Literature
Connection — Sample Lesson
Overview
After hearing or reading the story Grandpa’s Mountain,
students gather information about eminent domain, the
Civilian Conservation Corps and the Depression. They
then create a graphic organizer about the building of
Shenandoah National Park and give the position of each
party involved.
Outcome
Students will understand the concept of eminent domain.
This is a sample lesson plan. For
a list of books that deal with economic topics, go to
www.WesternReservePublicMedia.org/economics.
Story Summary
— Grandpa’s Mountain, by Carolyn Reeder
For as long as she can remember,
11-year-old Carrie has spent the summer with her grandparents
in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, where life
is peaceful and carefree. But this year her grandparents’
home — and her summer haven — is threatened
by plans for a new national park.
Carrie is reassured when Grandpa
says, “I was born here, and I intend to die
here!” She watches with pride as he fights to
keep his home and land, confident he will win. But
then she finds out that the government is already
buying up land for the park — and has evicted
people who refused to leave!
(Source: The Official Homepage
of Carolyn Reeder, www.reederbooks.com/grandpa.htm)
Standards Addressed
Grade 7
Social Studies — Economics, Benchmark C
01. Explain how governmental protection of property
rights and regulation of economic activity impacted
the development of the U.S. economy.
Materials
Procedure
-
Teachers can either read Grandpa’s Mountain,
by Carolyn Reeder, to the class or have the students
read it on their own.
-
On the board or on chart paper, keep a list of
concept words and vocabulary that might be difficult
for the students to comprehend, such as these:
Civilian Conservation
Corps (CCC) — Young men were given
jobs such as building roads, cleaning up cities
and building parks by the government to help offset
unemployment.
Eminent domain
— Land purchased by the government for the
better good of society.
Great Depression
— An economic slump in North America, Europe
and other parts of the world that began in 1929
and lasted until about 1939.
Dust Bowl —
There was a terrible drought (little or no rainfall)
in the Midwest. Farmland was turned to dust and
few crops could be grown. People moved West for
a better life.
-
Have the students work with a partner or in groups
of three to complete the graphic organizer handout.
Make sure each student has a copy of the handout.
-
On the back of the handout, ask students to either
write about what they would have done if they were
in Carrie’s position, or what they see as
the pros and cons of the government taking Grandpa’s
land.
Evaluation
After the graphic organizer has been completed (view
answer key), have a discussion about each of the
major topics. Students can use this organizer to help
them write their essay.
Rubric for Writing
Category |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
| Accuracy of Facts (Content) |
All supportive facts are reported accurately.
|
Almost all supportive facts are reported accurately.
|
Most supportive facts are reported accurately. |
No facts are reported or most are inaccurately
reported. |
| Focus on Topic (Content) |
There is one clear, well-focused topic. The main
idea stands out and is supported by detailed information.
|
The main idea is clear, but the supporting information
is general. |
The main idea is somewhat clear, but there is
a need for more supporting information. |
The main idea is not clear. There is a seemingly
random collection of information. |
| Conventions |
The writer makes no errors in capitalization,
punctuation, grammar or spelling, so the paper is
exceptionally easy to read. |
The writer makes one or two errors in capitalization,
punctuation, grammar or spelling, but the paper
is still easy to read. |
The writer makes a few errors in capitalization,
punctuation, grammar or spelling that catch the
reader’s attention and interrupt the flow. |
The writer makes several errors in capitalization,
punctuation, grammar or spelling that catch the
reader’s attention and greatly interrupt the
flow. |
|
