Lesson Plan Format for

Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE)

with SIOP Elements

Grade/Class/Subject: Grade 4, Social Studies, Teacher: Martha Gunter, Marcia Olgin

Time/Duration of the lesson: 50 minutes

English Language Proficiency of Students: 5 Interpretive/Bridging

Standards: 4.1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the physical understanding and human
geographic features that define places and regions in California.

Unit/Theme:
The California Gold Rush (middle of unit)

Lesson Topic:
Students will be able to compare and contrast the three major travel routes: Cape Horn, Isthmus
of Panama, and the Overland Trail.

Objectives: You must include content objectives and language objectives as indicated below.
Students will be able to retrace the three major travel routes on a map during the Gold Rush in
California and explain the ways geography affect travel.
Content:
Conduct research about the means of travel to California by people and the role geography
plays in the movement of people.
Language:
Exchanging information and ideas with others through oral collaborative discussion on a range
of social and academic topics

Assessment:
Teachers will informally survey room to check for understanding and misconceptions,
observation of groups’ commercials, map worksheet and reasoning of pros and cons for each
route, Exit Ticket.

Key Vocabulary: immigrants, emigrants, Argonauts, malaria, cholera, scurvy,

Supplementary Materials:
World Map By, David Burr (1850), handout with pros and cons for the three major travel routes
to California, anchor chart with vocabulary and definition (for student reference) and map
worksheet.

Technology in Support of Learning:

"Routes to the Gold Fields" power point & script

Anticipated Misunderstandings/Difficulties:
Students may not fully understand the distances traveled by groups of people coming to
California. To address this misconception the students will be given a map of the world with a
map scale from the Gold Rush era by David Burr (1850) and we will conduct a quick recap on
how to read it. The map will also serve to reinforce the use of primary sources.

Element
Describe what will happen.
Introduce the Lesson:
We will introduce the lesson by having the
students pair in groups of three and have them lead
a discussion about the time when gold was first
discovered in Sutter’s Mill. We will also invite
students to discuss what they think John
Marshall’s reaction was like and how word began
to spread about the during that time. (Students
will be given 5 minutes for discussion)
This will serve as a tool to recap what we have
been learning about the Gold Rush and further
develop understanding about migration and
emigration to California.
Rationale
Why did you choose to do it this way?
We decided to begin and introduce our
lesson in this manner to gauge students’
knowledge about the gold rush and its
origins. We also wanted to give students
the opportunity to openly discuss and
clarify any misunderstandings they may
have prior to beginning the lesson.
This will also give EL students an
opportunity to be active listeners and
participate in a small group setting.
We will be surveying the room and
checking for understanding as we listen
in to their discussions and gauge overall
understanding.

Develop Understandings (Instruction): Showing the power point presentation

For developing understanding we will show the
students the presentation “Routes to the Gold
Fields” and read the script, further elaborating on
all the different groups of people traveling to
California in search of “hitting it big.”
will serve as a visual representation of
variety of people coming to California
during the Gold Rush. This will also be
a good way to reinforce the physical
understanding of geography.

Practice/Application
After the groups have completed their discussions
we will ask the students to come up with three
reasons why people wanted to come to California
during the Gold Rush.
The group will select one member of each group
and have him/her write the reasons they came up
with on the board.
After the students have explored and understand
peoples’ motivation for migrating and emigrating
each group of students will be given an index card
with a location written on it as a point of beginning
their journey to California.
They will also get a map where they will identify
the three major travel routes by drawing the trails
on the map.
*A handout with all the pros- and cons will be
given to students about each of the three major
travel routes.
Each group will decide what route to take and
create a short “commercial” on why their route
makes more sense, they are to give the audience
(their classmates, and teacher) specific reasons for
their decision.
We also considered that this will be a
good reinforcement for the EL students
as we can transfer key points visually.
We decided to have students narrow
down three main reasons why someone
might want to come to California and
write them on the board because we
wanted students to see that peoples’
motivations were closely related and
“universally” true. We also want
students to see that although the Gold
Rush is an event that happened long
before they were born people still
migrate and immigrate for
hopes of a better life.
By having the students identify the three
major travel routes they will be able to
visually see the locations and maximize
their mapping skills.
Having students make a choice on what
route to take to get to California will give
them a “real world” connection with the
content at hand. We also wanted
students to be aware of the major role in
which geography affected peoples’
decision to travel one way vs. another.
Having only one representative from
each group as a spokesperson will also
help those EL students as they may or
may not be comfortable speaking in front
of the class. This will give them the
opportunity to
Wrap-up:
Students will be given the opportunity to present
their “commercials” to the class and elaborate on
their route.
Students will turn in a quick exit ticket giving one
pro/con of a route they did not work on.
Extension:
This lesson might be extended into an art lesson by
having students create a poster advertisement on
the best route to travel to the California during the
Gold Rush and conduct a gallery walk with the
completed product.
Differentiating Instruction for EL focus student:
N/A
We decided that a good way for the class
to be engaged in this learning experience
and a good means for us to assess
understanding of the content would be to
have each group present their
commercials to the class and elaborate on
their route of choice.
This will make content more
comprehensible and allow for a hands-on
experience thus, making the lesson
memorable and meaningful.
The use of a quick exit ticket will allow
us to quickly check for understanding
and to correct misunderstandings and
address them in “real time”.
By having the students create a poster we
will be a good way to assess content
knowledge and to have students illustrate
that knowledge in a different mode.
For EL students in our class this will help
serve as a visual but also will give them
the opportunity to participate and engage
in a way which may be more comfortable
to them.
N/A
Differentiating Instruction for a focus student with
Special Needs:
Sam has been diagnosed with AD/HD.
He has a poor working memory and has difficulty
staying on task.
We will also non-verbally check in with the group
to monitor.
Sam will be grouped with a student that is highly
focus and stays on task. He is also very patient
and when he has been grouped with Sam he
encourages Sam to do his best
For those students that already “get it” we can
extend the lesson and have them conduct research
on how different groups of immigrants from other
parts of the world traveled to California and write
about their experiences and challenges.
Having Sam grouped with this particular
student will help Sam stay on task as the
level of distraction will be reduced.
We will check in on this group non-
verbally as to not create another
distraction and to try to avoid hovering
and make Sam feel like he’s being
observed for any wrong move. However,
this strategy will allow us to provide
support if needed.
The students that already “get it” need to
be challenged and by allowing them to
explore further in the content will allow
them to expand their understanding.