Chase Nordquist
EDUC 3003
“Out of Many, One”
Social Studies, Grade 5
I. TEKS:
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§113.16. Social Studies, (b) Knowledge and skills:
 7) Geography - The student understands the concept of regions in the United States,
(A) identify and describe the types of settlement and patterns of land use in the
United States;
§126.6. Technology App, (b) Knowledge and skills:
 Creativity and innovation - The student uses creative thinking and innovative
processes to construct knowledge and develop digital products:
(B) create original products using a variety of resources;
 2) Communication and collaboration - The student collaborates and communicates
(locally) using digital tools and resources to reinforce and promote learning:
(D) select, store, and deliver products using a variety of media, formats, devices,
and virtual environments.
II. Materials & Prior Knowledge:
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Digital Projector/projection screen
Internet Connection/class Google Drive
Student/classroom Computers
Pencil and Paper
Student Prior Knowledge
 Some exposure to Prezi or Animoto software
 Some exposure to web-based research
 Some knowledge of differing map types
III. Purpose/Rational:
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The purpose of this lesson is three-fold.
 America owes much of its success to the diversity of cultural contributions throughout
history. The strength of a society comes from not only from solidarity, but also from
diversity. Students will work either in groups or alone to accomplish a seven step
research procedure summarizing the settlement of one of a number of
countries/cultures. Students will retain the idea that although cultures may differ,
people have a universal desire to collaborate for survival.
 The academic tasks of the lesson will be accomplished via computer research. The
students will work in groups (using internet resources) to verify the origins of a
surname, find that culture’s pattern of North American settlement between 1880 and
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1950, find geographical or political reasons for settlement location, reasons for
emigrating from country of origin, reception of group in American society, and one
positive contribution from the group to American culture. The students will then use
either a Prezi or an Animoto to present their findings.
 Students will be encouraged to work in groups or with partners but may work alone if
they choose. Vygotsky described the importance of peer interactions. Even if students
explore independently, the introductory discussion and the peer suggestions will
necessitate valuable interactions in a supportive and constructive environment
moderated by the instructor. Giving students the autonomy to choose their own
methods is an example of universal design.
Application of Bloom’s Taxonomy
 Students will be exposed to new information about the ancient and contemporary
patterns of human migrations into North America.
 Students will discuss the varying perspectives of different maps and the reasons for
their discrepancies.
 Students will analyze the patterns of certain immigration groups and explore the
reasons for their movement.
 Students will assemble and present their findings via web-based media.
 The presentation will summarize and demonstrate their knowledge.
 Students will compare ideas with media presentations and volunteer suggestions for
their peers.
IV. Anticipatory Set (Pre-lesson Discussion – 5 to 10 minutes):
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The students will be asked to volunteer their (sur)names (or the surnames of famous people
they recall) to find it’s country of origin.
 It is very important to remind the class that the following research might reveal from
where surnames may have originated, but that many immigrants received different
surnames when they arrived in North America for purposefully assimilative reasons.
Students will be asked if they have any prior knowledge (idea) of where people come from and
how they got to where they are (do all people come from once place; did different people start
in the places they are today; when, how, and why do people move vast distances?).
 Intentionally broad, this question will both prime students for critical thought and
foreshadow the lesson’s main objective. The instructor can respond to student
responses with deeper inductive questioning.
 The conversation should be directed toward an understanding that although people
and where they come from may differ, all have an equitable belonging among each
other, cooperating/collaborating for survival.
 During this conversation the class will be viewing a Prezi found here. The Prezi will
display human migration routes from the Pleistocene age (theories of) through the
1900s. Some maps are unconventional (from other cultures, perspectives, times), and
some are political or physical. These are opportunities for the instructor to assess prior
knowledge and to encourage critical thinking.
<https://prezi.com/mhkib3datz_d/north-american-settlement/>
Anticipatory Set (Model Research – 5 minutes):
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Go to Forebears.io or HouseofNames to find the country with the highest incidence rate
(average number) of any surname entered into the search field. Display your process to the
class via digital projector. <http://forebears.io/surnames> <https://www.houseofnames.com/>
Next go to nytimes.com. Use the interactive map there to find the areas of US settlement from
any of the available nations (China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, India, the Philippines, all of the
Middle East, all of Africa, Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Canada, Russia/USSR,
Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, England, Ireland, France, Norway, or Sweden). Also
demonstrate use of the timeline to show patterns of settlement from 1880 to 2000.
<http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/03/10/us/20090310-immigrationexplorer.html?_r=3&>
V. Instructional Input/Modeling:
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The preliminary discussion over the Prezi will be moderated by the instructor
 Ask students to describe what sorts of maps are being displayed during the Prezi
 Encourage students to observe differences about certain unconventional maps
 Mention that many surnames were seen as difficult to pronounce and were therefore
altered for faster assimilation into American culture (was this a good or bad practice?).
The instructor will model the research procedure (1-7).
 After demonstrating a surname origin (1) search at Forebears.io or houseofnames, the
instructor will use the interactive map at nytimes.com (2) to observe the immigrant
settlement pattern of the appropriate country.
 Next the instructor will use any reputable web source to briefly explore the political or
physical reasons for US settlement location (3), reasons for emigration from the country
of origin (4), American social reception (5), and one positive contribution from the
immigrant group (6).
 The instructor may create a Prezi or Animoto presentation to give students an idea of
what a final product may look like (7). An example artifact can be found here. (5
minutes) <https://animoto.com/play/XhDRqeEPyJ8QZ0i8D1mXVg>
The instructor will ask students to separate into pre-devised groups, partners, or individuals and
to begin their projects.
VI. Checks for Understanding/Guided Practice (30 min):
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The instructor will move around the room during the student exploration to observe and assist
groups as needed. He/she will ask probing questions to encourage critical thinking and personal
reflection. As students collaborate to complete the assignment they may seek instructor
prompting or advice.
VII. Independent Practice:
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The majority of the assignment will be accomplished without instructor prompting in small
groups, partners, or by individuals. The web-based research exercise the students enact will
serve them in future inquiries.
VIII. Modifications/ELL Accommodation:
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This activity it designed for high aptitude special needs students.
Reduced research requirements, grouping specially devised for complimentary learners, and
search phrase/site suggestions are some considerations possible for exceptional students.
Bilingual accommodation can be accomplished through dual immersion strategies that
incorporate instruction or key vocabulary in multiple languages. The websites involved can be
viewed in multiple languages as well.
IX. Assessments & Closure:
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Open-forum questioning of human migration and map types (Prezi) serves as a pre-assessment.
Checks for comprehension and guided practice questioning will serve as informal formative
assessments.
Students will either submit their presentations to the instructor via google drive, or the class will
collectively decide to present the project artifacts in class (15 minutes, if time allows). The
presentation will be formally assessed for the requirements accomplished only, not for
components missed on account of time.
X. Limitations
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Some surnames will not reflect the ancestral origins of all students; immigrants whose names
were changed for perceived difficulties in pronunciation, to avoid persecution, for quicker
assimilation, or for many African American descendants. The instructor should explicitly remind
students that the search is to find the origin of a “name” (in some cases arbitrary), not of a
person or family.
The interactive map at nytimes.com does not include all countries, and some entire continents
are listed as if they were comprised of entirely one group or country; China, Japan, the
Philippines, all of the Middle East, all of Africa, etcetera.
(total lesson duration: 30 – 45 minutes)
Web Resources / References
Forebears. (2015). Surnames. Retrieved From http://forebears.io/surnames
M. Bloch, R. Gebeloff. (2009). Immigration explorer. Retrieved From
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/03/10/us/20090310-immigration-explorer.html?_r=1&
Swyrich Corporation. (2015). House of names. Retrieved From https://www.houseofnames.com/