pdf)

Group Size: Whole Group, Small Group
Introduction: (As a class) Show students a picture of Chinese people working on the railroad and ask them to write a summary in their journals of what they see. What does the picture represent?

• Read aloud Coolies and excerpts from Dragon's Gate.
• Discuss who are the Chinese? Why did they come to the U.S.? How did they get here? What jobs did they have? What hardships did they face? Were they respected?
• Make a class chart answering these questions (see sample chart)
• On a map of the West have students trace the route of the CPRR and put in their journals
• Show 2 pictures of the "Wedding of the Rails." (One from the book Coolies and the original photo). What major difference do you see? Why weren’t the Chinese in the original photograph? Should they have been in the picture? Talk a little about prejudice.
• After the railroad, What happened to the Chinese? Did they stay in Utah? Go back to China? Go back to California? Why?
• What happened to those that stayed in Utah? Did they become Farmers, Businessmen, or Restaurant Owners? Are there Chinese living in Utah today? Does Utah have a Chinatown?
• Have students add to their original journal entry expressing what they have learned.

.

Classroom Government
Note from a teacher: We start at the beginning of the year with the class jobs.  We spend a few minutes each day talking about the roles of each job, emphasizing the fact that their first responsibility is always to be a good citizen.  In January, when everyone knows all of the rules and procedures, we talk about the government, break our class into the three branches, and start the class money system. With in a couple of months this system runs it self.

Class Jobs:
(These are just a few ideas.  The first responsibility is always, “be a good citizen.”  Other responsibilities can be adapted to the needs of your class.)

• Governor
• Lt. Governor
• Senator
• Representative
• Judge
• Sanitation Experts
• Food Service Specialist
• Librarian

3 Branches of Government – students write letters to the President/Vice President of the class explaining why want to be in a particular branch.

• Executive Branch
  Students make a checklist of all classroom rules and procedures (a member of this branch keeps track of what rules and procedures are/aren’t being followed each day – they report at the end of the day)
• Judicial Branch
  When a dispute arises, students are to write a petition.  The judicial branch reviews the petition and either veto’s or approves it.
• Legislative Branch
  Design classroom currency, copy and cut it out.

 

Teacher Resources About Japanese Americans in Utah:

1. Print your name on the Declaration of Independence
2. Japanese-American National Museum-Site for lesson plans on Topaz
3. Topaz Museum in Delta, UT
4. Wat Misaka – First ethnic minority drafted into the NBA
5. PBS production about Topaz – Children of the Camp

 

NO RULES
Objective: Students will break into small groups and create classroom rules that include rights and responsibilities.
Materials: I Wanna Iguana, by Karen Kaufman Orloff; ISBN: 0399237178

• What would happen in our classroom if there were no rules?
• Have you ever been in a position that you had NO rules?
• What happened?/Would happen?
• Can we live without rules?

Students will write a persuading reason for each rule as to why they need to be in place in our classroom. Ask the following questions:

1. Who usually makes the rules?
2. Why do we have to follow rules?
3. What happens if someone breaks rules?
4. Why do you think that I had YOU write the rules?
5. Who is in charge at home?
6. If parents are not there, then who is in charge?
7. Who is in charge in our classroom?
8. Does the teacher have someone who is in charge of him/her?
9. Who does the teacher get into trouble with if they do something wrong?
10. Who does the principal get into trouble with?

 

Understanding the Pledge of Allegiance
Objective:  Recognize and demonstrate respect for United States and Utah symbols. Students will understand that…in our role as citizens we need to recognize United States symbols (i.e.: US flag) and learn the significance of the Pledge of Allegiance and proper flag etiquette. Students will also understand the vocabulary of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Materials:  Dictionary, Thesaurus, The Pledge of Allegiance; ISBN: 0-439-39962-9, Monthly Project Sheet (word), Examples of student pledges (word), Red Skelton’s interpretation of the Pledge of Allegiance (word)

• Create your own version by changing the underlined words with a synonym.
• Then create an artistic depiction (e.g: flag of the U.S.) with their edited version written on it. 

 

Utah Symbols
Objective:  Help students recognize and remember Utah Symbols
Materials:  Utah Symbol Cards…made by teacher
Group Size:  Partners

This is a fun activity that can be used to help students recognize state symbols.  Match pictures with words.  Create a set of cards.  Half with pictures of Utah symbols, the other half with the names of the symbols.  Students can do this individually or with a partner.  They can choose to show the picture and have the other student say the answer or this game could be played as a matching game laying all cards upside-down and trying to find the matches.

• keep an answer sheet (pdf) nearby to check for accuracy

 

Women of the West
Objective:  Students will learn about the life of women in the West.
Materials:  “Women of the West” Readers Theatre (pdf)
Group Size: Whole Group, Individual Work

• Introduction Activity:  As a class, discuss what chores their mothers do on a daily basis. What are they expected to do? Ex. Cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, paying bills, etc.
• Read ‘Women of the West’ readers theatre. Discuss a woman’s daily life before traveling west, what life was like on the trail and what life was like in their new home.
• Students will write a ‘letter’ home discussing the differences between the three types of workload.

Assessment:

• Students will write a journal entry pretending that they are a woman in the west. They will discuss what chores they do and how often, how hard it is on them and their family.

Lesson Plans

• Voting to Make Your Voice Heard
  Students will understand the rights and responsibilities of voting in local, state, and national elections.

Indicators:

1. Identify rights of a citizen (e.g. voting, peaceful assembly, freedom of religion).
2. Identify responsibilities of a citizen (e.g. jury duty, obeying the law, paying taxes).
3. Determine how and why the rights and responsibilities of various groups have varied over time (e.g. Chinese railroad workers, Greek miners, women, children, Mormons, Japanese-Americans at Topaz, American Indians, African-Americans).
4. Explain how the influence and power of individuals is affected when they organize into groups.
5. Describe and model ways that citizens can participate in civic responsibilities (e.g. current issue analysis, recycling, volunteering with civic organizations, letter writing).
6. Contribute to and practice classroom goals, rules and responsibilities.
7. Recognize and demonstrate respect for United States and Utah symbols (i.e. Pledge of Allegiance, flag etiquette).

Objective 2:
Analyze the different ways people have organized governments in Utah to meet community needs.

Lesson Plans

• Governments of Utah Past and Present
  Students will use the internet, text books, and other resources to identify historic American Indian, State of Deseret, Utah Territory, and current Utah state governments and compare and contrast.

Indicators:

1. Identify the forms of government found in Utah in different eras (i.e. historic and current American Indian government, State of Deseret, Utah Territory, statehoodera, present).
2. Compare how these governments addressed community needs.
3. Compare the roles and responsibilities of state, county, and local officials.

The Online Standards Resource pages are a collaborative project between the Utah State Board of Education and the Utah Education Network. If you would like to recommend a high quality resource, contact Robert Austin.