Jonathan Paul Loomis

March 30, 1999

Psychology of Education

Dr. Fox

Journal: April 1, 1999

I have elected to ignore part one of the journal assignment because the three models of learning presented in Chapter are not lesson plans as such, but rather models of how learning takes place. In the context of a lesson the students will learn many things and work on many skills, especially in the case of fifth grade. None of these models applies cleanly to the lesson I have created. It is foolish therefore, for me to try to force it into one.

This particular lesson would be entitled "Our Own Oregon Trail," and would be a part of a larger unit on the Oregon Trail. The essential questions are:

What was the Oregon Trail?
Why is it important to us?
What impact did it have on America?

The specific goal of the lesson is:

Students will be able to compare their own life experiences with those of the travelers of the Oregon Trail.

The larger class goals that the lesson also helps to promote are:

Students will understand that history is relevant to the present and that answers to contemporary questions can be found in history.
Students will be able to express their ideas in writing.
Students will be able to speak about their ideas.
Students will be able to express their ideas creatively through action.

The target audience of the lesson is a class of fifth graders.

Min.	Teacher	Students
5	Teacher asks questions regarding what the students have already studied about what the Oregon Trail was in a historical sense.	Students volunteer information based on the teacher's questions.
5	Teacher fields questions from students about the Oregon Trail itself that the students might have. This is meant only as a review of what has only been covered however, and will be kept short.	Students ask questions of the teacher.
10	Teacher asks students to free write about a trip that they have taken in the past, either literally or figuratively.	Students free write.
15	Teacher asks students to share what ideas they have come up with in small groups	Students share within their small groups.
10	Teacher asks a few pointed questions of the class that are meant to lead them to understand that any journey can me related to the Oregon Trail.	Students answer the teacher's questions and volunteer ideas.
20, or home- work	Teacher asks students to write a story about a personal journey they have taken.	Students write a story about a personal journey they have taken.

Follow up project.

Students act, sing, dance, or in some other way present their personal journey and in what ways it was similar to the experience of the Oregon Trail.