COURSE TITLE: George Rogers Clark

Grade Level: Fourth Grade

Unit: The life of George Rogers Clark

Benchmarks
Students will:
1. Create and interpret timelines that show relationships among people, events, and movements in George Rogers Clark’s life (4.1.15)
2. Identify where events in George Rogers Clark’s life occurred on a map (4.3.2)
3. Analyze and interpret the effect that George Rodgers Clark had on Indiana, and will look at how the United States would be different had he not been around. (4.1.6)
4. Explain ways to profit off an abundance of land (4.4.8)
5. Use online sources to describe the foundation of an entire town. (4.1.17) / Assessment Tasks
Students will:
1.  Analyze how the nation would be different if events in Clark’s life had not occurred, or occurred in a different order. (4.1.15, 4.3.2)
2.  Take and defend a position as to what the most important thing that George Rodgers Clark did during his life. They will also discuss to the class what life would be like if George Rodgers Clark had never accomplished this important event. (4.1.16)
3.  Research online sources to describe how their town profited from the land. (4.4.8, 4.1.17) / Key Concepts
-consequence
-profit
-chronilogical
-geography
-Clark’s grant

Abstract

During this unit students learn about George Rogers Clark’s life. They learn about significant event and how their life coincides with his childhood. Students learn about long and short term consequences that would be in place if Clark did not exist. They will also distinguish between fact and opinion.

Focus Questions

1.  How does George Rogers Clark’s life relate to your life?

2.  How would life be different if George Rogers Clark never existed?

Instructional Resources

"IHB: George Rogers Clark." IN.gov: Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. <http://www.in.gov/history/2339.htm>.

Indiana Memory:

·  (George Rogers Clark Memorial) https://digital.library.in.gov/Record/WV3_kcpl-11

·  (Statue of Clark) https://digital.library.in.gov/Record/WV3_kcc-612

·  (Map of Indiana) https://digital.library.in.gov/Record/IPFW_cc_acfwhs-369

·  (General Clark’s Attack on Vincennes, 1779) https://digital.library.in.gov/Record/IHS_P0391-1198

Wilkie, Katharine Elliott. George Rogers Clark boy of the Northwest frontier. Carmel, IN: Patria Press, 2004. Print.

Smith, Gale. Indiana history: text-workbook. Fowler, Ind.: Benton Review Pub. Co., 1964. Print.

Catalog of Lessons

Lesson 1

Students will view a picture of George Rogers Clark from the Library of Congress. Then they will discuss their knowledge and opinion of George Rogers Clark. Teacher reads from the book, George Rogers Clark boy of the Northwest frontier. This is to give the students a perspective of Clark’s life when he was around their age. Students then make a chart of similarities and difference between life then and now, and compare their former opinion to what they believe now.

Lesson 2

Students learn about critical events in George Rogers Clark’s life chronically. Students discuss the importance of the order of certain events. Working in small groups, students will use a time line of significant events in Clark’s life, and place them on a map of where they took place. Students will start with the year 1752 (Clark’s Birth date) and end with the year 1818 (Clark’s death date).

Lesson 3
Students will look at various situations that may have occurred had George Rogers Clark never existed. By looking at the previous lessons, students will draw conclusions and make inferences on how different our country would look had this been the case. The students will use this type of thinking to develop a discussion on how certain things in our lives today would be different.

Lesson 4

The teacher will explain to students that in George Rogers Clark while he lived in Indiana had financial difficulties. After the Revolutionary War Virginia gave Clark 150,000 acres in what is now Clark County, but he couldn’t find ways to profit from all of that land. Have students get into groups and come up with ways that Clark could have profited with all of the land that was given to him. Students will present their ideas with the rest of the class.

Lesson 5

The teacher explains to students that George Rogers Clark founded Clarksville, Indiana. Clarksville was used as a base of operations during the American Revolution. Then explain to the students that there is a replica of his cabin still located in the town where he settled down in his later life. Take a field trip to George Rogers Clark cabin in Clarksville and while there have students compare materials used to make his home to the materials that are used to make the students home. The next day, put students into groups and have a group discussion about how George Rogers Clark’s home compared to the students. Students will find online sources and write a narrative on how Clarksville, Indiana was founded.

Assessment #1

Abstract

This task is designed to measure the students’ knowledge of George Rogers Clark’s life and its importance. Students will interpret a timeline of important selected events in Clark’s life. They will analyze how the nation would be different if events in Clark’s life had not occurred, or occurred in a different order.

Prompt

Students will be given a timeline of important selected events in Clark’s life. There will also be documents including information about Clark’s land grant and maps of the land in the grant. With partners students will discuss each event, where it was located on the map, and why it was important.

Directions

“Use the events on the timeline provided to create your own timeline of events in George Rogers Clark’s life. Working in groups of 4 draw a timeline on poster board. Take one or two event off the original timeline and scramble all the others. The only two that stay the same are Clark’s birth and death dates. Re-write the events in the new order on your timeline. Then discuss with your group how Clark’s life would have been changed without certain events and events in a different order. Write your responses on the bottom of the poster. Then form an argument to debate whether it was ok for Clark to give special attention/treatment to his soldiers regarding his land grant.”

Procedure

Before students arrive create centers with a poster board and markers. When the students arrive hand out time lines and encourage students to talk about important events in George Rogers Clark’s life. Then read directions for creating a timeline. Walk around to all groups to ensure everyone is participating. Encourage students to participate if they are not. Students will present their timelines to the class. Collect time lines and display them outside of the classroom. Take selected timelines to the George Rogers Clark Park in Vincennes to display. Lastly, lead class in a debate about Clark giving his soldiers special treatment regarding the land grant. Student’s need to say why it was ok or why it wasn’t.

Scoring Rubric

Benchmark / Score / Score / Score / Score
1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Analyze how the nation would be different if events in Clark’s life had not occurred, or occurred in a different order. (4.1.15)
Identify where events in George Rogers Clark’s life occurred on a map (4.3.2) / A summary is at the bottom of the poster explaining 1 way life/history would be different. Students have 1 reasons why Clark’s grant was fair or unfair. / A summary is at the bottom of the poster explaining 2 ways life/history would be different.
Students have 2 reasons why Clark’s grant was fair or unfair. / A summary is at the bottom of the poster explaining 3-4 ways life/history would be different.
Students have 3 reasons why Clark’s grant was fair or unfair. / A summary is at the bottom of the poster explaining 5-6 ways life/history would be different.
Students have 4 or more reasons why Clark’s grant was fair or unfair.

Assessment Task: 2

COURSE TITLE: George Rogers Clark

Grade Level: Fourth Grade

Unit: The life of George Rogers Clark

Abstract

This assessment task is designed to assess the student’s understanding of George Rogers Clark’s actions during the mid to late 1700’s. The students, in small groups of 4, will make an argument on what they feel is the most important thing that George Rogers Clark did during his lifetime. They will look at how his leadership qualities helped him be successful. Pictures of the debates/arguments will be posted at the George Rogers Clark Park at Vincennes at the conclusion of the unit.

Prompt

The prompt for this lesson is a typed list of the most important things that George Rogers Clark accomplished during his life. The list should include but is not limited to the following accomplishments:

- Capture of Kaskaskia

- Capture of Vincennes

- Land acquired in the Clark grant

- Several of the things named after him (Clarksville, George Rodgers Clark School)

Students will use this list to discuss which point they think is most important. Each group will pick one of the events to research using the Internet. The website the students will be using to research these events can be found at the following website: http://www.in.gov/history/2339.htm

Directions

“Now that you have had to research one of Clark’s accomplishments, you will be giving the class a presentation. After the presentation, you will have a debate on which event was the most important.”

“Your group should be prepared to give 3 reasons why you think this accomplishment is the most important.”

“Be able to describe how Clark’s leadership drove his accomplishments, and why that is important.”

“Also consider how our country would be different if George Rogers Clark had not accomplished this feat, consider the Clark Land Grant, How different would Indiana look had there never been this land grant?”

“After each of your groups have made a decision and answered the previous questions, I want you to develop an argument that you will present to the class.”

Procedures

The students will put themselves into groups of 3-4. Once they are in the groups they will be given 20-30 minutes to analyze the list, that the teacher will have available. The teacher will follow the rubric below to help in assessing the students understanding of the content.

BENCHMARK / SCORE
1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Students will analyze and interpret the effect that George Rodgers Clark had on Indiana, and will look at how the United States would be different had he not been around. (4.1.16) / Persuasive argument includes 1 reason why their choice is the best. Students give no examples of things that may be different if he had not been around. / Persuasive argument includes 2 reasons why their choice is the best. Students give 1 example of things that may be different if he had not been around. / Persuasive argument includes 3-4 reasons why their choice is the best. Students give 2 examples of things that may be different if he had not been around. / Persuasive argument includes 5 reasons why their choice is the best. Students give 3 examples of things that may be different if he had not been around.

COURSE TITLE: George Rogers Clark

Grade Level: Fourth Grade

Unit: The life of George Rogers Clark