4th+Grade+Lesson+Plan+-+Cathy

//4th Grade Lesson for the Civil War.//

To introduce elementary students to the Civil War and for them to begin understanding some of the causes, //The American Girl Meet Addy Book 1// can be used as an introduction. The teacher can either read the book to the students or get copies for each student to read. Addy is a slave who escapes and is now living in Philadelphia with her mother. She is separated from the rest of her family, father, baby sister and brother. Addy’s brother is a soldier in the North. He loses an arm in the war. Although the book is an American Girl book, boys are interested in the stories because of Addy’s brother, boys playing marbles in the street, etc.


 * Activity 1**:
 * Discussion questions:**


 * Freedom** – What did Addy think freedom would be like? Was it as she thought? What part of freedom was like Addy thought it would be?


 * Civil War** – One of the disagreements that caused the war was slavery? Some people thought slavery was okay, others did not. How was Addy and her family hurt by slavery?

Students complete the chart comparing Addy’s life before and after slavery.
 * Activity 2**:
 * **Addy’s Life in Slavery** || **Addy’s Life in Freedom** ||
 * Forced to work for no pay ||  ||
 * Could be brutally punished ||  ||
 * Dependent on her owner for food, clothing, and shelter ||  ||
 * Could be sold and separated from her family ||  ||
 * Not treated as an equal by most whites. ||  ||

The Underground Railroad – helped many 100s of slaves escape to the North. Addy and her mother made it to the safe house by instructions from Solomon. Other slaves made it to safe houses by following Freedom Quilts. Have the students design a Quilt on paper to give directions to a location in the classroom or school. An alternative, using Paint, PowerPoint, or other presentation software, allow the students to design the quilt on the computer.There are several web sites for information on Freedom Quilts. Using a computer and projector, the teacher can take the students on a virtual tour of these sites. [] [] []
 * Activity 3**:

Why do you think the southern plantation owners didn’t want slavery to end? Write a paragraph in at least three complete sentences to answer the question. Include a title for your paragraph.
 * Activity 4:**

WebQuest – Threads of Freedom, complete the following web quest in the computer lab. []
 * Activity 5:**


 * Assessment**:

Student gave accurate description of Addy’s life in Freedom. One point for each correct response. There can be various answers.
 * Activity 2: 5 points.**

Student designed a quilt that included directions to a specific location. See rubric below.
 * Activity 3: 10 points.**


 * Criteria || Points Possible || My Points ||
 * Colorful quilt drawing || 2 pts. ||  ||
 * Quilt indicated directions with pictures || 3 pts. ||  ||
 * Quilt directed to a specific location || 5 pts. ||  ||
 * Total Points || 10 pts possible ||  ||

Student paragraph Rubric
 * Activity 4:**
 * Criteria || Points Possible || My Points ||
 * 3 Complete sentences || 3 points ||  ||
 * No grammar errors || 1 pt. per sentence (3 pts.) ||  ||
 * No punctuation errors || 1 pt. per sentence (3 pts.) ||  ||
 * Title to paragraph || 1 pt. ||  ||
 * Total Points || 10 points. ||  ||

Completion of the WebQuest – 25 pts.
 * Activity 5:**

Using the following website, collaborate with the math teacher or during the classroom teacher’s math class []
 * Collaboration:**

American Girl(2012) [] [] [][] [] []
 * References:**

Inquire, think critically and gain knowledge. 1.1 Skills 1.1.1 Follow an inquiry-based process in seeking knowledge in curricular subjects, and make the real-world connection for using this process in own life. 1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning. 1.1.8 Demonstrate mastery of technology tools for accessing information and pursuing inquiry.Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge. 2.1 Skills 2.1.1 Continue an inquiry-based research process by applying critical thinking skills to information and knowledge in order to construct new understandings, draw conclusions, and create new knowledge. 2.1.2 Organize knowledge so that it is useful. 2.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information.Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society. 3.1 Skills 3.1.1 Conclude an inquiry-based research process by sharing new understandings and reflecting on the learning. 3.1.3 Use writing and speaking skills to communicate new understandings effectively. 3.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess. 3.2 Dispositions in Action 3.2.2 Show social responsibility by participating actively with others in learning situations and by contributing questions and ideas during group discussions.
 * Content Standards Addressed:**

1.Creativity and Innovation – Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. 1.Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes. 2.Create original works as a means of personal or group expression. 3.Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues. 4.Communication and Collaboration 1.Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems. 2.Research and Information Fluency – Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate and use information. 1.Plan strategies to guide inquiry 2.Locate, organize, analyze, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media 3.Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks. 4.Process data and report results. 5.Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making – Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. 1.Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation 2.Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project. 3.Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions 4.Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solution
 * Computer Technology Standards:**