Teacher Education Lesson Plan Template
Teacher Education Lesson Plan Template
Core Components
Subject, Content Area, or Topic
7th Grade US History 1865 to Present
Student Population
The classroom consists of 98 students divided into four classes of 25, 26, 25, and 22. There are 66
boys and 32 girls. All students are identified as gifted though each has unique learning needs. Six
students have a 504 Plan in place.
Learning Objectives
● Students will be able to analyze documents in order to understand why Americans chose to
head west.
● Students will be able to identify the effects of the Homestead Act on Western expansion
● Students will be able to identify other elements that lead settlers west (e.g. gold, adventure,
as fresh start for newly freed African-Americans).
● Students will be able to identify specific information asked for in guided reading questions.
● Students will be able to summarize secondary and primary sources.
● Students will be able to synthesize their thoughts into a brief generalization as to why people
decided to head west.
Virginia Essential Knowledge and Skills
SOL USII 1a: The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis,
economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by analyzing and interpreting artifacts and
primary and secondary sources to understand events in United States history.
SOL USII 4a: The student will apply social science skills to understand how life changed after the
Civil War by examining the reasons for westward expansion, including its impact on American
Indians.
Materials/Resources
Expo Markers/Pen or Pencil
Paper/ or personal white boards
Homestead Act article (History.com)
California Gold rush article (PBS)
Transcontinental Railroad Article (schoolworkhelper.net)
African Americans on the Frontier (Scholastic)
“I will go West” by JP Barrett (song)
Two-column notes for Heading West.
Time
(min.) Process Components
1 min. *Anticipatory Set
The teacher will introduce the idea of the American west, mentions of cowboys wide open
spaces (etc.). The teacher will then ask how did this all come to be. Why did Americans
decide to head west when the west was seen as such a desolate place (see Geography of the
West lesson)
2-3 *State the Objectives (grade-level terms)
min. ● Students will be able to analyze documents in order to understand why Americans
chose to head west.
● Students will be able to synthesize their ideas from individual summaries and
McDonald’s Draft (2010). Modified by Kreassig and Gould (2014) for use with student teachers.
Revised August 2015