Play Script

Reader's Theater Multileveled Scripts: Westward Expansion

What a great way to bring history and literature to life with a class play. This book four different plays about different topics in the westward expansion time period. The plays are also at different levels so this same book could be used in a variety of different grade levels. I think this would be a good experience for students that are looking to participate more actively.

Reader's Theater Multileveled Scripts: Native American Tales

One of the goals of my unit is to show the Westward expansion from both the pioneer and American Indian perspectives. In keeping with this goal here is a collection of Native American Tales written as play scripts. The class could read the scripts aloud (each choosing a part) and then we could decide on one to perform.

Memoir and Biography

Little House on the Prairie

By Laura Ingalls Wilder

I think Little House on the Prairie is one of the most famous books about pioneer life. Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote a lot of books about her experience growing up on the frontier. Since she is locally famous as well I hope that this book could connect with my students. It gives a first hand account of what life was really like for families during the westward expansion.

Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Biography

By William Anderson

This biography might be useful to read along with Little House on the Prairie to get a more full view of who Laura Ingalls Wilder is.

Picture Books

Dandelions

by Eve Bunting

This is a beautifully illustrated story about a family traveling to Nebraska by covered wagon. It is told from the perspective of a daughter, Zoe. Many of the hardships of life and travel at this time are part of the book. There is also a lot of everyday differences from modern life. For example they go to visit the neighbors- 3 hours away! I think it will help students to see it depicted in the illustrations.

Western Expansion Poems

Hiawatha
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


I've always loved this poem and I think it will make for a good addition to my theme on the Western Expansion and a local connection to that theme. The poem is written about an young Ojibwa boy growing up. The language of the poem might be a little hard for younger students to gasp but the illustrations should help with their comprehension. I'm glad to have found a book that is about a boy, because a lot of my books so far have been more girl-centered. This book might inspire my students to try writing poems themselves. We can also relate the poem to geographical connections in Minnesota which should help the history come alive for my students.


Ox-cart Man
By Donald Hall

Here is a book that relates more to the pioneer side of the westward expansion and their daily life. It is a poem about a family loading up the Ox-Cart to travel. I think this will be a good addition to my theme. It is written as a poem but reads like a story so I think it will easily capture my student's attention. It talks a lot about the different items that are loaded into the ox-cart, items of everyday pioneer life. It would be a good opportunity to talk about the difference in available items between now and then. What would you take in your ox-cart? Maybe the students could do an art project- cutting out pictures of items that they would take on a long journey. It also go through all the seasons, which could also be related to the students' lives.

Sarah Plain and Tall

A quick read that will give my students some insight into frontier life. Many of the difficulties of life at that time are addressed in this book. I think Sarah Plain and Tall might be a good book for reading circles/book clubs.

Sing Down the Moon

This Newbury Award winning novel by Scott O'Dell will be a great addition to my unit on the Westward expansion. It shows many of the interactions between a Navajo tribe and white soldiers and settlers who force them from their homeland. It is told through the perspective of a Navajo girl who my students may be able to relate to. This could be a good choice for a read aloud book.

Native Americans, Pioneers, and the Westward Expansion

The Westward Expansion

Grade Levels: Elementary grades 3-5

My theme is focused around the Western Expansion from both Native American and Pioneer perspectives. The time period I am focusing on will be loosely defined as 1800-1850, possibly extending depending on the literature I find. The purpose of my theme is for the students to get an understanding of the main events, conflicts, and changes that occurred during this important time in American history. They will see the events from multiple viewpoints using memoir and historical fiction from both Native Americans and Pioneers. We will also make connections to how these events determined the current state of our nation.
I hope that my students will come out of the lesson with a better understanding of their national history. My theme will address common themes of intercultural communications and understanding and immigration that can relate to the student’s lives today.

Folktales

I have many folktales that I enjoy. As a child I love The Three Billy Goats Gruff and as a preschool teacher it became one of my favorite books to read to students. My dad use to read us folktales from a book called Gormless Tom and other Tales From the British Ises. They had no illustrations, but that never bother me because of the way my dad would read them. He lived in Canada and taught on an Indian reservation for a while so he would also tell us Inuit folklore he had picked up there. Fractured Folktales have also been some of my favorites. I remember discovering The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs in 4th grade and loving it.

For my thematic unit I am focusing on Native Americans during the westward expansion. So I am looking at a few options for Native American folktales. I like the book The Story Telling Stone because it is a collection of Native American folktales that I could choose from. The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush is also one I would like to use. The Mud Pony is another great Native American folktale that I would use.