Last updated: August 25, 2019
Lesson Plan
Interacting with Yorktown Through Outdoor Activities
- Grade Level:
- Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
- Subject:
- Literacy and Language Arts,Social Studies
- Lesson Duration:
- 60 Minutes
- Common Core Standards:
- 5.L.3.b, 5.L.4, 5.L.4.a, 5.L.4.c, 5.L.5.a, 5.L.5.b, 5.L.6
- State Standards:
- English Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools - 2017
English 5.1
English 5.2
English 5.3
English 5.6
English 5.7
English 5.9 - Thinking Skills:
- Remembering: Recalling or recognizing information ideas, and principles. Understanding: Understand the main idea of material heard, viewed, or read. Interpret or summarize the ideas in own words. Applying: Apply an abstract idea in a concrete situation to solve a problem or relate it to a prior experience. Analyzing: Break down a concept or idea into parts and show the relationships among the parts. Evaluating: Make informed judgements about the value of ideas or materials. Use standards and criteria to support opinions and views.
Essential Question
What is the history behind Yorktown? How does the building designs reflect the building purposes? How does the environment affect the town design? What are the important organizations of a town? Who are the people buried within this town? How can we be inspired to create research questions?
Objective
English 5.1
English 5.2
English 5.3
English 5.6
English 5.7
English 5.9
Background
Yorktown Scavenger Hunt
Knowledge:
• Basic math and logic skills
• Reading and analysis
Skills
• How to use a map
Plotting a Town Interactive Game
Knowledge:
• Life in Revolutionary Yorktown
•Basic math and logic skills
Skills
• Map plotting
• Group discussion
• Decision making
Churchyard (Re)search
Knowledge:
• Life in colonial Yorktown
Skills
• Map plotting
• Research
Preparation
Yorktown Scavenger Hunt
Teachers and adult helpers should have the free app (Goosechase) downloaded to their smartphone before arriving.
Plotting a Town Interactive Game
N/a
Churchyard (Re)search
Teachers may want to review Churchyard etiquette with their students before arriving.
Materials
Directions for creating your own scavenger hunt using Goosechase.com
Download Scavenger Hunt Handouts Part 1
Directions for using Goosechase the App during a scavenger hunt.
Download Scavenger Hunt Handouts Part 2
Companion handout for an EASY Yorktown Scavenger Hunt.
Download Scavenger Hunt Handouts Part 3
Companion handout for a HARD Yorktown Scavenger Hunt.
Download Scavenger Hunt Handouts Part 4
Companion handout for more understanding of the Hessian's role in the war.
Download Scavenger Hunt Handouts Part 5
Most materials required to play.
Rubric for the final product.
Download Churchyard (Re)search Part 1
Brainstorming/pre-writing worksheet for students to complete while they are at the site.
Download Churchyard (Re)search Part 2
Guided source evaluation sheet for students as they research.
Download Churchyard (Re)search Part 3
Handouts on cemetery etiquette
Download Churchyard (Re)search Part 4
Handouts on cemetery etiquette
Download Churchyard (Re)search Part 5
Short overview of the historic occupants of Grace Church cemetery.
Download Churchyard (Re)search Part 6
Teacher guided questions to help with the research process.
Download Churchyard (Re)search Part 7
Procedure
Yorktown Scavenger Hunt
1. Divide students into groups of 4-8. Make sure there is at least one adult with each group.
2. Explain to students that there are hidden artifacts located throughout Yorktown and that it’s going to be their job to find it and complete each task connected with the artifact.
3. They only have a set time limit to complete these tasks and they will need to meet up at the Sommerwell House.
4. Also emphasize the following directions:
a. They should not cross Ballard Street on the SW (and NW) and Water Street on the NE.
5. Then let them go!
6. Once everyone makes it back to the Summerwell House, have them reflect on the most interesting artifact and why they thought it was the most interesting.
Plotting a Town Interactive Game
1. Review the map of Yorktown and look at its hills, cliffs, and valleys.
2. Discuss why that might be important to a people that did not have cars or planes.
3. With the group, identify who might be the most important people/organizations today. Compare that to the list of people who lived during Colonial/Revolutionary War times.
4. Explain that students will be using maps, lists of required building and important people to create a working military seaport.
5. As they work, the teacher can introduce certain issues that will affect them while they are building their town.
6. Once they have completed their town/seaport, students will use a Venn Diagram to compare their work to that of the British Army.
7. Students will then write a reflection about their experiences and how closely they compare to the real thing. They should focus on why the British might have built their fort like that.
Churchyard (Re)search
1. Discuss whose graves are located in the Episcopal Church Graveyard.
2. Identify the reasons why someone might be buried within a grave yard and what kind of information we as future generations can learn from such information.
3. Using the worksheet, have students search for and take pictures of the gravestones.
4. Have students reflect on their reactions to walking through a cemetery and looking at the gravestones.
5. Brainstorm additional questions that they might have about these gravestones. Brainstorm what resources they can use to help them find this information.
6. Using the information that they have gathered from their grave markers, have students research information about that individual.
7. Have them create an infographic of their research and display it!
Supports for Struggling Learners
Yorktown Scavenger Hunt
- Students can be divided into heterogeneous groups. These groups can be built to include student helpers.
- You can also provide the adults with a copy of the Yorktown map that has the locations of the artifacts.
- Students will be able to work on this activity alone, or with a small group (2 – 4 individuals).
- Before beginning the activity, the teacher may review the information about the different buildings/people so that students will have heard it out loud.
- Students may also take this time to walk through Yorktown and get an understanding of the sizes of buildings/their purposes.
Churchyard (Re)search
- Students will be able to work on this activity alone, or with a small group (2 – 4 individuals).