Lesson Plan for Gold and Silver: Miners of the Wichitas

Lesson Plan for "Gold and Silver: Miners of the Wichitas"
by Stan Melby

Introduction to Lesson

P.A.S.S. objectives
Language Arts: The learner will

I.A.1.	Expand vocabulary through word study, the reading of literature, and class discussion
I.B.1.	Read and comprehend both the fiction and nonfiction that is appropriately designed for the second half of grade four.
I.B.3.	Continue to predict, monitor and cross-check using semantic, syntactic, and graphophonic cues independently.
II.B.	Identify the characters’ actions, traits, feelings, and motives.
II.K.	Connect information and events from text to life experiences, other texts and world events.

Social Studies: The learner will

I.B.1

Locate, describe, and compare the human characteristics and early settlement patterns of regions in the United States and Oklahoma (locations of ethnic group concentrations, the impact of the westward movement, languages, economic activities, and cultural patterns).

Teacher's purposes for the lesson: This lesson is designed to teach students

to process vocabulary words associated with the events that occurred during the first gold rush in the Wichita Mountains via opened and closed word sorts
to identify cause and effect relationships in the story using a graphic organizer
to connect information and events from text to life experiences, other texts and world events

II.

Objectives

A.	Given vocabulary words that appear in the story "Gold and Silver: Miners of the Wichitas", the learner will correctly classify words into categories supplied by the teacher.
B.	Given vocabulary words that appear in the story "Gold and Silver: Miners of the Wichitas", the learner will correctly classify words into categories generated by the learner.
C.	Given the story "Gold and Silver: Miners of the Wichitas", the learner will use a graphic organizer to correctly match cause and effect relationships associated with characters’ actions, traits, feelings, and motives.
D.	Given the story "Gold and Silver: Miners of the Wichitas", the learner will connect information and events from text to life experiences, other texts and world events, by writing a paragraph in his/her journal that relates personal experience to one of the characters' actions, traits, feelings, or motives. The paragraph will reflect standard English and include a topic sentence plus at least three supporting sentences.

III.

Procedures

Materials

1.	A copy of the story "Gold and Silver: Miners of the Wichitas"
2.	A copy of the "Closed and Open Word Sorts" practice page
3.	A copy of the "Cause and Effects Concentration Game" practice page and a pair of scissors for each team

Anticipatory set

Key vocabulary: Wichita Mountains, buried treasure, the Treaty of Medicine Lodge (1867), sacred, loot, panning for gold, Daniel Snyder, gold rush, prospector, Fort Sill, quartz, surgeon, commanding officer, prospecting, fortune, trespassing, Indian agent, unauthorized, General Pope, Jesse and Frank James, Belle Star, federal wildlife refuge

Key concepts: Legends of treasure in the Wichita Mountains have lured prospectors since the days of the Spanish conquistadors. The story of the gold rush is only one example of how whites broke treaties with Native Americans. Though the Treaty of Medicine Lodge (1867) prohibited mining on lands belonging to Native Americans, even soldiers at Fort Sill ignored the law when Daniel Snyder announced he had found silver in the Wichita Mountains. The subsequent gold rush, led by the commandant at Fort Sill, lasted until the local Indian agent got word to General Pope, who ordered the soldiers to return to duty. Later prospectors sought loot hidden by Jesse and Frank James and Belle Star. The Wichita Mountains are now a federal wildlife refuge.

Student purpose statement and methods: Post a copy of the topographical map for the Wichita Mountains on the board (available from the gift shop in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge). Place photographs of old Fort Sill, Quanah Parker, prospectors around the room, as well as books about hunting for buried treasure.

Say, "What would you say if someone asked you to go treasure hunting? Most of us would be really interested, especially if the person said the treasure was only a few miles down the road. Would you quit your job, drop everything you were doing, and head for the hills if you thought you would be able to pick chunks of gold and silver up off the ground? Would you be willing to break the law to get the treasure? Would you be willing to take the treasure off land that belonged to someone else? Take 60 seconds and share your ideas with a partner. Then listen for 60 seconds to your partner's ideas." [Method: Pair-Share]

Continue by saying, "Today we are going to read a story called 'Gold and Silver: Miners of the Wichitas', which tells about a gold rush right here in Lawton. Before we read, we are going to sort some of these words and see how they are related to each other. After we read, we are going to see if we can figure out why the characters in the story acted the way they did; we are going to examine cause and effect relationships and the characters' motives for their actions. Then you'll have a chance to tell about a related incident in your life."

Lesson activities

Input: Say, "Today we are going to learn about closed and open word sorts." Teach the students the meaning of the word "sort" by asking them to stand in the front of the classroom, then sorting them alphabetically by the first letter of the their last names, placing the students along an imaginary line from A-Z at the front of the room. Then sort the students by age. Have the students sit down. Say, "Now that you are really sure of what the word "sort" means, we are going to sort some of the words we'll be reading in our story today." Provide each student with a copy of the "Closed and Open Word Sorts" practice page.

Modeling: Use the Think Aloud strategy to demonstrate sorting the vocabulary words into prescribed categories. Then demonstrate how to generate categories. Ask, "Which is harder, open or closed word sorts? Why?"

Guided practice: Help students sort the first two words in each exercise.

Checking for understanding: Ask students to put their thumbs up if they understand how to sort the words, or put their thumbs down if they would like more information. Have students who understand the directions begin working with a partner to sort the words. Provide additional instructions for those students who need them. Walk around the room and check the students' work, facilitating as necessary.

Culminating activities (independent practice): When the students have completed the Word Sorts, pass out one copy of the "Cause and Effects Concentration Game" practice page and a pair of scissors to each pair of students. Have the students read the story together (taking turns, with each student reading one sentence aloud), then play the Concentration Game. As students read aloud, walk around the room and record miscues for later analysis.

After students complete the game, each student will write a paragraph in his/her journal that relates a personal experience to one of the characters' actions, traits, feelings, or motives. The paragraph must reflect standard English and include a topic sentence plus at least three supporting sentences. Write these "story starter hints" on the board to help the students brainstorm about their paragraph:

Characters Actions, Traits, Feelings, Motives

Congress made promises to the Indians, then the government broke them.

In July 1881, Daniel Snyder started a gold rush by asking the post surgeon, Major Williams, to test the ore for him.

Work at the fort practically stopped as the soldiers turned into prospectors.

The whites did a lot of damage.

The Indians complained to the Indian agent.

No one knows what happened to Daniel; he was forgotten in the rush for riches.

Has anyone ever made an important promise to you and broken it? How would the Indians have felt?

How do you think Daniel felt about his discovery?

Has anyone ever given you an important job to do? Have you ever chosen not to do the job because something more exciting has come up?

Have you ever damaged any property? What happened? Do you think the whites cared if they damaged the Indians' property?

How did the Indians decide to solve their problems? Why didn't they just go on the warpath and take care of the problem themselves? How would you handle a problem like this?

How do you think Daniel felt? Have you ever felt forgotten?

Sponge activity: Teams can play the the Concentration game again, challenging other teams to a doubles match.

IV.

Closure

A.	Summary of what has been learned: Say, "Today we read a story called 'Gold and Silver: Miners of the Wichitas' which tells about the Lawton gold rush. We sorted some of the vocabulary words and learned how they are related to each other. We predicted why some of the characters in the story acted the way they did and examined cause and effect relationships and the characters' motives for their actions. You wrote about a related incident in your life in your journal."
B.	Transfer: Say, "Sometimes greed causes people to break the law. Reading and writing about mistakes other people have made can help keep us from making the same mistakes. Reading about history can help us change history."
C.	Student evaluation and assessment: Did the learner correctly classify vocabulary words supplied by the teacher into categories? Did the learner correctly generate categories and classify vocabulary words supplied by the teacher? Did the learner use a graphic organizer and correctly match cause and effect relationships associated with characters’ actions, traits, feelings, and motives? Did the learner connect information and events from text to life experiences, other texts and world events, by writing a paragraph in his/her journal that relates personal experience to a character's actions, traits, feelings, or motives? Did the paragraph reflect standard English and include a topic sentence plus at least three supporting sentences?
D.	Teacher evaluation: Reflect on students' mastery of objectives (including re-teaching), teacher's personal response to the lesson, and changes that should be made before the lesson is taught again.