Designed for Students in Grades 4-6 This iAdventure is an interactive story that allows your students to work in pairs to "travel" along with a character living during the 1800s. Along the way students will link to websites to research and compare what life was like in the northern and southern regions of the United States before the Civil War. Students will then make a choice to travel and visit the character's family in either New York or South Carolina. During their visit, the Civil War begins and so students will link to websites to research the issues surrounding the war. Based on their findings they will then write a letter to the main character's family in Missouri explaining the perspective of the family that they are staying with.
Curriculum Standards The following Missouri Show-Me Standards may be met with this activity:
Goal 1:2 Conduct research to answer questions and evaluate information and ideas
Goal 1:4 Use technological tools and other resources to locate, select and organize information
Goal 2:3 Exchange information, questions and ideas while recognizing the perspectives of others
Goal 3:6 Examine problems and proposed solutions from multiple perspectives
Goal 4:1 Explain reasoning and identify information used to support decisions
CA:1 Speaking and writing standard English
CA:4 Writing formally
CA:6 Participating in formal and informal presentations and discussions of issues and ideas
SS:6 Relationships of the individual and groups to institutions and cultural traditions
SS:7 The use of tools of social science inquiry (such as surveys, statistics, maps, documents)
Resources Needed Internet-connected computers
Data Sheet for each student
Stationary for each student
Scoring Guide for each student
Data Sheet
Use this data sheet to collect the information needed to help Christopher make a decision whether to visit his family in New York or South Carolina.
Northern Region Southern Region Occupations
Populations
Entertainment
Education
Click here to open the data sheet file and then print.
Assessment The student prompt and scoring guide for assessment is located at the conclusion of the iAdventure for the students. This is what it says:
You will receive a grade for three areas of learning. One portion of your grade will be earned based on cooperation with your team member. Another part of your grade will be earned based on the data sheet that you complete on the northern and southern regions during the 1800s. The final portion of your grade will be earned for the letter you write to Christopher's parents. The letter that you compose will be graded based on content, mechanics, and appearance. Mechanics includes writing your letter in correct friendly letter format.
Now that you have investigated the websites about the issues surrounding the Civil War and have listed at least six reasons for supporting the point of view of the family that you are visiting, you are ready to help Christopher actually write a letter to his parents in Missouri explaining the reasons for their position.
You will want to write a rough draft of your letter before writing a final copy on the stationary provided by your teacher. Your letter must contain the following information:
1. An inside address. Use your imagination to create an address from the location you chose to visit and a date (probably around April 1861).
2. A greeting to Christopher's family followed by a comma.
3. An introductory paragraph that tells the family that Christopher is safe and is writing the letter as promised.
4. The body of the letter should include the point of view of the family that you are staying with whether they support the Union or the Confederates. Offer at least three reasons that they support this view with the information that you located on the websites.
5. A closing paragraph to finish your letter and wish Christopher's family well.
6. A closing followed by a comma.
7. A signature.
Time Travel in the 1800s Scoring Guide
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Does not use correct letter form. Numerous grammatical/mechanical errors are made. | Uses letter form with many errors. Many grammatical/mechanical errors made. | Uses letter form with very few errors. Few grammatical/mechanical errors made. | Uses correct letter form with no grammatical/mechanical errors made. | |
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Always relys on others to do the work. | Rarely does the assigned work--often needs reminding. | Usually does the assigned work-- rarely needs reminding. | Always does the assigned work without having to be reminded. | |
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Acknowledgements
The iAdventure concept was developed in the Warrensburg, MO school district by Stan Smith, as part of the "Learning with iAdventures" program. This program was funded by a Competitive Technology grant from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
For more information on iAdventures, visit the iAdventure Home Page.