Essential Question
- Are things fine just the way they are?
Big Ideas
- Some people embrace change while others resist it.
- One change often leads to another.
- Sometimes change leads to unforeseen problems.
- Change is inevitable.
Materials and Resources
- Text: Just Fine the Way They Are
- United States map with the National Road (US 40) marked
Vocabulary
Conestoga wagons dandies banded
stagecoach contraptions hitched
enterprising wheelmen insults
tinkerers mobility citified
newfangled pesky military vehicles
locomotive hogwash lobby
Comprehension Lesson Plans
Explicit Teaching
- Build background by showing a map of the route of the National Road today.
- Trace the road from its conception in the early 1800’s in Ohio to Illinois.
- Define vocabulary words above.
- Discuss the concept of “change.” What does change mean as it relates to transportation? What changes have the children seen in the world of technology in their lifetimes? What other changes have the children experienced? How do people feel about change? Why?