Participant Name(s): Jane O'Shea

The Last Great Canal Curriculum Project A Study of the Erie Canal and its impact on NYS
Unit/Lesson Title “Fifteen Days on the Erie Canal”
Intended Grade Level 4	Approximate length 3 weeks
Applicable Standards Standard 1:   History of the United States and New York Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York. Standard 2:   World History Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives. Standard 3:   Geography Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of the interdependent world in which we live—local, national, and global—including the distribution of people, places, and environments over the Earth’s surface. Standard 4:   Economics Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of how the United States and other societies develop economic systems and associated institutions to allocate scarce resources, how major decision-making units function in the United States and other national economies, and how an economy solves the scarcity problem through market and nonmarket mechanisms.
Goals/Objectives Students will study three time period associated with the Erie Canal: 1.) time before the canal, 2.) time that the Erie Canal was used 1825-1850’s and 3.) Post-canal period 1850’s to the present. Students will understand the complexity of the construction of the canal and the impact that it had on the development of New York State from a frontier to how we know it today.
Procedures BEFORE THE CANAL OPENS: Prerequisite: Students will study the Revolutionary War and its causes emphasizing the Proclamation of 1763 that limited westward expansion to east of the proclamation line. Once the war was won by the Americans, westward expansion began. Generate why people would want to move westward. Students will use their “salt maps” to study the topography of New York State. Inform students of the great canal systems in Europe, particular Venice, Italy. Noting the original waterways that existed in New York State prior to European exploration, students will brainstorm the following: Is there any advantage to expanding the current waterways so that they connect? How would you expand the waterways? Generate different ways to expand the canal. Draw on outline map of NYS which includes original land and water formations. Discuss three or more plans proposed at the time: 1.Albany to Buffalo to Lake Erie 2. Albany to Lake Ontario, and 3.Tioughnioga River to Chesapeake Bay. Divide the class into three groups and have each group discuss the pros and cons of each plan. Students will then write an essay explaining why this is a good plan. Reshuffle the class into groups of three with one person representing each stand. Have student share their plans. Teacher should recap the three plans with the whole group. Other possibilities: Students write a first person narrative assuming the characters of DeWitt Clinton or Elkannah Watson or why building a canal is a foolish endeavor making sure to include the words “Clinton’s Ditch.” Show how even though E.Watson’s proposal did not fly, he was instrumental with the development of the final plan. Talk about good sportsmanship! Students will generate a list of problems, intended consequences of each proposal. Teacher will share with the class the plan that was chosen and why. Have students assembly a puzzle of the canal to familiarize themselves with the route. Students will assemble a lock. Include discussion of the locks in Lockport, NY This could be a group or individual project. Students will study the actual construction of the canal and some consequences: immigrants, built by hand, disease/death, insects, pay THE CANAL PERIOD: 1825-1850’S: Students will generate lists of: jobs on the canal (in binder) towns located on canal (use road map) products Students will learn about the role of a packet boy by reading the book, Timmy O’Dowd and the Big Ditch. Students will write a diary except or letter home explaining life on the canal. Students will compare and contrast Homer with Rochester during the time periods studied. Discuss how different Homer would have been if E. Watson’s plan was followed. Students will discuss: wedding of the waters, immigration led to racial/religious prejudice Pollution-human and animal waste in the canal Spread of disease Inventions-John Deere patented plough, (wheelbarrow not invented at this time), stump puller How long it took and cost to transport goods POST CANAL PERIOD: 1850’S-PRESENT: Students will learn about the impact of the railroad on the Erie Canal. Students will compare and contrast the cost and length of time to transport good on the canal vs. the railroad.  Students will learn about the NYS Barge Canal System Students will learn about other means of transportation. e.g. New York State Thruway Students will learn about the canal today: recreation Students will make a brochure of one of the towns along the Erie Canal to be included in their New York State shape book.
Materials (Handouts, worksheets, equipment, etc.) Salt maps- Using a 12’x18’ piece of plywood, student apply a dough made of 2 cups of salt and 1 cup of flour with enough water to make it a Play-dough consistency. Students form the major land and water formations. Outline map of New York State Songs: TBD-during construction of canal, 15 Miles on the Erie Canal, I’ve Been Working on the Railroad Canal route puzzle-Cut out pieces of puzzle. Using a roadmap as a guide, assemble the sections of the canal. Discuss the significance of each section and the miles. Add miles up to equal 363 from Albany to Buffalo. Pictures/Maps: 1.) before canal-maps showing topography, picture of rapids showing unevenness of the terrain; 2.)Packet boat, locks working, boom towns, Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse before and after, Homer/Cortland before and after Directions on how to make a lock (resource binder)
Resources (traditional & electronic) Movies:  Prairie Tides, The Farmer Takes A Wife http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/nysatl/ssstand.html http://www.mcneilmusic.com/westsngbk.html Amazing Impossible Erie Canal by Cheryl Harness Moving West Songbook by Keith and Rusty McNeil http://www.dowslane.org/erie/erie.html Building a Lock building_a_lock.jpg
Assessment(s) Three writing pieces will be graded based on the NYS writing rubric Criterion referenced unit test