Artifact 7

During my Language and Literacy in the Elementary School course at Appalachian, I developed a Unit Plan on the Westward Movement of the 1800s. The unit plan was derived from a social studies background, but also included the use of literature circles. These are ways in which students can get together to read in groups according to their appropriate reading grade level and have discussions. Two classmates and I chose seven books about the westward movement on various grade levels and developed lesson plans for each section of the books. As part of the launch activity to this unit plan, a clip from the Little House on the Prairie television series will be shown to students.

The unit plan will meet the requirements of the social studies, language arts and information skills NC Standard Course of Study. This unit plan will be useful for me to have as a teacher to use in my classroom as well as to use as reference for any teacher considering a unit on the westward movement or working with literature circles.

At the beginning of the unit plan, a clip from the Little House on the Prairie television series will be shown to students as a way to get them thinking about the way people lived and how society was during the 1800s and early 1900s (10.2). The clip will be recorded ahead of time from cable television (12.6).