Last updated: June 10, 2022
Lesson Plan
Traveling the National Road: Unit 8 Occupation Cards
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- Grade Level:
- Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
- Subject:
- Social Studies
- Lesson Duration:
- 60 Minutes
- Common Core Standards:
- 3.L.4, 3.RI.1, 3.RI.2, 3.RI.7, 3.SL.1, 3.SL.3, 3.W.1, 3.W.2, 3.W.7
- 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.
Essential Question
Was the National Road important to the development of the United States?
Guiding Questions: What kind of jobs did the people or travelers along the National Road hold? What was interesting about their jobs? How did the National Road affect them?
Objective
Student Objectives: After completing the lesson students will be able to:
• List the name of an occupation associated with the National Road
• List two interesting facts about that occupation
• List how the job was associated with the National Road
• List one aspect of a National Road job you would like and one aspect you would dislike
Background
The Occupation Cards form unit 8 of a complete teacher’s guide for 3rd grade students, entitled “Traveling the National Road.”
This unit covers 14 historic occupations found working along the road or traveling on the National Road. Each occupation card has its own list of vocabulary and each card is associated with a biography card from the previous unit. The cards highlight what type of work people did while traveling the road or working along the road. This unit has three student activities: “Conduct an Interview,” “What is My Occupation?” and “Essay about an Occupation.”
Preparation
- Read the occupation cards, essential question and the guiding questions.
- Make at least one copy of an occupation card for each student.
Materials
Download Unit 8 Occupation Cards
Lesson Hook/Preview
Many people traveled the National Road as part of their jobs and the National Road created a lot of jobs. The occupation cards highlight 14 jobs associated with the National Road. What would it be like to perform the jobs? Would it be fun? Would it be dangerous? Reading the occupation cards will let you find out.
Procedure
- Introduce the essential and guiding questions.
- Read the lesson hook to the class.
- Have the students read one or more occupation cards.
- Complete one or more student activities.
- Discuss with the class.
Vocabulary
Each one of the occupation cards has its own list of vocabulary.
Assessment Materials
Use an oral presentation rubric for “Conduct an Interview,” such as the one found here.
Use a class participation rubric for “What is my Occupation,” such as the one found here.
Use a written assignment rubric for “Essay about an Occupation” activity, such as the one found here.
Supports for Struggling Learners
The teacher can read the materials to the students.
Enrichment Activities
Have the students compare and contract National Road occupations with present day occupations, including information on how machines have changed how we work today.
Additional Resources
Students can take a virtual field trip by watch the 25-minute Virtual Field Trip: The Mount Washington Tavern.
Related Lessons or Education Materials
The "Traveling the National Road" teacher's guide is broken into ten units and is targeted for 3rd grade students. Each unit can be completed independently.
Check out the links to the other lesson plans:
Unit 1: Overview of the National Road
Unit 2: Construction of the National Road
Unit 3: Travelers and Transportation on the National Road
Unit 4: Accommodation on the National Road
Unit 5: Workers Along the National Road
Unit 6: Decline and Rebirth of the National Road
Unit 7: Biography Cards
Unit 8: Occupation Cards
Unit 9: Historic Site Cards
Unit 10: Artifact Activities
Other resource include:
Appendix with timeline, vocabulary and bibliography
Poster of the National Road
Poster of the Toll Rates Along the National Road
Introduction to the teacher guide and table of contents