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Marco Paul's Travels on the Erie Canal
Overview
In Jacob Abbott's book, Marco Paul's Travels
on the Erie Canal, Marco's cousin Forester explains to Marco that
there are two "modes of acquiring knowledge" -- through books
and through observation. Students obtain more complete and meaningful
understanding of a topic when provided with experiences that use both
primary and secondary sources. Join Marco on his educational voyage in
the 1840s, experiencing the Erie Canal and "lessons in life"
firsthand.
| Objectives |
Students will:
- understand the impact of the Erie Canal on the economic and social growth of New York and the nation;
- use a variety of different resources
(people, photographs, maps, text, etc.) in different media (print,
music, electronic, video, etc.) to gather and interpret information
using established criteria;
- develop an understanding of the diverse social,
historical, and cultural dimensions during the early years of
the Erie Canal through literature; and
- apply what they have learned by creating a primary source alphabet book on the Erie Canal.
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| Time Required |
Four weeks |
| Recommended Grade Level |
Grades 4-8 |
| Curriculum Fit |
New York State History and Geography, Language Arts, Information Problem Solving, and Technology |
| Standards |
McREL 4th Edition Standards & Benchmarks
Geography
Standard 14. Understands how human actions modify the physical environment
Historical Understanding
Standard 2. Understands the historical perspective
Language Arts
Standard 6. Uses Reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of literary texts
Standard 9. Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media
US History
Standard 17. Understands massive immigration after 1870 and how new social patterns, conflicts, and ideas of national unity developed amid growing cultural diversity |
| Resources Used |
Student Sources
Teacher Sources
Materials
Examples of
Student Work |
Overview | Teacher's
Guide
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