Image from the Sunday Oregonian, 1904. http://goo.gl/mptlfC
Overview
The purpose of this lesson is to provide students with a discussion transition into lessons or units in the economics, history, and ecology of Oregon. These discussions focus on the beaver fur trade and its effect on the beaver population and beaver ecosystems. There are many extension activity ideas that can be implemented from this discussion.
Oregon Common Core State Standards
Language Arts Standards:
ELA.SL.4.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Social Studies Standards:
Historical Knowledge 4.2: Explain how key individuals and events influenced the early growth and changes in Oregon.
Geography 4.11: Identify conflicts involving the use of land, natural resources, economy, competition for scarce resources, different political views, boundary disputes, and cultural differences within Oregon and between different geographical areas.
Introduction: Each student or group should have a copy of Sunday Oregonian. Point out the front page of the newspaper, focusing on the beaver. Ask students to make observations about the front page.
Some discussion questions to consider:
Why do you think beavers made the front page of this newspaper?
What do you notice about the photographs?
What do you notice about the time this newspaper was published?
Why do you think the man is sawing out a piece of the beaver cuttings?
This newspaper article describes the decline of the beaver population. Why do you think beaver colonies are getting smaller?
Do you think this is a legitimate photograph? Why?
Discussion: Introduce the beaver fur advertisements. Discuss the demands of beaver fur during this time.
What are some things you noticed about these advertisements?
What was the most interesting thing you saw?
How do you feel about these advertisements?
Extension Activity Ideas
Activities can be modified several different ways, depending on the grade level and focus of study. Listed are resources that can be adapted and extended to and for any grade level.
Science Unit: This discussion can lead into a science unit about beavers, both their importance and history in Oregon. Some useful links are listed below.
Upham Woods: A comprehensive unit about beaver ecology
Social Studies Unit: This discussion can lead into a social studies unit involving some government topics about beavers and their transformation into the state’s symbol, in addition to the history of Oregon becoming “The Beaver State.”
Net State: Additional information about the state of Oregon
Economics Unit: This discussion can lead into an economics unit about the history of beaver fur in Oregon and the decline of the beaver population.
History Colorado: A lesson plan about fur trappers and beaver pelts
Resources
Background
The first of Oregon’s natural resources to be recognized and extracted by Euro-Americans was fur. In the early decades of the nineteenth century, furs were highly valuable commodities of international trade. Early explorers of the Northwest, such as Robert Gray and Lewis and Clark, reported that the region’s many waterways supported an abundant population of sea otter and beaver. When people back east heard about this, they knew there was the potential for great profits to be made. So, the first permanent Euro-American settlements in Oregon were trading outposts established by large and powerful fur trading companies that were based in London and New York.
Initially, traders in Oregon obtained their furs by bartering with Native Americans. As the enormous value of the Northwest’s fur resources quickly became apparent to them, corporations such as Hudson’s Bay Company and Pacific Fur Company decided to start employing their own workforce, and professional trappers were brought in from Canada, the American states, and islands of the South Seas. The increasing number of trappers and competition between English and American companies quickly began to deplete the populations of the fur-bearing animals. In fact, by 1824, the Hudson’s Bay Company was pursuing a strategy of intentionally “trapping out” and eliminating beaver from entire sections of the Oregon interior in order to keep rival businesses from moving into those areas. In little more than a decade, the beaver had nearly disappeared from what would later come to be known as “The Beaver State.”
Image from the East Oregonian: E.O., 1914. http://goo.gl/qJGdvR
Overview
This lesson begins with an activity about bartering, which is the basic act of trading goods without using money. During the time of the barter system, Native American tribes would trade goods that were thought of as equal in value, ranging from baskets to beads to fish to clothing. The items that were bartered depended highly upon the area the particular tribe lived in because they would create unique goods from the resources found in their territory. This bartering activity provides an opportunity for students to research and create a presentation about the Native American tribes of Oregon and the types of goods bartered along with experiencing the barter system.
Oregon Common Core State Standards
Language Arts Standards:
ELA.W.4.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
ELA.W.4.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
ELA.W.4.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
ELA.W.4.6 With some guidance and support from adults, use technology—including the Internet—to produce and publish writing, as well as interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.
ELA.W.4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
ELA.SL.4.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
ELA.SL.4.5 Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
Social Studies Standards:
Historical Knowledge 4.1: Identify and describe historic Native American groups that lived in Oregon prior to contact with Europeans and at the time of early European exploration, including ways these groups adapted to and interacted with the physical environment.
Geography 4.12: Explain how people in Oregon have modified their environment and how the environment has influenced people’s lives.
Civics and Govt. 4.15: Describe and evaluate how historical Oregon governments affected groups within the state (citizens, foreigners, women, class systems, minority groups, tribes).
Economics 4.17: Analyze different buying choices and their opportunity costs while demonstrating the difference between needs and wants.
The Native Americans bartered not only with natural resources such as fish, meat, seashells, and hides, but also with handcrafted goods such as pottery, baskets, and woven mats.
Activity: “Barter System Rendezvous”
Students will be playing a game where they will be trading for keeps. Emphasize this rule so that students think deeply about their decisions.
Have students share their items with the class, then place the items on their desk.
Once every student has shared their item, have the whole class walk around and observe the items that other students have brought.
Go over the rules of bartering. Students are allowed to make multiple trades. Students do not need to barter if they feel the other item isn’t worth the same amount as theirs.
Model the proper and respectful way to barter with another student by initiating the first exchange.
Give students 30 minutes for the activity.
Discussion: Once the activity is over, bring students together to have a discussion about what they experienced during the activity.
Some discussion questions to consider:
How many students were able to trade their item for the item they wanted most?
How many didn’t make a trade at all? Why?
Was there anyone who traded more than once to get the item of his or her choice?
Say you saw something you really wanted most, and the other person said no to the trade. What did you do in order to trade for that item?
Extension Activity Ideas
Activities can be modified several different ways, depending on the grade level and focus of study. Listed are activity ideas that can be adapted and extended to and for any grade level.
Jigsaw Activity/Art: Students research the Historic Oregon Newspapers website to find photographs of items that were actually used to barter. Each group or partnership specializes in one Oregon tribe to research bartering items unique to each of that tribe. Students will then put together a short presentation of their findings for the class. Additionally, students may conduct longer research to create a more formal presentation (i.e. using PowerPoint, poster board, etc.) to share with the class. To further this activity, students can use the research they have conducted to create replicas of these items.
Pictures during this era may be found through the advanced search option on the Historic Oregon Newspapers website. Type in “pictures” in any of the search options to pull up pictures. This advanced search option is customizable in that keywords such as “Siletz,” along with the specific year, can narrow down the results.
Research Project: Group students in partnerships or small groups to research one of the nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon: Burns Paiute Tribe; Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw; Coquille Indian Tribe; Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians; Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community; Klamath Tribes; Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians; Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation; and Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation. Additionally, students may research a smaller band within these larger tribes to provide a variety of information presented. Oregon Blue Book provides some great resources about these smaller bands, and the greater tribe.
Some presentation mediums include: PowerPoint presentation, models of tribal life, clothing, etc., picture book, fairy tale, play, etc.
Some topics to research include: natural resources, region, traditions, clothing, food, arts, etc.
Resources
Background About Trading Among Indians
Because Oregon is such a geographically diverse state, Native peoples living in different regions had access to different types of natural resources. Every region of the state had some of the things people considered necessary for life, but no one region had all of the things. Therefore, tribal groups living in different regions would trade with one another in order to get those goods that could not easily be attained from their local environment.
For example, peoples of the Coastal region (such as the Chinook, Siletz, and Tillamook) would trade seashells and baskets made of woven cedar bark with inhabitants of the interior Great Basin (such as Bannock and Shoshone), who could supply bison hides and the obsidian used to make arrowheads.
So, even before the arrival of the first Euro-American settlers, Oregon already had a well-developed trade economy based on a system of barter. The barter system is a method of buying and selling goods without the use of money. There are no “prices” in a barter system–goods and services are exchanged directly for other goods and services, and the two parties in the transaction decide on the relative values of the trade goods at the time they are making the trade.
Background About Indians
Before the coming of American and European settlers, Oregon had been inhabited for more than 14,000 years by Native Americans. In fact, the oldest known human remains on the North American continent were discovered in recent years outside Paisley, Oregon (MSNBC story about the discovery: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26819601/ns/technology_and_science-science/). DNA evidence indicates these people originated in northern regions of Asia and that they are the direct forebears of the Indian people who still live in Oregon today: they are known to archaeologists as Paleo-Indians (Paleo is a prefix that means “ancient”). Paleo-Indians crossed over a land bridge that existed between Siberia and Alaska during the last Ice Age, when sea levels were much lower than the present day. These people were nomadic hunters who lived in small bands that followed the herds of large prehistoric mammals known as megafauna. Many archaeologists believe that significant human impact on the environment of North America actually begins here because they theorize that over-hunting by these Ice Age people helped lead to the extinction of such animals as the mammoth, wooly rhinoceros, and giant ground sloth. As the big game species disappeared and the environment warmed with the retreat of the polar ice caps, groups of Paleo-Indians began to settle more permanently in various areas, adapting diverse cultures and lifestyles based on new food-gathering strategies (fishing, hunting smaller game, gathering wild plants).
Image from the Oregon City Enterprise, 1906. http://goo.gl/D8e9Fv
Overview
The pragmatics of language have changed considerably throughout history. The purpose of this lesson is not only to expose students to the changes that have occurred in language and word use, but also to give students the opportunity to practice decoding difficult texts. This lesson focuses on context clues and how they can help us understand the meaning of words we do not understand. This lesson can be coupled within an Oregon history unit, since John McLoughlin was such a vital figure and driving force affecting how Oregon came to be.
Oregon Common Core State Standards
Language Arts Standards:
ELA.RI.4.2 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
ELA.RI.4.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to grade 4 topic or subject area.
ELA.W.4.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
ELA.W.4.8 Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.
ELA.W.4.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Social Studies Standards:
Historical Knowledge 4.2: Explain how key individuals and events influenced the early growth and changes in Oregon.
Historical Thinking 4.7: Use primary and secondary sources to create or describe a narrative about events in Oregon history.
Please note: These vocabulary words are tentative. Feel free to adapt to the needs of your students.
Lesson
Introduction: Remind students of their studies in Oregon history.
Tell students the main focus of today’s lesson will be John McLoughlin, one of the crucial figures impacting the founding of Oregon. McLoughlin was a doctor and superintendent for the Hudson’s Bay Company, which helped many people survive their journey across America into Oregon by providing them with necessary supplies such as shelter, food, and clothing, and helping them become acclimated to Oregon.
Read aloud: Read the text together chorally, teaching-directed, or popcorn style.
Discussion: Facilitate a discussion of the students’ first reading of the text, eventually leading students to offer up vocabulary words that were confusing.
Some discussion questions to consider:
What are some thoughts you have about this article?
How do you feel about what happened to John McLoughlin for helping the settlers?
What are some things that may have confused you?
What do you think about John McLoughlin?
How do you think you would feel traveling through America?
Were there any vocabulary words that you were stuck on? (Write the vocabulary words that students offer on the board. Then write five pre-chosen vocabulary words on the board, and ask the class to choose five more. Or choose ten vocabulary words for the students.)
Introduce activity: Make sure the mandatory words are circled or outlined for students to refer to when doing the activity.
Each student should have a context clues activity sheet (in PDF Download).
Students will be circling the vocabulary word with the writing tool, and then highlighting the context clue that helps them understand what the vocabulary word means. Then the students will be finding the dictionary definitions for each word.
Model finding the context clue and the procedures for the activity sheet.
Remind students that to find the context clue, they must read before and after the vocabulary word.
Activity: Release students into partnerships, or decide to perform as an independent activity
Some vocabulary word ideas are listed above.
Reread article: Once students are finished with the context clues activity, reread the article together as a class, in partnerships, or in table groups.
Debrief: When finished rereading the text, call the class together to debrief.
Some debrief questions to consider:
What was the most interesting word you learned? Why?
What was your favorite word? Why?
Do you think context clues are useful?
Did you understand the article because of the context clues?
What was the most difficult word to find? Why?
Extension Activity Ideas
Activities can be modified several different ways, depending on the grade level and focus of study. Listed are activity ideas that can be adapted and extended to and for any grade level.
Narrative/journal writing: After students have finished rereading the article, have them write in their journals or write a short summary about something interesting they learned about John McLoughlin. This can be done as a way to decompress the information that was presented in the article, or in a more formal style with brainstorming. A brainstorm graphic organizer is available in PDF Download.
Headline from the Grants Pass Daily Courier, 1919. http://goo.gl/yfokod
Overview
Caves are a great way to engage young learners in geology and earth sciences. The study of caves is known as speleology, and those who explore caves are called speleologists. Oregon boasts a number of large and impressive caves. Furthermore, because Oregon is so geologically diverse, there are excellent examples of different types of caves, formed by different geological forces. This lesson will concentrate on three major Oregon cave systems: the Oregon Caves of Josephine County, the Lava River Cave of Deschutes County, and the Sea Lion Caves of Lane County.
Oregon Common Core State Standards
Language Arts Standards:
ELA.RI.4.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
ELA.W.4.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
ELA.W.4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
ELA.SL.4.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Social Studies Standards:
Geography 4.11: Identify conflicts involving the use of land, natural resources, economy, competition for scarce resources, different political views, boundary disputes, and cultural differences within Oregon and between different geographical areas.
Cave types self-discovery activity sheet (all activity sheets in PDF Download)
Information gathering graphic organizer
Predictions and observations activity sheet
Whole group experiment observation sheet
Science experiment materials
1 box of sugar cubes
Toothpicks
Clear plastic or glass tubs: 1 per partnership or table group
Spray bottles filled with water: 1 per partnership or table group
Modeling clay: 2 lbs. for each partnership or table group
Limestone rocks
A few non-carbonate rocks, various types
Water
Vinegar
Pipettes or eyedroppers
3 clear jars
Key Vocabulary
Speleology
Caverns
Dissolve
Limestone
Acid
Sulfuric acid
Carbonic acid
Solution
Fissures
Non-soluble
Lesson
Introduction: Introduce the different types of caves, emphasizing the difference as a result of the various ways that caves are formed.
Have students fill out cave types self-discovery sheet (in PDF Download)
Lead into class discussion about the cave types
Some discussion questions to consider:
What are the earth forces that form this type of cave?
What kinds of rock are they usually formed in?
What are some typical shapes and features of this type of cave?
Where are some places in the world where major examples of this type of cave can be found?
Activity: Have students browse the following websites to identify Oregon’s caves. A graphic organizer to help students organize their information is provided in PDF Download.
As the name implies, this cave is volcanic in origin.
Optional Jigsaw Activity: To provide even further background information, provide groups of students with one of the articles listed below. Once they have read the whole article as a group or partnership, discuss the most important parts from the article. These articles are primary source documents that provide students with a direct connection to the state of Oregon.
Experiment Introduction: Provide students with some background information about caverns.
“Cavern” is a term that refers to a particularly large, underground solution cave. The dissolving power of natural acids—most typically, sulfuric or carbonic acid—in solution with water, forms these types of caves. When the acidified water percolates through small cracks and fissures in limestone rock (i.e. limestone, dolomite, marble), it gradually dissolves the rock until large caverns are eventually formed. A full description of the cave-forming process can be found online, as well as in most classroom earth science textbooks. You may also read about the process in a historic Oregon newspaper article from 1875: “Origin and Philosophy of Limestone Caves,” from Willamette Farmer, June 4, 1875. Additionally, the Oregon Caves National Monument was formed this way!
Science Experiment: Lead this discussion into the science experiment. An instruction sheet and a predictions and observations sheet are provided in PDF Download.
Have students work in partnerships or table groups.
Demonstrate experiment and guide students through the experiment, stopping occasionally to fill out the predictions and observations sheet.
Science Experiment 1: Explain what each material represents.
Step 1: Explain how the sugar cubes represent deposits of limestone, and the spaces between the cubes represent natural cracks and fissures.
Step 2: Explain that the clay represents the surface layer of soil and non-soluble rock.
Step 3: Explain the holes and gaps represent the holes and gaps in the surface layer.
Step 4: Explain that the spray represents rainfall. Make sure to stop the students to make observations about what they see in the tub.
Science Experiment 2: Perform experiment in whole group. Make predictions and observations together. Hang up an anchor chart where observations could be written daily.
Debrief: Have students complete the predictions and observations graphic organizer once they are finished with the science experiment. Then bring them together to debrief.
Some debrief questions to consider:
What is something you learned that was interesting?
Were your predictions correct?
What do you think will happen to the limestone in our three jars?
What kind of cave do you think was created in the first experiment?
Extension Activity Ideas
Activities can be modified several different ways, depending on the grade level and focus of study. Listed are activity ideas that can be adapted and extended to and for any grade level.
Field Trip: To provide students with even more realia, organize a field trip to one of Oregon’s famous caves. Have students make observations, and write reflections about their experiences.
Image from the Sunday Oregonian, 1900. http://goo.gl/Ylh9WE
Overview
One of the major industries in Oregon is lumber. Oregon is one of the greenest states in the United States. Its history reflects a time when there was an excess of trees; as settlers realized the usefulness of lumber, over-cutting and negative lumber practices diminished the amount of trees in Oregon. This article provides an interesting account of the famous Douglas fir tree before Oregon transformed into a lumber-producing state. This lesson provides students with a direct connection to the state as well as its history. Additionally, students are exposed to figurative language. This lesson can be used within a poetry unit or a social studies unit, as it provides students with primary, relevant documents from Oregon’s history.
Oregon Common Core State Standards
Language Arts Standards:
ELA.L.4.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
ELA.L.4.5a Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context.
ELS.W.4.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
ELA.W.4.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
ELA.W.4.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
ELA.W.4.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Add any additional vocabulary terms from the article that may seem difficult to understand or are interesting.
Lesson
Introduction: Using figurative language to not only engage audience, but also keep this level of engagement.
Some discussion questions to consider:
What kinds of books do you enjoy reading?
Why do you think you enjoy reading those books?
What does the author do to make it so interesting?
Which books do you not enjoy reading?
Why do you think you don’t enjoy reading those kinds of books?
Introduce figurative language: A writing style that uses a variety of descriptive words and tools, such as similes, metaphors, and personification, to depict a vivid image in the audience’s mind. In this form of writing, objects are given human qualities, an object is described in exaggeration, or events are described with action words of natural sounds.
Use this discussion time to remind students about prior lessons on writing styles.
Remind students that this kind of writing usually occurs in literature and fiction.
Create an anchor chart that students may refer to throughout the unit.
Read aloud: Read the article to the class as a whole group.
The semantics during this time period are different from what students usually read, thus repeated readings of the article is necessary. Giving students this pre-exposure will benefit their future comprehension during the activity.
Activity: The objective of this lesson is for students to read the article and find examples of figurative language usage. Model the activity before having students work with partners or in groups.
Optional: Provide students with a graphic organizer to write down the examples they find. One is provided in PDF Download.
Reread article: Reread the article with the whole class, stopping at various examples of figurative language. At this time, use highlighting as a tool to assist student comprehension. Students may highlight the specific type of figurative language used and label it so that they could refer to it later.
Some examples of places to stop are: the type of adjectives used, personification “laugh at Echo, sleeping in her hidden caves,” etc.
Once several examples have been found, have students work with partners or in groups to analyze the article.
Debrief: Gather students to discuss their findings.
Some debrief questions to consider:
What are some examples of figurative language that you have found?
Do you think this made the article interesting?
If we read the article without this example, would it still be interesting?
Would you change it to something else?
Did you like this article?
Why did you like or dislike this article?
Extension Activity Ideas
Activities can be modified several different ways, depending on the grade level and focus of study. Listed are activity ideas that can be adapted and extended to and for any grade level.
Write a Narrative: Students should write about the same topic as the article (Douglas fir trees) or a topic that is Oregon-related. They should be given a graphic organizer to help create their pieces; one is provided below. This narrative can be in the form of an article, poem, essay, etc. Give students the option to write using whatever medium they prefer. Once the narratives are written, have students perform their pieces for the whole class.
Photograph Analysis: Print out larger copies of photographs that are presented in the article. Using these copies, discuss aspects of the photographs that could be different or similar with the type of photography that is done presently.
Some discussion questions to consider:
What does this photograph tell me?
Why did the photographer take this picture?
Do you think this photograph is fiction or nonfiction? How do you know, and why?
Image from the Sunday Oregonian, 1916. http://goo.gl/9boscE
Overview
Salmonid fish can be found in subarctic waters worldwide. However, for more than a century, “salmon” have been virtually synonymous with the Pacific Northwest. In fact, the Chinook salmon is the official state fish of Oregon. Lessons on salmon are a good way of integrating science learning into a unit on the social and economic history of the state. The purpose of this lesson is to introduce the topic of salmon and its impact in Oregon, using primary source documents found on the Historic Oregon Newspapers website.
Oregon Common Core State Standards
Language Arts Standards:
ELA.RI.4.2 Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
ELA.RI.4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
ELA.RI.4.9 Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
ELA.RI.4.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
ELA.W.4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
ELA.SL.4.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
Social Studies Standards:
Geography 4.9: Explain the influence of Oregon and the Northwest’s physical systems on humans, including Native Americans.
Geography 4.11: Identify conflicts involving use of land, natural resources, economy, and competition for scarce resources, different political views, boundary disputes, and cultural differences within Oregon and between different geographical areas.
Geography 4.12: Explain how people in Oregon have modified their environment and how the environment has influenced people’s lives.
Economics 4.18: Identify key industries of Oregon.
Introduction: Ask students about all of the different places that water can be found in nature. As students share their ideas, write the words on poster paper. Make sure the list includes “river,” “stream,” “lakes,” and “ocean”—suggest these words if students have not already done so.
Once the list contains at least ten to fifteen items, ask the students about the kinds of water, writing down the responses on the chart paper.
Some discussion questions to consider:
Does anyone in class know the difference between fresh water and salt water?
What does “fresh” water and “salt” water mean?
Of the bodies of water listed on the board, which are salty and which are fresh?
The purpose of the discussion questions is to assist students to reach the conclusion of the two kinds of water, and more specifically, the organisms that live in each.
Transition and discussion: Ask the students about the different kinds of animals that live in water, making sure to emphasize that not all kinds of animals live in all kinds of water. Most kinds of animals prefer to live in either salt water or fresh water—moving between the two types of water would kill many types of animals. Pose some questions about specific animals that live in these types of water, focusing on fish and the kinds of fish, and list them on the poster paper.
Tell students to imagine they are in a pet store in the aquatic section, reminding them that these stores usually have different sections for pet animals kept in fresh water (such as goldfish and frogs) and pets kept in salt water (such as clownfish and corals).
Some discussion questions to consider:
Can you think of some other animals that live mostly in fresh water?
How about some animals that live mostly in salt water?
Do you think there are animals that live in both fresh and salt water?
Does “fish” fit in the “freshwater” or “saltwater” category?
Introduction to topic: Ask students what they know about salmon and the history of salmon in Oregon. This can be a great opportunity to use a KWL chart to assess what students already know, want to know, and have learned after the lessons.
Some discussion questions to consider:
What is the state fish of Oregon?
How do you know?
What are some things you know about salmon?
What do they look like?
Background information: “At the time of first Euro-American settlement, the salmon fisheries of the Pacific Northwest seemed literally inexhaustible. Millions of fish averaging thirty pounds and more made the annual spawning run up Oregon’s numerous coastal rivers. They were an important food resource for both Native Americans and the pioneer settlers. In fact, the fish were so abundant that people often kept only the choicest cuts of meat and threw the rest away. Many thousands were caught every year, but for a while it seemed as if all the people in Oregon would never be able to eat enough salmon to put even a dent in the overall population of the fish. However, by the 1860s, new inventions and improvements in food canning technology suddenly made it possible for Oregon fishermen to preserve their catch and transport it for sale to markets around the globe. In Oregon, we have a remarkable kind of native fish called the salmon. One of the things that make the salmon so special is that it can and does live in both fresh water and salt water. As we have just been discussing: not many fish or other animals can do that!”
In order to further impress upon the students that the salmon has been important to the economy and culture of Oregon for a long time, present photographs, illustrations, and articles about salmon found on the Historic Oregon Newspapers website.
Activities can be modified several different ways, depending on the grade level and focus of study. Listed are activity ideas that can be adapted and extended to and for any grade level.
Compare and Contrast: Using the articles listed previously, and the Historic Oregon Newspapers website, have students compare and contrast the importance of salmon in the early 1900s and in the present day. To further extend this activity, have students compile information and present their findings to the class. In addition, compare and contrast the importance and use of salmon across the states.
Life Cycle Vocabulary Jeopardy: One of the topics that 4th graders learn is the life cycle of salmon. After teaching the life cycle lesson, play jeopardy using the vocabulary terms listed above or on the specific websites. This not only extends students’ learning, but also cements their understanding of these vocabulary terms. For further challenge, mix vocabulary terms and different anatomical parts of the salmon in addition to the places salmon spawn, swim, live, etc.
Image from the Sunday Oregonian, 1906. http://goo.gl/t6nF9T
Overview
As students continue their study of Oregon history, this lesson plan—with a primary source document from the Historic Oregon Newspapers website—provides another connection between students and Oregon history. This lesson plan uses an article that was submitted to the Sunday Oregonian newspaper in 1906 by a reader, and as such, provides students with exposure and experience with primary documents, authenticating the history they are learning.
The type of story the reader has submitted is an animal myth, much like a fable but without a moral to be taught. This lesson can supplement any unit under the fiction literature theme with a variety of opportunities for extensions. Some extension ideas are presented below.
Oregon Common Core State Standards
Language Arts Standards:
ELA.RL.4.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
ELA.W.4.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
ELA.W.4.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
ELA.W.4.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and including grade 4 on page 29.)
ELA.SL.4.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
Comprehension check sheet (optional; All worksheets can be found in PDF Download)
Text features check sheet (optional)
Vocabulary definition sheet (optional)
Key Vocabulary
Quarreled
Provisions
Bristled
Quills
Captive
Convicted
Condemned
Imprisoned
Sheer
Lamenting
Haunches
Lurked
Hearty
Buzz-saw
Lesson
Introduce article: Go over key features of text such as title, author, page number, publication date, newspaper name, etc. A basic text feature comprehension sheet is provided in PDF Download. Note: There are quite a few stories on this page; you may want to ask students to highlight which portion they will be focusing on. The article to be focused on, “When the Porcupine and the Bears Quarreled,” is found on the right side of the article about halfway down the page.
Some prompt ideas to consider:
Point at the title.
Say the title out loud.
Where is the publication date?
What is the publication date?
How many years ago was that?
In addition to discussion about text features of the article, have students make predictions about the story. Give students time to think of a prediction and then share with a partner, the table, or the whole class.
Introduce lesson: Introduce students to the idea of myths, describing them as stories that were created to give light to how animals or beings came to be. Merriam-Webster provides a more informative definition: “A story often describing the adventures of superhuman beings that attempt to describe the origin of a people’s customs or beliefs or to explain mysterious events (as the changing of the seasons).”
Provide some examples of animal myths. For example, “Why Zebra Has Stripes,” which is a story that describes how a zebra couple were trying to find the perfect outfit and came to agree about stripes. Another animal myth example can be found in the Weekly Chemawa American, April 2, 1909: “Why the Crow is Black.”
This may be a wonderful opportunity for students to have a short discussion about what animal myths they know, including animal myths from different parts of the world.
Read the story: You may want to read the story several times because the vocabulary and sentence structure are different than that of today. You may also want to introduce some vocabulary words prior to the reading. A list of possibly difficult vocabulary words is presented above.
After students have read the story once through, whether in groups, pairs, or individually, have them retell the events of the story to ensure comprehension.
This may be adapted using the comprehension worksheet provided in PDF Download, or have students retell the story orally to each other.
Closing and debrief: Once students have finished the comprehension sheet, gather and debrief.
Some debrief questions to consider:
What did you think about the story?
What were some interesting points of the story?
What were some boring points of the story?
How do you feel about the language of the story?
Extension Activity Ideas
Activities can be modified several different ways depending on grade level and focus of study. Listed are some activity ideas that can be adapted and extended to and for any grade level.
Create Animal Myth Story: Students choose an animal and make up a story about how that animal was created. Once students have created their stories, have them present their stories to the class, since many animal myths are part of the oral tradition of storytelling. Additionally, students could create a book illustrating the evolution of the animal.
Reader’s Theater: Though the stories presented in this article do not have characters to portray as in a play, students can still practice their oral reading skills by choral reading the stories to their classmates.
Dictionary Skills: An important skill for students to have is the ability to utilize resources to find the meaning of words they do not know. Instead of introducing difficult vocabulary, have students use the vocabulary definition sheet (in PDF Download) to look up the words in the dictionary. The activity sheet requires students to write down the guide words, definition, and create their own sentence. Blank sheets have been provided as well.
Advertisement from the Medford Mail Tribune, 1911. http://goo.gl/NnqMkQ
Overview
Students will utilize the Historic Oregon Newspapers website to study print advertisements from the nineteenth century to the early twentieth century. Contemporary advertisements from current newspapers will also be examined in order to compare and contrast the development of advertising styles, content, and strategy across history, thus bringing more awareness to advertising methods and developing further critical thinking skills.
Oregon Common Core State Standards
Language Arts Standards:
ELA.RI.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
ELA.RI.4.7 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, timelines, animations, or interactive elements on web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.
ELA.RI.4.8 Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.
Social Studies Standards:
Historical Thinking 4.6: Create and evaluate timelines that show relationships among people, events, and movements in Oregon history.
Historical Thinking 4.7: Use primary and secondary sources to create or describe a narrative about events in Oregon history.
Economics 4.17: Analyze different buying choices and their opportunity costs while demonstrating the difference between needs and wants.
Preparation: Assign students the homework of finding and bringing advertisements from recent newspapers and magazines that they find appealing.
Introduction: Start lesson with students presenting their advertisements and discussing the reasons for their appeal.
Some discussion questions to consider:
What drew you to this particular ad?
What strategies have the advertising professionals used to capture your attention and convince you to buy the product?
How accurately does it represent the product it was intended to sell?
How much does this matter?
Background on Advertising: Far from being a “modern” development, advertising has been an important part of the American economy from its earliest days. Newspaper and magazine publishers have long used the sale of advertising space in their pages in order to help make their ventures profitable. Businesses that make products and professionals who provide services to the community have always relied on some form of advertising to attract customers, and consumers have used ads to help them decide how to spend their money.
Activity: Students will use the Historic Oregon Newspapers website to explore past issues of periodical publications in order to study their advertising content. You may choose to have the entire class look in their local or regional newspaper, or individual students may be assigned different papers from throughout the state.
Instruct the class to examine issues of the paper from two different eras: 1870 and 1920.
The aim will be to compare the ways that print advertising style and strategy remained unchanged over this fifty-year period, and contrast the ways that ads evolved and changed between 1870 and 1920.
Provide students with a graphic organizer to organize the ideas that they find, as well as an activity sheet to guide their research. (Example provided in PDF Download.)
Discussion: Facilitate a class discussion about the findings of the class.
Some discussion questions to consider:
Were you surprised by the nature and quality of ads from yesteryear?
How do they look to our modern eyes?
How do you think they looked to people living back then?
What are the major ways that current advertisements have changed from those of the past?
How has the invention of modern communications technologies such as radio, television, and the Internet changed advertising?
What are the differences between a “good” and a “bad” advertisement?
Can you think of any “sneaky” ways that products get advertised without most people even realizing it?
How do you think advertising affects your life?
Extension Activity Ideas
Activities can be modified several different ways depending on grade level and focus of study. Listed are some activity ideas that can be adapted and extended to and for any grade level.
Compare and Contrast: Ask students to bring in a complete newspaper that was written during current times. Using this newspaper, have students fill out the activity sheet (provided in PDF Download). Then using the compare and contrast graphic organizer along with the questionnaire, have students compare and contrast the newspaper from 1870 with the newspaper from 2015.
Additionally, students may compare and contrast the newspaper from 1920 with the newspaper from 2015.
Abigail Scott Duniway. Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Overview
In 1912, Oregon became the seventh state in the Union to pass an amendment granting the right of suffrage to women. This lesson aims to personalize the effects of this amendment for students via an in-class voting exercise, then deepen their understanding of the issues framing the suffrage debate through further research on the Historic Oregon Newspapers website.
Oregon Common Core State Standards
Language Arts Standards:
ELA.RI.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
ELA.RI.4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
ELA.RI.4.9 Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
ELA.RL.4.9 Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literatures from different cultures.
ELA.W.4.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
ELA.SL.4.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
ELA.SL.4.1a Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
ELA.SL.4.1b Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.
ELA.SL.4.1c Pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or follow up on information, and make comments that contribute to the discussion and link to the remarks of others.
Social Studies Standards:
Historical Knowledge 4.2 Explain how key individuals and events influenced the early growth and changes in Oregon.
Historical Thinking 4.5 Distinguish between fact and fiction in historical accounts by comparing documentary sources on historical figures and events with fictional characters and events in stories.
Government 4.15 Describe and evaluate how historical Oregon governments affected groups within the state (citizens, foreigners, women, class systems, minority groups, tribes).
Materials
Historic Oregon Newspapers website
Paper ballot or adapted ballot (see example in PDF Download)
Place to “go to the polls” (optional)
Document camera, whiteboard, or SMART Board
Chart paper
Markers
Key Vocabulary
Consensus
Suffrage
Tabulate
Ballot
Compare
Contrast
Lesson
Preparation:
Optional: Set up an area of the classroom that students can experience “going to the polls.” This may include a table in the corner or blockers at desk without a box.
Print copies of the paper ballot (included below); set up survey questions using technology (such as Google Docs or Survey Monkey) or written questions on whiteboard/document camera/SMART Board.
Introduction: Introduce key vocabulary.
Some activities to introduce vocabulary are jigsaw share, with students taking one vocabulary word and becoming experts to present to fellow classmates; whole group discussion of vocabulary words; and word search.
Introduce activity: Introduce simulation prior to the topic of study.
Inform students that you would determine the popular—or consensus—opinion of the class on a number of topics.
Ask them to “go to the polls” and cast their votes on a secret ballot. A sample paper ballot is provided below. However, you may wish to change the questions to align to your classroom—the intent is to pose questions whose responses would be expected to skew along boy/girl lines.
To further simulation, you may appoint official ballot collectors or counters to tally up the ballots when finished.
Have official ballot collectors or counters tally up ballots for ONLY boys, publicly displaying the tally marks on SMART Board/whiteboard/document camera so the class may review them.
Discussion:
Some discussion questions to consider:
Are the boys in class largely satisfied with the results? How about the girls?
How confident did the boys feel when they found out only their votes would count?
How did the girls feel when they learned they would be left out?
To what extent does the result of this vote accurately capture the opinion of the whole class?
Was this vote truly fair and democratic?
Re-tabulate ballots including both boys and girls.
Discussion:
Some discussion questions to consider:
Were the results of any poll results changed by including both boys’ and girls’ votes?
How were the votes affected?
Is this result more or less fair and representative than the boys-only vote?
Activities can be modified several different ways depending on grade level and focus of study. Listed are some activity ideas that can be adapted and extended to and for any grade level.
Mock Debate: After students have debriefed on this voting simulation, and participated in an in-class discussion about their experiences, choose a period-related topic for students to debate. Assign roles to students, allow for preparation, and give opportunities to compile and research evidence to prove their side. Additionally, prepare students by having practice debates, watching videos of famous debates, and analyzing the elements for a strong debate, i.e. opening statements, arguments, rebuttals, etc.
Group Presentation: Assign students to a period-related topic to research using the Historic Oregon Newspapers website in order to create a presentation for the whole class. Some topic ideas include: suffrage, women’s rights, equal rights, property rights, marriage, voting rights, slavery, etc. Have students use the advanced search option to input keywords and specify timelines. Some useful articles are listed below:
Scavenger Hunt/Compare and Contrast: Using an adapted scavenger hunt worksheet (example provided below), students browse through the History Oregon Newspapers website finding the elements and key features that determine a document as a newspaper, narrowing the search to specific timelines i.e. 1890-1900. Additionally, students can compare and contrast these elements of a newspaper written in the time frame to newspapers during modern times. Refer to the Newspaper Vocabulary List for a compilation of newspaper-related terms, which can also provide for an extension activity opportunity. Once students have had exposure to the elements of a newspaper, they can create their own newspaper, either in small groups or individually, using the same stories but creating this piece according to the elements of a newspaper used currently and those used in the past. This activity can be partnered with a language arts lesson focusing on writing styles and what makes an interesting, descriptive piece.
Compare and Contrast Activity: Compare and contrast Abigail Duniway and Susan B. Anthony, providing interesting lessons in the ways that seemingly unified political movements can also harbor deep ideological divisions within their ranks. It can also demonstrate the ways in which differing personal histories and backgrounds can lead like-minded people to take very different approaches to a shared problem. This activity can be extended into analysis of famous politicians or famous figures whom were/are part of the same “side” but had/have differing platforms. Some useful articles are listed below:
Compare and Contrast Activity: Using the Oregon Blue Book, compare and contrast the original Oregon Constitution of 1857 with the constitution as it currently stands. This activity can be extended into creation of amendments to the constitution as it currently stands or to the original version.
Background About the Life and Work of Abigail Scott Duniway
Abigail Scott Duniway was Oregon’s most prominent early advocate of women’s rights. From 1871 to 1887, she published the New Northwest, a Portland-based weekly newspaper dedicated to women’s issues and rights, particularly suffrage—the legal right to vote and to run for elected office.
Abigail was born in Illinois in 1834; when she was eighteen years old, her family traveled 2,400 miles over the Oregon Trail and settled near Lafayette in the Willamette Valley. Her mother and her youngest brother died on the journey west. In 1859, she wrote a book inspired by her pioneer experience, Captain Gray’s Company, or Crossing the Plains and Living in Oregon, which was the first novel to be professionally published in Oregon. In 1866, Duniway, along with her husband, Benjamin, and their five children, moved to the town of Albany. Benjamin Duniway had been injured in a farming accident, and Abigail was thrust into the role of providing for her family. After working for a time, she would prove her business acumen by opening a hat shop, which she successfully ran for five years before relocating to Portland to launch the New Northwest.
Eighteen seventy-one—the year of the New Northwest’s debut—also saw the first campaign to try to win the vote for Oregon women.In the pages of the New Northwest, Duniway advocated not only for voting rights, but also for greater social and legal equality for women in general. In managing this effort, Duniway was personally advised by the prominent national activist Susan B. Anthony, who came west for three months to help Duniway strategize and wage the battle. The two women became fast friends but also discovered differences in their personalities and modes of tactical thinking that would, through the years, place a strain on their relationship. Anthony considered Duniway stubborn, overbearing, and disorganized, while Duniway, for her part, regarded Anthony as something of an eastern elitist.
Background on the State and U.S. Constitutions
Complete text of the U.S. Constitution is available from a number of online sources, including usconstitution.net (http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html). The most relevant sections to this discussion will be the 14th Amendment and 19th Amendment.
As it was originally written and ratified, the U.S. Constitution made no direct mention, positive or negative, of the right of women to vote—social conventions of the day simply implied that women did not have that right. The nature of the suffragists’ struggle was striving to change this mind-set. In the pages of New Northwest is an Oregon suffragist’s speech arguing that the Constitution, in fact, guarantees women the right to vote:
The Oregon Digital Newspaper Program strives to continually add more content to Historic Oregon Newspapers online. To view a list of Oregon titles that are currently available for searching and browsing online, as well as a list of forthcoming titles, please visit our informational Title Selection page.
The left column, “NDNP Titles,” lists all Oregon newspapers that have been digitized through the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP) with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, in partnership with the Library of Congress. These titles are available both on Historic Oregon Newspapers online and Chronicling America, a nationwide historic newspaper database hosted by the Library of Congress. Forthcoming titles will be made available online as soon as possible. Stay tuned to our blog for announcements of newly added content and other project updates and highlights.
The right column, “Oregon-Only Titles,” lists all Oregon newspapers that are available on Historic Oregon Newspapers online, with funding from various grants, donations, and partnerships with public libraries, historical societies, and other heritage groups across the state.
