Summary Page of Resources and Materials
For the engagements each day, a variety of materials and resources are used to get the students
excited about the lesson. Some days videos are played to help students understand the frame of
reference. Other days though, the teacher may bring in a discrepant event. Although discrepant events
are typically found in science class, the short experiments are very engaging to the students and they can
demonstrate the concept of change in a very unique way.
Nearly every day the lesson content is presented through a PowerPoint presentation, and the
students follow along and fill in a graphic organizer for note taking. Throughout each lesson though,
there are short breaks for students to talk in small groups or think-pair-share to gain a better
understanding of the content. The PowerPoint was chosen, because it gives students the opportunity to
hear and see the content that is being presented. Graphic organizers are important because they allow the
students the opportunity to write the content as well as hear it and see it, which enhances
comprehension.
The opportunities for practice are all short activities that allow the students to dig deeper into the
concepts that are presented. Some opportunities for practice involve the students doing a read the room
activity or a silent conversation. Both of these activities allow the students to read more about the
content that was presented, and then, they respond to the content in some way. With a silent
conversation they write in response, but in a read the room activity, they think-pair-share with their
assigned partner. The other opportunities for practice involve the students watching a Brain Pop video,
which explains the content again, but with a short movie. This resource was chosen, because the
students absolutely love Brain Pop videos and they are highly motivated by them. After they watch the
video though, the teacher provides discussion questions for the students to work on, and these discussion
questions require higher-level thinking about the content that was presented. The favorite opportunity
for practice though was playing the game Oregon Trail on the computers. The students pretended as if
they were on the Oregon Trail, and in order to make progress on the trail, they had to answer questions
correctly. The students absolutely loved this opportunity to practice, and I have even seen several
students playing the game in free time after school.
The assessments have the most variety of resources used throughout this unit. Some assessments
are simple like journal prompts or exit slips. However, the students’ favorite assessments required the
use of technology. These assessments were Socrative, Kahoot, and Plickers. They are all technologybased assessments that give detailed feedback to the teacher about student responses. Not only are these
assessments beneficial for the teacher, but they are also highly motivating to the students as well.
Technology is heavily incorporated into this unit, because it enhances the lessons and most
technology is highly motivating to my particular class. A detailed analysis of all technology
incorporated can be found in the technology tab of this unit. Music and Art are incorporated in small
quantities in this unit, through songs or small drawings and paintings. They are not the focal point of the
unit, but they are available as options. However, a full lesson for music and art can be found in the
cross-curricular section of this unit.
Throughout the unit a variety of materials and resources are used to enhance instruction, make it
engaging, and differentiate to appeal to a variety of learning styles. While there is plenty of direct
instruction, the materials provide visuals for students and allow the students to dig deeper into the lesson
content. A list of all materials and resources needed to complete a lesson are listed at the end of each
lesson plan.
Materials and Resources Chart
Lesson
Introductory Activity
Concept of Change
Materials and Resources
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Whole milk
Food coloring
Q-Tip
Dawn dish soap
Chart paper (6 sets)
Six different colors of markers (4 of each color)
Student computers “chrome books”
Day One
The Corrupt Bargain
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PowerPoint
Projector
Handouts for each student
Pencils for each student
Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXs9Li8bB64
Internet access to play the video
Plickers cards
Plickers assessment
Day Two
Andrew Jackson’s
Presidency
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PowerPoint
Graphic Organizer
Brain Pop
Student pencils
Post It Notes or scraps of paper
Internet Access
Projector
Day Three
Indian Removal Act and
the Trail of Tears
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PowerPoint
Personal story from Trail of Tears
Projector
Kahoot
Teacher computer to play the Kahoot
Student computers to access the Kahoot
Day Four
Mexican-American War
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PowerPoint
Mexican American War Graphic Organizer
Discussion questions (on PowerPoint)
Projector
Brain Pop Video
Exit slips
Student pencils
Day Five
Oregon Trail and The
California Gold Rush
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PowerPoint
Schoolhouse Rock video
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Culminating Lesson
Webquest for Review
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfoQBTPY7gk
Projector
Computer
Student pencils
Student computers
Link to Oregon Trail Game
https://archive.org/details/msdos_Oregon_Trail_The_1990
Socrative Assessment
YouTube video for engagement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRSIFmlJwgM
Student computers “chrome books”
Graphic organizer for responses to the webquest questions
Student pencils
Projector
Teacher computer
Name
Date
#
Andrew Jackson
Tariff
Debate
Bank of the
United States
Old Hickory
Native American Removal Policy
Gold Rush! Structured Notes
Follow along to gather the definitions for the following vocabulary words:
i.
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
__________________________________________________________________________
ii. James W. Marshall
_________________________________________________________________________________
iii. Coloma, CA
__________________________________________________________________________________
iv. Gold Rush
__________________________________________________________________________________
v. Forty-niners
__________________________________________________________________________________
vi. Placer Mining
__________________________________________________________________________________
vii. Hard Rock Mining
__________________________________________________________________________________
viii. Boomtowns
__________________________________________________________________________________
ix. Oregon Trail
__________________________________________________________________________________
x. California Trail
__________________________________________________________________________________
xi.
Steamships
_________________________________________________________________________________
xii. Angel Island
________________________________________________________________________________
xiii.
Transcontinental Railroad
__________________________________________________________________________
xiv.
1882 Chinese Exclusion Act
_________________________________________________________________________
xv.
Klondike (Alaska) Gold Rush
________________________________________________________________________
Gold Rush!
1) Write a sentence about the Gold Rush using all of the following terms: Oregon Trail,
California Trail, Gold Rush, Donner Party
______________________________________________________________________________
_______
______________________________________________________________________________
_______
2) In your own words, what is the difference between ‘placer mining’ and ‘hard rock
mining’?
______________________________________________________________________________
_______
______________________________________________________________________________
_______
3) What does the Chinese Exclusion Act have to do with the Gold Rush?
______________________________________________________________________________
_______
______________________________________________________________________________
_______
4) Fill in some positive effects and some negative effects from the California Gold Rush…
5) Use the Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the California Gold Rush and the Klondike Gold Rush…
Texas
Revolution
Cloze Reading
WORD BANK
Some words will be used twice.
Polk
Velasco
Hickory
1,544
Alamo
Slavery
Independenc
Destiny
U.S.
Tyler
e
San Jacinto
Houston
Army
189
Revolution
Southerner
San Antonio
Mexico
Republic
s
Sam Houston Anna
Rio Grande
Sectional
Northerners
13
Annexation
Rebellions broke out in Texas. This became known as the Texas __________________.
Mexican president at the time was General Santa __________.
He was determined to force the Texans to obey Mexican laws. So he sent an army to
___________________, Texas. The Texans moved into an old Spanish mission called the
____________. They hoped to hold off the Mexican army and prevent them from moving
any farther north into Texas. The Mexican army attacked the Texans holed up in the
Alamo.
o Fight lasted from late February until March 1836—about ________ days.
o While the fight was going on, Texas declared its ____________________ from Mexico and
drew up a constitution like the United State’s one.
o Finally, in early March, the Mexican army broke into the Alamo, and all ______
Americans were killed. However, in the process, the Mexican army suffered ________
deaths to take the Alamo!
The fight at the Alamo inspired many Texans.
 6 weeks after the defeat there, the Texans fought the Mexican army near the ________________
River.
o Led by General Sam ______________, crying “Remember the _____________,” they
defeated the Mexicans, killing 630 of them in _____ minutes.
 They also captured Santa Anna, held him at gunpoint, and forced him to sign
a treaty (Treaty of __________) recognizing Texan ______________________ and the
_________________ River as the southern border.
 Mexican government didn’t recognize the treaty.
o So Texas became an independent country in 1836—________________ of Texas
 And Texans elected ____________________ president.
 Would Texas join the _______? Most Texans wanted to. However, since Texas had ________,
Americans were divided over annexation. Many ____________________ wanted to annex Texas
to expand slavery. Many ____________________ were against annexation because they didn’t
want there to be more slave states than free ones. Northerners also feared that if the U.S. annexed
Texas, it might cause a war with __________________. Eventually, Texas was annexed, in
December 1845.
Voting in Congress was ________________. Annexation happened due in large part to President
James K. ___________, who was the President after John Tyler. He was elected in 1844 largely
because he supported the ________________ of TX. He was nicknamed “Young _____________.” He
loved the idea of manifest ________________. He was a slaveholder (who strongly favored
annexation of Texas to spread slavery).
Answer Key
Rebellions broke out in Texas. This became known as the Texas Revolution
Mexican president at the time was General Santa Anna
o He was determined to force the Texans to obey Mexican laws. So he sent an
army to San Antonio, Texas. The Texans moved into an old Spanish mission
called the Alamo. They hoped to hold off the Mexican army and prevent
them from moving any farther north into Texas. The Mexican army attacked
the Texans holed up in the Alamo.
o Fight lasted from late February until March 1836—about 13 days.
o While the fight was going on, Texas declared its independence from
Mexico and drew up a constitution like the United State’s one.
o Finally, in early March, the Mexican army broke into the Alamo, and all 189
Americans were killed. However, in the process, the Mexican army suffered
1,544 deaths to take the Alamo!
The fight at the Alamo inspired many Texans.
 6 weeks after the defeat there, the Texans fought the Mexican army near the San
Jacinto River.
o Led by General Sam Houston, crying “Remember the Alamo,” they
defeated the Mexican army, killing 630 of them in 18 minutes.
 They also captured Santa Anna, held him at gunpoint, and forced him
to sign a treaty (Treaty of Velasco) recognizing Texan
independence and the Rio Grande River as the southern
border.
 The Mexican government didn’t recognize the treaty.
o So Texas became an independent country in 1836—Republic of Texas
 And Texans elected Sam Houston as president.
Would Texas join the U.S. ? Most Texans wanted to. However, since Texas had Slavery,
Americans were divided over annexation. Many Southerners wanted to annex Texas to
expand slavery. Many Northerners were against annexation because they didn’t want
there to be more slave states than free ones. Northerners also feared that if the U.S.
annexed Texas, it might cause a war with Mexico. Eventually, Texas was annexed by the
United States, in December 1845.
Voting in Congress was Sectional. Annexation happened due in large part to President
James K. Polk, who was the President after John Tyler. He was elected in 1844 largely
because he supported the annexation of TX. He was nicknamed “Young Hickory.” He
loved the idea of manifest destiny. He was a slaveholder (who strongly favored
annexation of Texas to spread slavery).
Political Cartoon Analysis
Andrew Jackson
List the objects you see in the
cartoon.
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List significant words or
phrases.
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List adjectives that describe the
emotions of the cartoon.
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Describe any symbolism you see in the cartoon.
What do you think the artist’s
opinion is of Jackson?
Based on the artist’s caricature, what kind of president do you think Andrew Jackson
was? Explain your opinion, citing evidence from the cartoon. (30 word minimum)
Traveling West # 1
What was the Oregon
Territory?
Why did people want to
travel to Oregon?
Describe what a covered
wagon would look like?
What was a wagon
train? Who lead the
wagon train?
What is a trail guide?
What are some things
that made him a good
trail guide?
Name________________________