RUNNING HEAD: SUTTER’S FORT VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP
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Sutter’s Fort Virtual Field Trip
Liberty University
Pamela L. Jimison
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Virtual Field Trip Project SUTTER’S FORT
I. Grade Level: 5th Grade
II. Topic: Virtual Tour of Sutter’s Fort
III.
Standards: California State Standards
Social Studies:
4.3 Students explain the economic, social, and political life of California from the establishment of the Bear
Flag Republic through the Mexican-American War, the Gold Rush and California statehood, in terms of:
1. the location of Mexican settlements in California and other settlements including Ft. Ross and Sutter's Fort
2. comparisons of how and why people traveled to California and the routes they traveled
(e.g., biographies and legends of James Beckwourth, Jedediah Smith, John C. Fremont, Juan Cabrillo)
3. the effect of the Gold Rush on settlements, daily life, politics, and the physical
environment (e.g., biographies of John Sutter, Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, Phoebe Apperson Hearst)
6. how California became a state and how its new government differed from those during the Spanish and
Mexican periods
4.4 Students explain how California became an industrial power by tracing the transformation of the California
economy and its political and cultural development since the 1850's, in terms of:
1. the story and lasting influence of the Pony Express, Overland Mail Service, Western
Union, and the building of the Transcontinental Railroad
2. how the Gold Rush transformed the economy of California, including the type of
products produced and consumed, changes in towns (e.g., Sacramento, San Francisco)
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and economic conflicts between diverse groups of people
3. rapid American immigration, settlement, and the growth of towns and cities.
Language Arts:
Organization and Focus
1. 1.1 Select a focus, an organizational structure, and a point of view based upon purpose, audience,
length, and format requirements.
Penmanship
1.4 Write fluidly and legibly in cursive or joined italic.
Research and Technology
5. 1.9 Demonstrate basic keyboarding skills and familiarity with computer terminology
(e.g., cursor, software, memory, disk drive, hard drive).
IV.
Objective: Students will write a historical postcard. Students will pretend they are a pioneer who
just traveled the Oregon Trail and finally arrived to the destination – California! After “arriving” to
the fort, students will write a postcard to family “back home” to let them know they arrived safely.
They will include information about life on the trail and Sutter’s Fort.
V.
Materials: Westward Ho journals, computer,
http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/suttersfort/pages/contents.html, postcards (pre-printed by the
teacher containing pictures of Sutter’s Fort), Language book, pencils, colored pencils (to draw stamp
& color)
VI.
Procedures:
Virtual Field Trip Site: http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/suttersfort/pages/contents.html
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1. Instructional Set:
This lesson is at the conclusion of a Westward Ho! Unit – a 4 week history unit simulating the
Oregon Trail. During the unit, students simulated the trail, wrote in journals, worked in cooperative
learning groups to make daily informed decision about life on the trail. For the previous lessons, the
teacher wore a cowboy hat and spoke with a western accent while reading the daily events and
monitoring group work.
To introduce this final day, the teacher will dim the lights (mood!), wear the hat, and pronounce
loudly, “Woo hoo! You have made it to Cal-ee-fornia!” Sutter’s Fort awaits in the distance. As their
“wagon” rolls to a stop, students imagine stepping into the fort for the first time. Students will
brainstorm the sounds and feelings of finishing the trip. Students will write the sounds and feelings
on post-it-notes and they will be collected and shared on the “We made it!” poster.
Teacher will introduce the new activity: postcard writing
2. Developmental Activities:
1. Instruction:
a. Teacher will introduce how to write a postcard.
b.
Question class, “Why are postcards used?” “What is the purpose of a postcard?”
“Why not just write a letter?”
c.
Using document camera, demonstrate parts of a postcard and review how to write
an address.
d. Using projector, visit
http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/suttersfort/pages/contents.html. Show how to
navigate.
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e.
Instruct students they will be writing a postcard about finishing the Oregon
Trail and arriving to Sutter’s Fort.
2. Guided Practice: Go together to the web site and practice taking notes on one section
of the Fort. Write down 3 interesting facts. Using the document camera, together write
one pretend postcard about arriving to Sutter’s Fort. Demonstrate the address, stamp,
and discuss how to make the postcard interesting and historical.
3. Independent Practice: In groups, students use the computers to take a virtual field trip
to Sutter’s Fort. Encourage them to visit each section of the fort. Students together
come up with 3 interesting facts. Students return to their seats to create a written
narrative on the postcard paying close attention to cursive, sentence structure, facts,
address label, and drawing a stamp. Teacher walk around and view notes written in
journals.
3. Closure: Look again at the “We made it!” poster together. Class discussion: How does it feel to
successfully meet a goal? Phil. 3:14 (NIV) states I press on toward the goal to win the prize for
which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. What is the prize? What is our final goal
in life? Review how it felt during the “journey” (long, difficult) What will happen when we
reach our final goal in life? We wrote postcards to let our “family” members know we may it to
California – we met the goal. How can we share with others about meeting our final goal in life?
VII.
Diversity / Differentiation for Exceptionalities:
A. Learning Styles (modalities / multiple intelligences) – visual, kinesthetic, linguistic, interpersonal,
intrapersonal, naturalistic, auditory
B. Gifted – Critical thinking questions in final discussion will be beneficial to gifted students.
Gifted students may also work as leaders of their Westward Ho groups. Gifted extension activity:
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Write a paragraph from the viewpoint of the Native Americans living at the fort.
C. LEP - Cooperative learning groups will help the LEP students. Pair with a student to help read
the web pages.
D. LD, ED, ADD – Use of technology will aide LD, ED, and ADD students. Working with groups
will help the LD students.
E. Multicultural Connections - How was life different at the fort for Native Americans than for
immigrant travelers?
VIII. Evaluation: (how you will assess whether the students learned the material; i.e., if the lesson was
able to meet the objectives) Collect the postcards and assess for content, address structure, and
cursive skills. I would create a rubric to grade the postcards.
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References
Fox, L. (2006, April 4). Virtual Museum of Sutter's Fort. Retrieved November 22, 2011, from
http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/suttersfort/index.html
NIV Bible. (n.d.). Retrieved from
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=phil%203:14&version=NIV
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