• An introduction with a focus on the four Ts: Transportation, Territories, Trails, and Travelers.
• Students access prior knowledge using a picture timeline (1775-1850) and a K-W-L chart.
• Students are introduced to their partner schools and embrace the concept of creating “Connections across Classroom (CAC).” At least twice a week, students in partner schools share ideas and work samples with each other.
  • Sharing knowledge between schools: Each school will created one K-W-L as a word document. This will be e-mailed and displayed in the CAC school.
  • Share Differentiated Instruction Activities: (advertisements/ letters/models/ songs)
  • Read and respond to letters from our partner school that explain the importance of the Louisiana Purchase.
  • Students write feedback using “transportation slips.”
  • Students use a Tic-Tac-Toe board to research and share knowledge about Transportation.
  • Each student accept the role of the traveler and visualize being a pioneer journeying west. They reflect on why they would choose to travel west and write a journal entry that indicate the trail chosen. Develop questions such as: why one chose this trail (what one is in search of), and predict about what might happen on the trail.
  • The “ Two Trails for One Cause” project. Walk a mile and collect money to send to Native American Reservation. Funds will be used to secure books to promote literacy on the reservation.
  • Students make map puzzles to demonstrate knowledge by describing and labeling new territories across the United States.
  • Read journals from partner school highlighting trails one might choose if traveling west in the 1800s. Write a student response to the journal entry. Respond specifically to the prediction and give advice on way to improve chances of a successful journey.
    

Utilizes strategies to help students improve critical thinking skills, decision making skills, and problem solving skills.

• Students utilize specific reading comprehension strategies such as SQ3R (Survey/Question/Read/Record/ Review).
• The development of National Road , Robert Fulton's steam engine, the Erie Canal , and Peter Cooper's "iron horse" are examples of change and development. Students describe how these early stages of industrialization impacted the nation.
• Literature selections are used as a springboard to tell the story of Texas Fever and the growing conflicts between Texas and Mexico. The Alamo , Texas statehood, and the Mexican War are explored as students learn about additional territorial gains.
• Primary source documents are used to explain the concept of Manifest Destiny and its relationship to westward movement of settlers and territorial expansion.
• Working in small groups, students put themselves in the place of pioneers and make decisions regarding a westward journey.
• They develop and revise questions for investigation and use multiple sources to locate information relevant to the research questions.
• Student research becomes the basis for mini-lessons in social studies class at the beginning of each class.
• Students work cooperatively in a group and create a small model of a covered wagon complete with provisions.
• Students compare political interests and views regarding the War of 1812, including the interests of the Native Americans and white settlers in the Northwest Territory.
• Interdisciplinary activities such as: (student write journal entries and poetry, learn pioneer dances, sing pioneer songs, create a class album quilt, and complete a web quest) enhance the objective of the project.

• Specific class activities related to each academic discipline are experienced.
• Parents and community members are invited to a student centered Pioneer Day assembly program.
• Students videotape presentations and assembly program highlights and share with partner school.

This is an optional expansion of the project which includes activities such as

• Building a full size model of a covered wagon in the school Reading Garden.
• Designing an additional community outreach project to assist Native Americans living on reservations today.
• Additional funds and/or grants should be secured to complete phase four.