American History Lesson Plans Florida Railroads

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LESSON PLAN FORMAT
Jeanne N Asberry 6/7/2016
LessonTitle American History-The Florida Railroads Grade 4
NGSSS/ Florida
Standards
SS.4.A.4.1-Explain the effects of technological advances on Florida.
SS.4.A.6.1-Describe the economic development of Florida’s major
industries.
LAFS.4.RI.3.9-Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in
order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
LAFS.4.RI.2.4
Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words
or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
Arts Standards
TH.4.C.3.2-Create an original scene or monologue based on a historical
event or person.
 NCSS Social Studies
Theme(s)
Time, continuity and change-The lesson will explore a
brief history of Florida’s railroad industry.
Science, technology, and society-This lesson will also
explain how railroads impacted Florida’s economy.
 Character Education
Enlightenment of individual…become a productive member
of society (Duplass, 2011, p.18).
 Citizenship Education Civic Engagement (Duplass, 2011, p.36)
 Multicultural/Global
Education
The Content of Global Education (Duplass, 2011, p.50)
Essential
Question
How did the use of the railroads have an effect on Florida’s economy?
Type of lesson New knowledge
Assessment
Summative
(include a tool or
data you’ll gather)
N/A
Formative
(include specific
ways to measure
and document
progress)
Facilitate and assist students, circulate and observe to ensure students
are on task, train shaped graphic organizer, rubric,
Learning Objectives
Objective(s)
During the reading of an informational text about the history of
Florida’s railroads, students will list five facts correctly on a graphic
organizer.
Prior Knowledge
SS.3.A.1.1-Analyze primary and secondary sources.
LAFS.3.L.3.4-Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and
multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and
content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

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a. Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or
phrase.
Complexity
Skill/Concept on Webb’s Depth of Knowledge. Students should not
have too much difficulty since they were taught to analyze primary and
secondary sources. A secondary source will be used to teach the
history of the Florida railroads.
Vocabulary
Itinerary, eventually, stagecoach, adviser, architect, purchased, shacks,
extended, appreciation, official, operated
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Webb’s Depth of
Knowledge
Knowledge-What do you already know about trains? What do you
think are some of their uses?
Comprehension- How did the use of the railroads have an effect on
Florida’s economy?
Application-Besides the uses stated, do you know of another instance
where railroads could be used?
Analysis-In 1883 there were no connecting Jacksonville to Florida,
what do you think were some of the problems before the railroad?
Synthesis-What impact would there have been if Henry Flagler had not
built the railroads?
Evaluation-Do you think there is a need for railroads today? Why or
why not?
Instructional
DesignFramework
Direct Instruction, guided practice, cooperative learning
Differentiation
What special characteristics and unique qualities do your students have
that you should account for in some way? How will you handle high,
medium, and low knowledge and skill levels? (ELL, ESE 504 needs,
and document specific IEP requirements)
 VaryingExceptionalities-The teacher during the lesson
is conducting guided practice. Modeling, step by step
instructions, use of a graphic organizer and have them
repeat the instructions.
 DiverseLearners-Visual-useof graphic organizer and
pictures fromthe book Kinesthetic-simulation of the
Tropicana train stops
 Cultural-teacherwillobserve students to identify task
orientation and ensure that all students are on task.
Teacher will communicate expectations.
 EnglishLanguageLearners –useof book on LED
projector, guided practice,and peer pair, graphic
organizer
 AcceleratedLearners-Afterstudent completes their
graphic organizer, they can begin on this assignment by
writing one paragraph. What do you think would happen

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if the trains did not arrive on time to their destination?
Who or what wouldbe effected?
 HighPoverty-teacher will speak in formal register,
monitor progress, model asking questions.
Technology LED projector and computer
Materials and
Resources
Resources-
Book-Henry Flagler, Builder of Florida by Sandra Wallus Sammons
Book-Railroads of Southwest Florida by Gregg M. Turner
Florida Railroad Museum- Pictures of rail cars and history.
http://www.frrm.org/
Flagler Museum-Florida East Coast Railway-
https://flaglermuseum.us/history/florida-east-coast-railway
Role play-Tropicana Backhaul Rail Stops-
http://www.transact3pl.com/Tropicana.pdf
Rubric-http://rubistar.4teachers.org/
Materials-
Graphic Organizer-https://www.pinterest.com/thebeezyteacher/i-
think-i-can-i-think-i-can/
Conductor hats-
http://www.archives.alabama.gov/activity/conductor_hat_revised.pdf
Oranges
Construction paper
Printer paper
Train whistle
Approximate Time
Frame
20 minutes
Instructional Delivery and Facilitation
Opening All aboard the Florida History
Express Line!
Place EQ on the board with
itinerary.
1. Reading of book-
2. Turn and talk of their
vocabulary words
3. Tropicana train simulation
Prior knowledge questions:
Bloom’s Knowledge question:
What do you already know about
trains? What do you think they are
used for?
Students are seated quietly
waiting for lesson to begin and
all eyes are on the teacher.
Student responses:
“Trains take you places”
“People ride trains”
“They can be used to move
food”

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Development
The lesson will show differentiation
with the followingstrategies:
 VaryingExceptionalities-
The teacher during the
lesson is conducting guided
practice. Modeling, step by
step instructions, use of a
graphic organizer and have
them repeat the instructions.
 DiverseLearners-Visual-
use of graphic organizer and
pictures fromthe book
Kinesthetic-simulation of the
Tropicana train stops
 Cultural-teacherwill
observe students to identify
task orientation and ensure
that all students are on task.
Teacher will communicate
expectations.
 EnglishLanguageLearners
–use of bookon LED
projector, guided practice,
and peer pair, graphic
organizer
 AcceleratedLearners-
After student completes
their graphic organizer, they
can begin on this assignment
by writing one paragraph.
What do you think would
happen if the trains did not
arrive on time to their
destination? Who or what
would be effected?
 HighPoverty-teacher will
speak in formal register,
monitor progress, model
asking questions.
Timeline is being projected: The
teacher reads the timeline on Henry
Flagler (Henry Flagler, Builder of
Possible barriers- Some
students may be field dependent
having very little exposure to
trains and/or may have limited
knowledge of trains.
Students are following along
with the teacher as she reads the
timeline.

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Florida by Sandra Wallus
Sammons). As the teacher reads the
timeline the following question is
asked and students can complete
the graphic organizer:
Analysis-In 1883 there were no
trains connecting Jacksonville to
Florida, what do you think were
some of the problems before the
railroad?
The teacher then performs an
image walk with the book
(Railroads of Southwest Florida by
Gregg M. Turner)
After the reading of timeline and
image walk the following questions
are asked:
Application-Besides the uses
stated, do you know of another
instance where railroads could be
used?
Synthesis-What impact would
there have been if Henry Flagler
had not built the railroads?
Evaluation-Do you think there is a
need for railroads today? Why or
why not?
Please make sure you have five
facts from the reading and image
walk on your I Now Know graphic
organizer as this is how you will be
graded.
Transition- I would like to quickly
discuss some vocabulary words
within the timeline that we just
read. You and a partner will be
presented with two words and you
Student responses:
“People could not move their
crops”
“Very few visitors”
“Rural towns would stay rural”
Student responses:
“Coal”
“Ships”
“Natural gas”
“Oil barrels”
Student responses:
“Florida’s economy from
Jacksonville to Miami would
not be there.”
“Miami would not be the city it
is today”
“Farmers could not transport
crops”
Student responses:
Answers and justifications will
vary.

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will perform a “turn and talk.”
After, each group will discuss the
definitions with the class. You will
be given five minutes. Once you
have a definition, write it on the
board (Teacher facilitates and
circulates).
Vocabulary words are:
 eventually
 stagecoach
 adviser
 architect
 purchased
 shacks
 extended
 appreciation
 official
 operated
Transition: Turn to your partner
and tell them thank you for sharing
your word skills with me. Everyone
please stand inside the horseshoe.
We will now begin our railroad
simulation. (Engineer hats are
already assembled and colored,
route information cards and routes
are hung on tables within the
horseshoe).Please place your
engineer hats on and I need 2-3
people each to stand near each
section marked by three routes. NJ
to Bradenton, Cincinnati to
Bradenton, and City of Industry,
CA to Bradenton. Oh! You all will
be transporting oranges to
Bradenton as part of Tropicana.
Can someone tell me why we are
doing this? Pick up your route
cards and oranges and let us begin.
Time is money. (Teacher will play
train whistle sound)
Teacher quickly models and guides
students in the simulation.
Students responses:
“in the end”
“type of covered wagon”
“helps people make a decision”
“one who designs buildings”
“to buy”
“roughly built hut or cabin”
“made larger”
“grateful for something”
“approved by authority”
“to put or keep working”
Student responses:
“Railroads carry crops like
oranges”

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Closing the Lesson Essential Question: Bloom’s
Comprehension-How did the use of
the railroads have an effect on
Florida’s economy? Exit tickets
out the door.
Student’s hand in graphic
organizer and exit ticket
Student responses will vary.

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Analysis
One of the standards of the Common Core curriculum is to have students college and
career-ready. This statement implies that students can comprehend non-narrative texts. Not only
must they comprehend these texts, but also be able to write and read to enhance their knowledge
of various informational topics. In fact, it has been predicted that in the future 80-90% of student
reading will be expository (Moss, 2013). According to Moss (2013), there are ten essentials for
teaching informational texts. 1) Terminology varies in regards to informational texts. Some will
use expository texts, others might use nonfiction to refer to narrative and expository. Then there
are people who exclude narrative texts and others who include multimedia. 2) Students should
learn a variety of text types. Moss (2013) noted in her article, Ten Essentials for Teaching
Informational Texts, that students in preschool through third grade rarely hear informational text
read aloud at home or school. Second graders only received one minute per day of informational
text while third and fourth grade averaged 16 minutes per day. 3) The student’s reading
comprehension and thought processes are different when reading a narrative versus an
informational text (Moss, 2013). 4) Students should be taught other content integrated with
informational text. Due to No Child Left Behind and the focus being on math and reading, other
content areas were left behind. Out of 800 third grade classrooms, only 5% of time was devoted
to social studies in California. 5)Literacy assessment must include informational text. 6) There
should be explicit instruction in academic language. 7) As stated before, writing informational
text is important with the use of the academic language. 8) Students need to be able to discern
the truth from text. 9) Teachers should use trade books to offer the in-depth knowledge necessary
for students to comprehend informational topics. The textbook is not enough. 10) Teacher
familiarity with all types of informational text increases student success (Moss, 2013).

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Reference
Moss, B. (2013). Ten essentials for teaching informational texts. California Reader, 46 (3), 9-21.

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I Now Know…Five Facts About Florida Railroad History

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Teacher Name: Ms. Asberry
Student Name: ________________________________________
CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Content/Facts Student listed five
facts with accuracy
and correctness.
Student listed four
facts with accuracy
and correctness.
Students listed one
to two facts with
accuracy and
correctness.
Student was unable
to list any facts that
were accurate or
correct.
Time Use Classroom time was
used to work on the
organizer.
Conversations were
not disruptive and
focused on the
work.
Classroom time was
used to work on the
organizer the
majority of the
time. Conversations
were not disruptive
and focused on the
work.
Classroom time was
used to work on the
organizer the
majority of the
time, but
conversations often
were disruptive or
did not focus on the
work.
Student did not use
classroom time to
work on the
organizer and/or
was highly
disruptive.
Date Created: Jun 04, 2016 08:23 am (CDT)
Timeline : I Now Know Graphic Organizer

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Route 1-Jersey City, NJ to Bradenton
1213 miles
180-250 cars per week
2.5-3 days average transit time
Five departures per week Monday-
Friday
Route 2-Cincinnati, OH to Bradenton
1100 miles
Average 54 cars per week
3-4 day transit time
Monday through Saturday departures
Route 3-City of Industry, CA to
Bradenton
2500 miles
Average 35 cars per week
Ten days average train transit time
Currently five departures weekly

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Exit Ticket
How did the use of the railroads have
an effect on Florida’s economy?
Exit Ticket
How did the use of the railroads
have an effect on Florida’s
economy?
Exit Ticket
economy?
Exit Ticket
Exit Ticket
economy?
Exit Ticket
economy?
Exit Ticket
Exit Ticket
economy?
Exit Ticket
economy?

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Vocabulary Sheet
Oh Dear! Would you look at the time? You will have five minutes to write down a definition
to your two vocabulary words during a turn and talk. Choose a time keeper and begin.
eventually
stagecoach
adviser
architect
purchased
shacks
extended
appreciation
official
operated

American History Lesson Plans Florida Railroads

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