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Turnpike to Golden Spike:
Teacher Resources

TEACHER TIPS
and TOOLS

How to implement engaging research, including mini-skills lessons, learning objects, and student reference sheets.




TARGETED LEARNING STYLES
Kinesthetic
Tactile

TIME FRAME:

  • 2 class periods for research
  • 2 periods for creating product
  • 1 period for presentation



Grade Level/Content Area/Unit:
Grade 8 Social Studies
Unit VI: Nationalism, Expansion, and the Market Economy
Focus:
Enduring Understanding
or Essential Question
How did the development of systems of transportation during the 19th century impact westward expansion?
MSDE Voluntary State Curriculum:
Social Studies Content Standards/
Core Learning Goals

Standard 1.0 History

Students will examine significant ideas, beliefs, and themes; organize patterns and events; and analyze how individuals and societies have changed over time in Maryland and the United States. Students will use historical thinking skills to understand how individuals and events have changed society over time.

Indicator

5. Evaluate the influence of industrialization and technological developments on United States society

Objectives

1.Describe changes in land and water transportation, including the expanding network of roads, canals, and railroads, and their impact on the economy and settlement patterns.
MSDE Voluntary State Curriculum:
Library Media Content Standards/
Core Learning Goals
 Under Review

National Content Standards
Social Studies
(National Council for the Social Studies)

Science, Technology, and Society

Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of relationships among science, technology, and society.
National Information Literacy
Standards for Student Learning
(American Association of
School Librarians)

Students Who Are Information Literate:
Before Accessing Information

  • Determine what is known and what is needed for problem solving.
  • Identify different sources of information, including text, people, video, audio, and databases.
  • Prioritize sources based on credibility and relevance.

When Accessing Information

  • Identify and retrieve relevant information from sources; use technology to enhance searching.
  • Revise information-gathering strategies that prove to be ineffective.
  • Understand how information retrieved does or does not address original problem.
  • Evaluate information in terms of credibility and social, economic, political, legal, and ethical issues that may impact it; use technology to facilitate evaluation.

After Information Is Extracted

  • Use retrieved information to accomplish a specific purpose.
  • Present information clearly and persuasively using a range of technology tools and media.
  • Evaluate the processes and products of these activities, including resulting social consequences.
National Technology Education
Standards for Students
(International Society for
Technology in Education)
 Technology research tools:
  • Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
  • Students use technology tools to process data and report results.
  • Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks.
en Gauge 21st Century Skills
(North Central Regional
Educational Laboratory)

Economic Literacy
Technological Literacy
Information Literacy
Last update: July 2005
Created by: Helen Dance, Deborah MacKenzie & Jennie Springer, Baltimore County Public Schools

BCPS Research Module, Copyright 2005, Baltimore County Public Schools, MD, all rights reserved.
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