COURSE TITLE: Amish – BSU Archives
Grade Level:
Unit:
Third Grade
Amish Culture
teamwork and selfless acts.
Abstract
During this unit students will become more
familiar with the Amish culture. They will
learn about the Amish lifestyle and how it
originated. Students will also explore the
Amish school and clothing styles. Students
will complete a number of activities that will
help them not only become familiarized with
the culture, but also learn the importance of
Benchmarks
Assessment Tasks
Students will:
1. Growth and Development:
1900 to 1950. Identify and
describe important events and
movements that changed life in
Indiana in the early twentieth
century. (4.1.11)
Students will:
2. Students will explore the
reasons the Amish left Europe
and came to America. (3.1.4)
3. Students will examine how the
Amish save money by making
their own clothes. The students
will explain the advantages and
disadvantages of doing this.
(3.4.6)
4. Define interdependence and
give examples of how the Amish
community depend on each other
for good and services. (3.4.4)
Focus Questions
1. How are Amish schools different
from yours?
2. What are similarities and differences
between Amish life and your family?
3. What is most important for the
1. analyze how people were
entertained in the early 20’s
(clothing & music) to the later
20’s (cheap/hand made games)
Then compare the culture of the
early 1920’s to the later 1920’s.
(4.1.11)
2. participate in a discussion about
the various ways the Amish
community depends on each other.
(3.4.4)
3. have a debate discussing
whether or not they feel that the
Amish way of life is harder or
easier than the life most
American’s chose to live.
Included in the debates should be
discussions on clothing,
technology, and farming. (3.4.6,
3.1.4)
Key Concepts
Community
School
Clothing
Barns
Horse & Buggy
COURSE TITLE: Amish – BSU Archives
Grade Level:
Unit:
Third Grade
Amish Culture
Amish culture to survive?
Instructional Resources
"Main View." Digital Media Repository :
Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011.
<http://libx.bsu.edu/u?/DolCol,1570>.
Morris, Ronald. "Amish black buggy."
Digital Media Repository : Home. N.p., n.d.
Web. 3 Apr. 2011.
<http://libx.bsu.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?
CISOROOT=/MrsRnld&CISOPTR=1154&
CISOBOX=1&REC=12>.
"Amish Clothing." Welcome To Lancaster
County - A friendly, beautiful, and fun
destination . N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011.
<http://www.welcome-to-lancastercounty.com/amish-clothing.html>.
"The Amish ." Youtube . N.p., n.d. Web. 2
Apr. 2011.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIlrXM
vG9M0&feature=related>.
"Amish Barn Raising." Welcome To
Lancaster County - A friendly, beautiful, and
fun destination . N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Apr.
2011. <http://www.welcome-to-lancastercounty.com/amish-barn.html>.
Morris, Ronald. "Amish school building."
Digital Media Repository : Home. N.p., n.d.
Web. 3 Apr. 2011.
<http://libx.bsu.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?
CISOROOT=/MrsRnld&CISOPTR=1124&
CISOBOX=1&REC=1>.
Kalman, Bobbie. Helpers in my community .
New York: Crabtree Pub. Company, 2010.
Print.
Handout about the characteristics of
Amish Schools
Handout about the characteristics of U.S.
Public Schools
Catalog of Lessons
Lesson 1
Women during the 1920’s went through a
huge transformation. They started to
become much more independent. Their
clothes went from fairly conservative and
simple to very extravagant and colorful.
Use metallic fabrics with sequence and
create “flapper like” outfits to wear for the
day. Learn the Charleston and listen to
other types of 20’s music.
Lesson 2
In this lesson the students will explore the
clothing that the Amish wear. They will
look at photos of little Amish dolls that can
be found at Ball State’s Digital Media
Repository website. In looking at the
pictures of the Amish dolls they will be able
to make some observations about the
clothing that the Amish wear. They will
then research and find reasons why the
Amish people dress so simply. A lot of
information regarding Amish clothing can
be found at this website:
http://www.welcome-to-lancastercounty.com/amish-clothing.html
Lesson 3
The teacher will tell students that in Amish
first attend school when they are in the 1st
grade and graduate after the 8th grade.
Grades 1 through 8 are all in the same
classroom and they have no electricity. The
COURSE TITLE: Amish – BSU Archives
Grade Level:
Unit:
Third Grade
Amish Culture
teacher will display the Amish school photo
from the Ball State Archives. The school
year starts around September 1st and ends
May 1st. They have to bring their own
lunch. The teacher is usually an unmarried
female, she will likely leave in a few years
when she becomes married and starts a
family of her own. Divide students into two
separate groups. One group will represent
the United States Government and the other
group will represent the Amish community.
The two groups will have a debate. The
U.S. Government wants the Amish schools
to be more like public schools and the
Amish community likes the schools the way
they are.
Lesson 4
Students will see a picture of an Amish farm
from the Ball State archives. Then students
will learn about how many Amish families
will gather together for a traditional barn
raising. They will learn about how the
Amish culture survives through selfless
devotion to neighbors and family. After
learning this the students will participate in
their own barn raising. They will work in
groups to create the strongest and largest
barn from popsicles sticks in a set amount of
time. Students will then discuss the
importance of having people to help in the
building process.
Lesson 5
Students will learn about the importance of
the horse and buggy in Amish culture.
Students will learn how the Amish culture is
forbidden to own an automobile, but are
aloud to ride in other peoples’. The Amish
believe that automobiles would break down
their culture and make it more modernized.
Because the horse and buggy only travel 5-8
miles per hour, the Amish are more confined
to their homes and culture. After learning
about the horse and buggy students will
discuss the benefits and downfalls of the
horse and buggy.
Assessment #1
Abstract
This task is designed to assess students’
understanding of how the Amish schools’
curriculum fits perfectly with the Amish
community. The Amish curriculum and
calendar is set up for Amish children to
learn the essentials of the Amish way of life.
The U.S. Government has been doing a lot
of educational reform lately around the
United States. The government has been
changing the curriculum for schools and
have even been shutting schools down who
don’t pass AYP. The students are going to
be divided into two groups: one representing
the U.S. Government and the other
representing the Amish community. The
two groups will debate about the Amish
schools’ curriculum because the government
is trying to change their curriculum like
other public schools in the U.S. The students
will have this debate at the local town center
in front of the people in the community.
Prompt
 Handout about the characteristics of
Amish Schools
 Handout about the characteristics of
U.S. Public Schools
Directions
“Amish schools have served a vital part in
keeping the Amish traditions alive and well.
The Amish schools teach their students the
importance of Amish life and how to keep
the community thriving. Some of you may
have heard about education reform that the
U.S. Government is trying to install in
COURSE TITLE: Amish – BSU Archives
Grade Level:
Unit:
Third Grade
Amish Culture
public schools. We are going to pretend that
the government is trying to reform the
Amish schools. So today we are going to
have a class debate, having one group of
students represent the U.S. Government and
the other group representing the Amish
community. The U.S. Government group
will explain why the Amish schools need to
change their schools to be more like U.S.
public schools, and the Amish community
will explain why their school system is
perfect the way it is. “
The debate needs to address four points:
1. Classroom size.
2. The curriculum being taught.
3. How the reform will help/hurt the Amish
schools.
4. Teacher stability.
Procedure
Prepare a rubric to give to students showing
them how you are to score their arguments
during the debate. This will show students
what points they will need to discuss during
the debate.
Scoring Rubric
Benchmark Score
1
Students
The Amish
will
community
compare
group and
two
the U.S.
different
government
schools
group have
curriculums discussed
used by the only 1 main
Amish and
argument
U.S. Public during the
Schools.
debate.
(3.1.3)
Score
2
The Amish
community
group and
the U.S.
government
group have
discussed
only 2 main
arguments
during the
debate.
Score
3
The Amish
community
group and
the U.S.
government
group have
discussed
only 3 main
arguments
during the
debate.
Sco
4
Th
com
gro
the
gov
gro
dis
the
arg
dur
deb
COURSE TITLE: Amish – BSU Archives
Grade Level:
Unit:
Third Grade
Amish Culture
Assesment #2
Abstract
This task is designed assess students’
understanding on the Amish culture and how
they work together. The students will
discuss the different ways the Amish culture
helps each other in need, for example, barn
raisings, schooling, and other services.
Students will then make charts with one side
full of words and pictures displaying Amish
people working together and on the other
side pictures and words with them working
together. The students will display these
chart at their local court house, so everyone
can see how the students are being helpful in
their community. Students will debate then
pick a system that they feel works best.
“Today we are going to look at the book
Helpers in My community. Then we are
going to each make a chart on a poster
board. I want you to fill up half of the board
with pictures and sentences describing how
the Amish community helps each other. On
the other half of the board I want you to do
the same thing, but instead of the Amish
community I want you to make it of your
life. So think of all the different way you
and your community help each other. After
you have done that discuss the positive and
negative sides of the two systems, yours and
the Amish. Pick a side and debate amongst
each other. Then come up with a system
you feel is best and include your reasoning
at the bottom of the poster. After you are
finished I am going to take these to the court
house to show our community what we have
learned and how thankful we are.”
The poster need to include the following:
1. Four ways the Amish community helps
each other.
2. Two ways you help others in your
community.
3. Two ways people help the community
through their jobs. (firemen, police officers,
nurses)
4. Which system, Amish or your
community, do you think works better
together?
Prompt
 Pictures on the Amish from the BSU
digital archives.
 The book, Helpers in My
Community.
Procedure
Prepare a rubric to give to students showing
them how you are to score their posters.
Show students the three different points they
must include on the poster.
Directions
Scoring Rubric
COURSE TITLE: Amish – BSU Archives
Grade Level:
Unit:
Benchmark
Third Grade
Amish Culture
Score
1
Define
You have
interdependence addressed
and give
two
examples of
points
how the Amish and
community
included
depend on each an
other for good
example
and services.
of each.
(3.4.4)
Score
2
You have
addressed
all three
points
and
included
4
examples.
Score
3
You
have
addressed
all four
points
and
included
6
examples.
Score
4
You have
addressed
all four
points
and
included
all 8
examples.