V. Descriptive Sketch
of Activities (These lessons are
planned for a block shedule)
Day 1
Introduction and overview
Provide students with various components of
the unit
Distribute poem " We All Come from the Past". Ask students
to respond in a five-minute stream of consciousness writing exercise to the
concept of "life" as a "braided cord of humanitly." What
went into the student's own making? Share responses. Discuss the theme of connections.
Distribute
Heritage Unit Scavenger Hunt sheet. Provide directions. The paper will be due
on Day 9 of the unit. On the same day, students will share their family
heritage.
Display Frost poem "The Gift
Outright" on the overhead. If available, show the video clip of the
Kennedy inauguaration as President of the United States; show the segment of
Frost reading the poem. Have students arrange themselves into groups to answer
the guide questions.Discuss responses.
Show Power Point presentation on Pisgah Wilderness
Park. Distribute guide sheets.
Discuss the nature of
reading the landscape. Answer questions
and discuss.( You may give them the Chesterfield School essay if time allows.)
Distribute the Green Mountain Treasury article,
"Sheep in Vermont" for homework. There will be a five question quiz
on Day 2.
Day 2
Quiz- "Sheep in Vermont*
Distribute packets of Women in Waiting in
the Westward Movement, "Families in Flux". This guided reading
assignment should be broken down into two day segments; thus, reading of both will be completed by the end of Day 6. (This
is homework in preparation for a final assessment activity.)
"Families..." will be done by Day 4 and discussed in class.
Hand out photo of "An Abandoned
Farm". Have the class do a word
cluster exercise on the board to reveal what they see. Put the Power Point
picture and questions up and discuss.
Distribute the Robert Frost poem
"Directive", and have class respond to the questions. (You might wish
to read the Will Carleton poem, "Over the Hill to the Poorhouse." Ask
what would happen to that woman today.)
Day 3
Provide
background information on Naturalism.
Read
Hamlin Garland's "Under the Lion's Paw" in the American Lit. text,
p.340. Answer the guide questions and do the Thought Question after discussing
the forces which led to the Hoskins' misfortune.
Give lecture on "Property Values".
Provide the note taking guide sheet to students. You may want to show the Power
Point photos of land advertisements at this time.
Remind students to complete "Families in
Flux" for Day 4.
Day 4
Go over response sheets and discuss the
article.
Distribute the Abiah Hiller segment "I
Suppose It Is Just in the Edge of the Evening Where You Are". Give background info. on Abiah Hiller. Hand
out guide sheets to reading. These will be due on Day 6.
Using Primary Source Work is a major facet of
this unit. Begin by distributing the
Document Analysis Worksheet.
(http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/lessons/analysis_worksheets/document.html)
Do a practice run with the Noyes Journals,
perhaps on the overhead. Divide the class into groups and assign each group a
copy of the Streeter family letters. Ask each group to transcribe a letter and
then present it to the class following The Letters West directions. Present some today, and the remainder on Day
5.
Day 5
Complete
group Letters West presentations.
Show film The Jack Bull. Answer
questions.
Remind students to complete the Abiah Hiller
segment for Day 6.
Day 6
Go over Abiah Hillier reading, and discuss
question responses. Assign the essay
which will be due on Day 11.
Also, remind students that the Heritage
Project presentations are due on Day 9.
Read "The Revolt of Mother" and
tell students about Mary E. Wilkins Freeman and her area connection. Her
stories often concern independent women and take place during and immediately
following the Civil War era. (If you
wish, you could show the film; it closely follows the short story.)
Day 7
Do the activity using the six literary
excerpts, allowing students about 10 minutes to make their decisions: Male or
female and why? Provide correct answers.
Ask what this tells us about gender assumptions.
Read the Mari Sandoz excerpt "from Old
Jules." Answer questions, discuss.
Remind students that the final assessment
essay is coming due.
Day 8
Show the film Heartland after
providing background on Elinor Pruitt Stewart. Answer the guide questions and
discuss.
Heritage Projects are due Day 9.
Day 9
Begin Heritage Project presentations.
Read Chapter XXVI of Mark Twain's Roughing
It in class.
Day 10
Complete
Heritage Projects
Read Chapter XXIX of Roughing It in
class and do the paragraph exercise.
Essay is due Day 11.
Day 11
Essays are due.
Distribute the poem(s) "My Mother Pieced
Quilts" and/or "Joinings" and discuss in terms of the
connections theme that we all come from the past with which the unit opened.
If time allows, you could have the class read
Sarah Orne Jewett's "The Town Poor" and relate that to the Will
Carleton poem.