This document provides details for planning a unit on Railroads, Labor, Immigration, and The Great Depression for 7th grade middle school students. It describes the learners as being 12-13 years old from a mix of Caucasian and other races from low to middle income families living in a metro area with exposure to technology. The unit aims to meet social studies standards on geography, innovation, historical thinking skills, and the role of individuals/groups. Assessments will include an online quiz, map labeling activity, multimedia group presentations comparing historical accounts, and a short essay. The unit can be conducted blended or fully online using digital tools and platforms for collaboration and presenting.

1. 1. Describe the typical characteristics of your learner. (Who are the learners? What
are students’ ages, cultural backgrounds, interests, etc.? What is the level of
familiarity of the students with the instructional methods and technological delivery
systems under consideration? How will the students apply the knowledge gained in
the course, and how is this course sequenced with other courses? Can the class be
categorized into several broad subgroups, each with different characteristics?)
(10pts) Due on September 13, Friday
I will be planning my unit for Middle School Students (7th Graders) who would
be about 12-13 years old. My learners will be a mix of Caucasian and other
races. My learners will be from low and middle income generating
families. My learners will live in a metro area and come from a variety of
different cultures and religions. Most students have smart phones or iPods,
and a great deal of exposure to technology outside of the classroom. My
students will have had exposure to some online activities and units
throughout my class. They will have had experience using Web 2.0 tools for
collaboration, such as WikiSpaces and a few others. This course will be in
the middle of the school year, so they will have had opportunities to use
technology within a classroom setting in my course before this unit.
2. What content/topic are you planning to teach? (e.g. History, Math, Music,
Reading,
PE, Science, Spanish, Technology, Visual Arts, etc.) (10pts) Due on September 13,
Friday
I plan on teaching Social Studies: History - Railroads, Labor, Immigration, and
The Great Depression.
3. What learning standard(s) are you planning to meet in your unit? Copy and paste
the
standard(s) and indicates where you got it/them from in your report. (10pts) Due on
September 13, Friday
Social Studies: Grade Span 6-8: History - History is the study and analysis of
the past. Built upon a foundation of historical knowledge, history seeks to analyze
the past in order to describe the relationship between historical facts, concepts, and
generalizations. History draws upon cause and effect relationships within multiple
social narratives to help explain complex human interactions. Understanding the
past provides context for the present and implications for the future.
Understand the effects of geographic factors on historical events.
Understand the role of innovation on the development and interaction of societies.
Understand cause and effect relationships and other historical thinking skills in order to
interpret events and issues.

2. Understand the role of individuals and groups within a society as promoters of change or
the status quo.
--I got these Standards from
http://www.educateiowa.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2475&
Itemid=4569
4) What learning objectives are you going to make your students meet?
Note: your learning objectives should be aligned with the standard(s) you chose.
(10pts) Due by September 27, Friday
Students will be able to name two geographic features and two ways each
factor had affected history.
Students will describe how innovations of the Industrial Revolution had
impacted society at that time.
Students will give examples of how different accounts of history affect how
history is told.
Students will describe how everyday people influenced major changes in
society during the time period.
5) How are you going to evaluate/assess if the students achieved the
objectives? (10pts) Due by September 27, Friday
There will be a quiz at the end of the unit, taken in person or online, to
assess the students of their knowledge of the content. Also, the students will be
given a map with different landscapes across America and be asked to label the
parts of the region and their environmental attributes from that time in
history. Students will be grouped into small groups and assigned a different
group of people and about that group of people, they will create a multimedia
presentation to be shared with the class, telling how that group was affected
during the time period or the things the group of people did to contribute to the
development of America in that time period. Students will write a small essay
after comparing/contrasting two different accounts of the same event and explain
why it matters to consider who is retelling an experience.
6) Describe the environment(s) in which you anticipate your learning
environment occurring. For example: Fully online? Blended? Lab? Home? What
are the characteristics of the environment(s)? (10pts) Due by September 27,
Friday
This unit would be able to be done blended or fully online. Ideally, it would be
blended though, due to the age of the students. All the forms of assessment can
be done online, or at a students home. The group presentations would take
some forms of digital collaboration, which would be up to the students to figure

3. out how they would like to do so. If the class was blended, class time would be
allotted for them work within their groups on their presentations. The
presentations would be posted online for all the students to view. The quiz would
probably be timed, and consist of multiple choice, true false, and short answer
questions. Also, the short essay could be done at the students’ convenience at
home.