Teaching American History Lesson Plan Template |
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| Title: | The Pony Express versus The Telegraph | Teacher's Name: | Wilkinson, Jessica, |
| Teacher's E-mail: | Date: | ||
| Lesson Title | The Pony Express versus The Telegraph | ||
School: |
Both Schools | ||
| Attachments | |
| Power Point Slides: | Pony Express |
| NE Standards 12.1.13 |
Overview/Introduction This lesson gives a brief overview of the history of the Pony Express and how the development of the telegraph made the Pony Express too slow and obsolete to continue. |
| Grade Level Grades |
Established Goals (Learning Objectives) Students will be able to identify the purpose and significance behind the Pony Express. They will also be able to identify the reasons it lasted only a short time. |
| Duration 50 minute class period+ |
Understandings (Background Knowledge) Ranked among the most remarkable feats to come out of the 1860 American West, the Pony Express was in service from April 1860 to November 1861. Its primary mission was to deliver mail and news between St. Joseph, Missouri, and San Francisco, California. |
| Materials Computer with PowerPoint. Projector to project PowerPoint. Computer lab if available to do research for the paper. |
Essential Questions (Engaging Questions) What was the significance behind the development and implementation of the Pony Express? |
| Primary Sources |
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| Learning Activities (Procedure) Day 1: *Discuss with students a time they have taken a long trip. Have them share their thoughts behind the trip and what they liked about driving or flying and what they didn’t like. Then discuss the length of the journey the riders had to make by horseback and the discomforts and hardships they faced on their journey. *Display the map of the Pony Express Route from St. Louis to Sacramento. (http://www.xphomestation.com/xpdrive-ca-mo.html) The route is approximately 2000 miles by car today. It is important to remember that during the 1860s the route was difficult and rough. It would take the Pony Express Rider approximately ten days to complete the journey, which was unprecedented at that time. *Go through the PowerPoint titled “Pony Express versus The Telegraph”. Discuss the main points as you go through the information and allow students to ask any questions they may have. *Students will make a timeline showing the progression of technology for communication from the days of the Pony Express to the present. They will write a one – two page paper explaining the advantages of the most modern forms of communication. |
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| Technology Links http://www.xphomestation.com/maps.html http://www.nps.gov/poex/ |
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| Differentiated Instructional Strategies (Learning Advice) http://www.xphomestation.com/maps.html http://www.nps.gov/poex/ |
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| Assessment Evidence / Performance Tasks *Timeline and paper |