Bridgewater College Teacher Education Program Lesson Plan

Name________________________________
Date: January 13, 2015

Title of Lesson: Expansion to the West

Subject Area(s):
Social Studies

Grade Level(s): Fifth

VA SOL:
VS. 6c
The student will demonstrate knowledge of the role of Virginia in the establishment of the new American
nation by
c) explaining the influence of geography on the migration of Virginians into western territories.

Content Objective(s):
TLWBAT identify and explain the push and pull factors that lead to the migration of Virginians westward (and
south)

TLWBAT apply the concept of cultural landscapes to the migration of Virginians into new territories
IEP Goal/Objective:
Accommodations/
Differentiation
Assessment (based on objectives):

The Push/Pull game will be an informal assessment of student

understanding of push/pull factors for migration west.
The file folder activity completed for independent practice will assess the
students understanding of the transfer of ideas/traditions/culture during
migration and the factors that led to westward expansion.

Students that take

longer to complete
activities should write
their sentence before
drawing their pictures.

Materials:

Map (Cumberland Gap: location. [Map/Still]. In Britannica Online for Kids. Retrieved
fromhttp://kids.britannica.com/comptons/art-174825)

File folders
Glue-ins for file folders
Markers, colored pencils etc
Glue
Magazines
Integration of technology: n/a

Alternative Plan:

If students finish early, they can continue working on their scarf.

Accommodati
ons/
Differentiatio
n

Time
Plann
ed

Anticipatory Set (Hook & Agenda):

Lets pretend that we are about to a long trip. You can only take 5 things. What
would be the most important things to take? Make sure to think about your
survival!

2-3
min

Access/Review Prior Knowledge:

First we need to review a few things before we can talk about taking a trip!

What was the most common job for Virginia colonists? (farmer)
What was one of the most popular crops grown in Virginia? Hint: think
cash crop (tobacco)

5 min

When you all learned about Europeans settling in Virginia, you talked
about cultural
landscapes. You even created your own examples of a cultural landscape.
Raise your hand to give me some examples of cultural landscapes (barns,
places of worship, homes).
Remind students that the cultural landscape of Virginia was
influenced by the Europeans, Africans, and the American Indians

Teaching Process & Modeling (Content is presented, accessed, or built):

1.

A few minutes ago we talked about what we would bring if we had to take a trip. In
the early 1800s many Virginians left their initial settlements in the Coastal Plain
and the Piedmont regions.

What are reasons that someone might choose to leave their home and move to a
new and unknown area? (opportunity, land, money)

A lot of Virginians had to move because they had over-farmed the land. The land
was exhausted because tobacco drew all of the nutrients out of the soil. The crop
yields decreased, farms failed, and many people lost their fortunes. These
geographic factors pushed many Virginians to leave Virginia. Things that push
people from an area are called push factors. The promise of new opportunities or
land are pull factors because they draw people from their homes to a new area.
Give an example of each for Virginians (push: lost fortune pull: new land)

2.

The journey for Virginians was very difficult. (Pass out map). To move west, the
colonists had to cross the Appalachian Mountains. They used a narrow passageway
called the Cumberland Gap to travel through the mountains (show students on the
map). Its important we remember that the settlers had to travel in wagons and
could only take what could fit in their wagon. They had to leave a lot behind.
Besides material possessions, the colonists brought their culture to the west with
them.
Much like the cultural landscape developed in the founding of Virginia, Virginians
spread their culture as they moved westward.
Laws, political ideas, labor systems, ways of settling disputes, and even house/barn
styles spread across the American Frontier (new land in the west).

5 min

It may be a
helpful
application for
some students to
relate the farming
concerns of
Virginians to the
students life on
the farm. Many of
the students live
on farms and
assist in the work.
5
min
Call on a variety
of students to
explain why a
certain factor was
push/pull.

Guided Practice & Checking for Understanding:

1.
-

Now we are going to play a game to practice identifying push and pull factors. It
will also help us to learn and remember the reasons Virginians chose to move west
and south.
Game: The teacher will read an example of a factor that caused Virginians to
migrate west. The students will either make a push or pull motion to show whether
it was a push or pull factors.
Have the students stand up. Explain the game above, and model the motions. Tell
them they can put a little creativity into their moves and dance.
After each example, ask students to explain why the given example was a push or a
pull factor.

5
min

List of factors:
- Depeleted soil (push)
- new land (pull)
- lost fortune (push)
- diseased crops (push)
- better farm land (pull)
- new opportunities (pull)
- Tobacco destroyed Virginia soil (push)
Independent Practice:

Students will work independently to complete their travel case. On the inside of the
case, the cultural landscape sheet should be glued to one side of the folder. On the other
side of the folder (still the inside), students should glue the push/pull factor sheet.
- The students should write an explanation of their cultural landscape as well as the
cultural elements Virginians spread in the west. They should explain the ideas or
traditions they would bring with them if they moved to a new area. Students should
also provide an explanation of their drawing or cut-outs that represent the ideas,
cultures and traditions that Virginians shared out west.
- Students can choose to draw pictures for these boxes or cut out pictures from
magazines. The teacher will need to decide based on the time available whether or
not the students have time to use magazine cutouts
- Students need to provide 2 examples of push factors and 2 examples of pull factors
on their other glue in. Once again, they need to write a sentence explaining their
picture and the factor it represents (ie why Virginians left)
- Students can choose to draw pictures for these boxes or cut out pictures from
magazines. The teacher will need to decide based on the time available whether or
not the students have time to use magazine cutouts
- If time allows, have the students glue the map showing the Cumberland Gap to the
front of their travel case. They can also decorate the outside of their travel case.
- Have students glue the handles to their file folder to create their travel case

Make sure the

students that work
slower write their
sentences first.
Those that are
really struggling
may just write a
few words to
describe their
push/pull factors

1015
min

Move around the

room to monitor
students and offer
assistance if
needed.

Closure:

Have the students clean up their materials. As they finish, collect their travel cases so they
can be used for assessment. Ask some students to share what ideas or traditions they think
they would bring with them if they had to move west like the Virginians in the early 1800s

2 min

Declarative Statement Summary:

Today we learned about the geographic factors that led Virginians to pack up and move
west. We also talked about Virginians spreading their ideas, traditions, and culture as they
moved westward.

1 min