Primary Source Exemplar: Life on the Move
Reviewed and Revised by Odell Education
Unit Abstract
Different forms of transportation have both positive and negative impacts on communities. It is important for students to understand the advantages and disadvantages of using different forms of transportation and the intended and unintended consequences that come with them. Understanding how transportation influences people will help them be critical thinkers and make careful decisions about transportation in the future that they can also apply to other situations, such as new technology.
In this unit, students will explore the different forms of transportation over time—from the New World and early America, to present day—and their impact on society and the environment (Change and Continuity). They will explore the impact of the different forms of transportation on economics, migration, and geography (where people live and how they adapt their environment to transportation needs), as well as how to become critical readers by gathering information from a variety of primary and secondary sources to understand the impact of transportation on history.
Students will explore and expand their understanding of the world around them, through inquiry, and the impact of different forms transportation on society and the environment. The content areas addressed through this unit are social studies, ELA, math, and science. These content areas include CCSS standards relating to the analysis of primary and secondary sources (photos, text and maps) and thinking “like a historian”. Students will learn how to critically “unpack” a visual images and text, transfer that knowledge to create a series of questions that can be answered by further research and/or critical review. Tasks will allow development of student comprehension in literacy, as well as mathematical concepts, scientific understanding, and understanding the social studies aspects by allowing the student to draw from the material itself and create new ideas in a written, oral, and presentation format.
Source List
Anchor Source
Flying Machine Soars Three Miles in Teeth of High Wind Over Sand Hills and Waves on Carolina Coast
Supporting Sources
Poster circulated in Philadelphia in 1839 to discourage the coming of the railroad
U.S. High-Speed Rail Projects Aim to Catch up
Photograph of Wright Brothers Plane Crash[1]
Automobile meets horse photo[2]
Newspaper advertisement about the importance of the automobile
Historical Timeline - Transportation
Population and Principal Railways
Transcontinental Railroad- "Shaping America"
Model “T” Touring Car advertisement
Compilation of advertisements – (ads for train services)
Letter to Abraham Lincoln regarding the Homestead Act
"Children Want Homes" Nebraska ; 1905 March
Boys on a Train to Texas - 1 3.5x4.75 vintage print
Reverend S.S. Cummings, New England Home for Little Wanderers' Orphan Train
“How Henry Ford Made a Man of Me”
Automobile helped through sandy wash onto mesa, 7 miles northwest of Yuma, Calif.[3]
Covered wagon with jackrabbit mules encounters an automobile on the trail near Big Springs, Nebr. [4]
The Eighth Avenue trolley, New York City, sharing the street with horse-drawn produce wagon and an open automobile. Downtown, looking north 1904[5]
Aerial view of a complex of Long Island highways that provide access to New York City ca. 1946
The Changing Face of America: The Interstate System and Population Density
Massed Traffic in Herald Square 04/1973[6]
Standards Alignment
ELA/Literacy Grade Level Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.9 Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably
CCSS.ELA-Writing.W.4.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
CCSS.ELA-Writing.W.4.1.a Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
CCSS.ELA-Writing.W.4.1.b Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
CCSS.ELA-Writing.W.4.1.c Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance. in order to, in addition).
CCSS.ELA-Writing.W.4.1.d Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.
College, Career & Civic Life C3 Framework for Social Studies
Dimension 1: Developing Questions and Planning Inquiries
D1.3.3-5. Identify the disciplinary concepts and ideas associated with a supporting question that are open to interpretation.
Dimension 2: Applying Disciplinary Concepts & Tools
History: Change, Continuity, and Context
D2.His.1.3-5. Create and use a chronological sequence of related events to compare developments that happened at the same time.
D2.His.2.3-5. Compare life in specific historical time periods to life today.
History: Historical Sources and Evidence
D2.His.10.3-5. Compare information provided by different historical sources about the past
Geography: Human-Environment Interaction: Place, Regions and Culture
D2.Geo.4.3-5. Explain how culture influences the way people modify and adapt to their environments.
Developing Student Literacy
Rationale
Literacy is developed for this unit by introducing content in a variety of ways along with the content area vocabulary. Through videos, photos, text, and discussions, students are guided through the unit in pairs, groups, and individually. The unit is presented through modeling, guidance, and then independent work to support all learners along the way as they use inquiry to explore historical sources to answer the essential question, “How do our available forms of transportation affect the way we live, where we live, and how we exchange goods and services?”
This unit facilitates rich and rigorous evidence-based discussions and writing about common texts through a sequence of specific, thought-provoking, and text-dependent questions using primary and secondary sources to spark discussion, promote the creation of questions, inquiry to answer the questions, and discussion and writing that specifically connect back to the texts as evidence (including, when applicable, questions about illustrations, charts, diagrams, audio/video, and media).
CCSS Areas of Focus
Reading Text Closely: Makes reading text(s) closely, examining textual evidence, and discerning deep meaning a central focus of instruction.
Explanation: Students will read text to explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. Students will be guided through reading text closely (primary and secondary sources) to research a specific topic (as pairs, whole class, and individually). Their reading will be focused on answering questions with each read and students will be encouraged to revisit text after discussions to clarify meanings in text.
Text Based Evidence: Facilitates rich and rigorous evidence based discussions and writing about common texts through a sequence of specific, thought provoking, and text dependent questions (including, when applicable, questions about illustrations, charts, diagrams, audio/video, and media).
Explanation: From sources designated for this unit, students will: Read reference materials (primary and secondary sources) to research a specific topic (as pairs, whole class, and individually; Explain what the text says explicitly by referring to details and examples in a text; and Explain what the text infers by referring to details and examples in a text.
Writing from Sources: Routinely expects that students draw evidence from texts to produce clear and coherent writing that informs, explains, or makes an argument in various written forms (e.g., notes, summaries, short responses, or formal essays).
Explanation: Students will write or speak about the subject knowledgeably using the information from two or more texts on the same topic.
Academic Vocabulary: Focuses on building students’ academic vocabulary in context throughout instruction.
Explanation: Students and teacher will add vocabulary to word wall with definitions from the dictionary, definitions in their own words, and a picture/drawing to support its meaning.
Building Disciplinary Knowledge: Provides opportunities for students to build knowledge about a topic or subject through analysis of a coherent selection of strategically sequenced, discipline-specific texts.
Explanation: Information is presented through a variety of forms (text, videos, photos) and through discussions, to help build students’ background knowledge about the topic and to support their understanding of content specific vocabulary.
Direct Learning Through Questions
Essential Question
How do our available forms of transportation affect the way we live, where we live, and how we exchange goods and services?
Text Based Questions
What mode of transportation was used before the invention of the train (railroad)?
Why was the transcontinental railroad built? (Hint: What problems did it attempt to solve?)
What mode of transportation was used before the invention of the car?
Why was the car invented? (Hint: What problem did it attempt to solve?)
What modes of transportation were used in early America (pre Civil War)?
What were the pros and cons of each form of transportation?
Where did most people live in the United States before the railroad was invented?
How did where people lives change after the completion of the transcontinental railroad?
- How do our needs influence the invention or expansion of different forms of transportation?
Integrate Learning Across Disciplines
Integrated Learning Sequence
Students will explore and expand on their understanding of the world around them, through inquiry, and the impact of different forms of transportation on society and the environment (Change and Continuity) as they are led through a sequence of lessons that explore how forms of transportation have changed over time to meet the needs of society. The content areas addressed through this unit are social studies, ELA, math, and science. These content areas include CCSS standards relating to the analysis of primary and secondary sources (photos, text and maps) and thinking “like a historian."
Students will learn how to critically “unpack” a visual image and text, transfer that knowledge to create a series of questions that can be answered by further research and/or critical review. Tasks will allow for the development of student comprehension in literacy and mathematical concepts, as well as scientific understanding. Students' understanding of social studies will deepen because they will draw from the material itself (in a variety of forms) and create new ideas in written, oral, and presentation formats.
Subject Areas of Focus, and/or Essential Ideas
Math Key Shifts
Rigor: Application: Provides opportunities for students to independently apply mathematical concepts in real-world situations and solve challenging problems with persistence, choosing and applying an appropriate model or strategy to new situations.
Conceptual Understanding: Develops students’ conceptual understanding through tasks, brief problems, questions, multiple representations and opportunities for students to write and speak about their understanding.
Procedural Skill and Fluency: Expects, supports and provides guidelines for procedural skill and fluency with core calculations and mathematical procedures (when called for in the standards for the grade) to be performed quickly and accurately.
Explanation of the integration of social studies with CCSS
Throughout this unit, students will use primary and secondary sources to...
Form questions, research those questions, discuss implications, and organize research to report on the development of transportation over time and its impact on society and the environment (as pairs, whole class, and individually)
Create and use a chronological sequence of related events to compare developments in transportation that happened at the same time (as a class)
Compare different forms of transportation over time and relate them to the forms of transportation available today (as pairs, whole class, and individually)
Explain how societal problems (e.g., food shortages, lack of space for farming, homesteading) and human interaction (e.g., with Native Americans and among themselves) influenced the invention of different forms of transportation (as pairs, whole class, and individually)
Align Assessment with Instruction
Culminating/Summative Assessment Task
During each lesson of this unit, students complete graphic organizers and take notes to understand each source (text, photos, videos etc.). They will summarize information learned at the end of each lesson. This compilation of graphic organizer and notes will be used at the end of the entire unit when students will be presented with this final task. Students will use their completed graphic organizers and notes to prepare their final presentation (summative assessment/performance task).
For the final presentation, students will work in groups to research, prepare and give a persuasive presentation to a mock city council. The presentation will be on the group’s decision to ban a specific form of transportation. This culminating performance task is designed to allow students to demonstrate literacy skills, understanding, perspectives and specific domain knowledge necessary to grapple with and/or answer the essential question.
Formative Assessment Strategies
Giving students a primary source and a Library of Congress primary source analysis tool, and with guided instruction, students will fill it out with observation, reflection, and a set of essential research questions to continue their research of a designated topic.
Consider Background Knowledge and Prerequisite Skills
Prerequisite Learning
Knowledge Essential Vocabulary - Concept Development
Vocabulary: transportation, transcontinental railroad, invention, technology, pollution
Factual Information
There are different forms of transportation (automobiles, cars, planes, bicycles, horses, etc.)
People have different experiences in regard to using different forms of transportation (pros/cons)
Different forms of transportation impact economies, immigration patterns, and geography
Understanding - Generalizations from Primary Standards
People experience challenges and successes (pros/cons) as a result of the different forms of transportation that are available
Different problems in economics, politics, geography, climate, and human interactions motivated and influenced the invention of new forms of transportation
Generalizations from Topic/Issue/Theme
Inventions of different forms of transportation were influenced by economics, geography, politics, climate, and human interactions and had both positive and negative intended and unintended consequences for communities.
Pre-Assessment of Readiness for Learning
The first introductory lesson that introduces primary sources to students should be used to determine students’ understanding of what primary and secondary sources are and how ready they are to ask questions about sources and use them to find information. Once they complete their first graphic organizer, it can be determined if they are able to write about sources effectively and what skill building they may need in this area. At the beginning of each lesson, modeling is built in to each lesson to allow teachers to address the skills that students need in their class to complete their graphic organizers and build up their skills for the culminating event. Group work is encouraged for each lesson to help students with various reading levels.
Provide Support While Building Toward Independence
Strategies for Supporting All Students
English language learners, students with disabilities, and below grade level readers
Pair and group work, videos as well as text, modeling and guidance by teacher at the beginning of each lesson
Above grade-level readers
Optional additional sources are provided to challenge those students who are above grade level. These sources may be given to them read independently or as a small group. They should then share their information and sources with their original group to ensure that all students are given access to this information as well.
Lesson Sequence
Lesson #1: Transportation On the Move
ELA/Social Studies (5 part lesson may be separated into 4 days) - Students will use inquiry to answer the essential question, “How do our available forms of transportation affect the way we live, where we live, and how we exchange goods and services?” Through their inquiry, students will be guided through understanding how we learn about history through primary and secondary sources. In the initial lesson, students, through primary and secondary sources, will explore the history of transportation in the U.S. including rafts and the importance of waterways, the transcontinental railroad, Henry Ford and the Automobile, and The Wright Brothers and the First Flight to help answer the essential question.
Lesson #2: The Impact of Transportation on our Landscape
Social Studies/ELA- Why do we invent new forms of transportation? How do different forms of transportation have an impact our environment and affect the way we live? What are the pros and cons (cost/benefits) of new forms of transportation?
Lesson #3: The Wright Brothers and the Kitty Hawk - Using mathematics to make models
Science/Math
Lesson #4: How Fast Can I Get There?
Mathematics
Culminating Activity: Final Performance Assessment for Unit (Culminating Event)
Mock City Council Presentation
Instructional Notes: Preparation for Unit
Before the unit, have students create a study book with graphic organizers to help keep notes, citations, and ideas throughout the unit: Give each student 10 pages of blank paper stapled in the corner. Let them choose a construction paper cover and ask them to write on the cover: Their name, the title: “On the Move: Transportation Unit”, and the date.
Alternatively, if you are a 1:1 school or use Google docs: have each student create his/her own Google page on the drive (remember to keep this in one folder for yourself).
Include a reduced version of the Library of Congress Analysis Tool - give them 6-8 pages for their own use. Analysis Tool: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/guides.html
NOTE: Teach students how to get to Noodletools.com [or some other citation maker]. Consider creating a Noodle Tools account so that students can do their work online (it includes features for note taking, citing, organizing, and is linked to Google docs for essay writing or presentations).