Welcome to Vermont's Rural Partnership

Burke, Vermont: A Study of Change Over Time

by Tracie L. Surridge
Teacher–3rd grade, Burke Town School

Context:
Grade Level: Grade 3 and up
Subject of Larger Course: Integrated with my Language Arts and Social Studies Curriculums
Era of Unit: Expansion Era

[Photo at right: Sorting photos of “Our Town” into East Burke, West Burke, and Burke Hollow]

Ability levels of students:
Reading levels in my classroom range from mid-first grade to upper-third grade. I had to make accommodations for reading, writing and math. I accomplished this by reading the upper level history books to the students and then discussing what we read at length drawing on picture books to supplement their understanding. Accommodations for writing included scribing for students or rewriting what they had written as they told the story so it would be understandable later on in the unit. Math accommodations included switching independent graphing projects to whole-class projects.

I also accommodated different learning styles by varying my activities. We did written, oral, visual, drawing, site visits, drama as well as choices. Activities varied from independent to small group to whole group.

Unit Description:
This unit was designed to have students take a journey into the lives of people in Burke 1858. Students will explore who the settlers were, where they came from, what their lives were like and where they settled. Students will then use their knowledge to note similarities and difference between their lives and those of the residents of Burke in 1858.

Standards Addressed in this Unit

Vermont State Standard	My Unit Outcomes–Goals
4.6 Understanding Place: a.) Students will demonstrate knowledge of of past and present, community heritage, demographics, and recognize ways in which this heritage influences their lives and their local environment.	• Students will demonstrate knowledge traditions, livelihoods, customs, stories,and land use.
6.4 Historical Connections a.) Demonstrate understanding of past, present and future (timelines, chronologies, or compare/contrast). b.) Examine local history by reading historical narratives and documents and other resources that illustrate key periods in local history. c.) Examine – Vermont family and community life now and in the past.	• Students will compare and contrast family life, schooling, and community life for 1858 and 2003. • Students will examine local primary source documents and town histories to examine Burke (people, places and events) of 1858. • Students will examine Burke, VT family and community life now and in the past.
2.1 Reasoning & Problem Solving c.) Ask questions to compare and contrast to determine similarities and differences.	• Students will create questions that will Allow them to compare and contrast the Similarities and differences between life in Burke, VT 1858 and 2003.

Unit Plan

Title: Burke, Vermont: A Study of Change Over Time

Topic: This unit is about the changes that have taken place in the town of Burke with an emphasis on 1858.
Subject(s): 4. Civic and Social Responsibility, 6. History and Social Sciences

Grade level(s): Grade 3 +

Length: 5 Weeks

Abstract (Goal of unit):
At the end of this unit, students will be able to tell how life was in the past (jobs, chores, fun, landscape) and be able to compare it to life today.

Key/Focusing questions:
What was it like to live in Burke in 1858?
Who were the people in Burke in 1858 and where did they come from?
What similarities and differences do the people of Burke today have with the people of 1858?

Activities:
• Activity Lesson 1: Introduction to the Town of Burke
• Activity Lesson 2: Exploring Our Town -Part I
• Activity Lesson 3: Exploring Our Town -Part II
• Activity Lesson 4: Exploring Our Town -Part III
• Activity Lesson 5: The First Settlers -Who Were They?
• Activity Lesson 6: The First Settlers -What can we learn about them?
• Activity Lesson 7: The First Settlers -What were their lives like?
• Activity Lesson 8: Field Trip -First Settled Area and Cemeteries
• Activity Lesson 9: Oral History Interviews
• Activity Lesson 10: Making Connections
• Activity Lesson 11: Change Over Time Project
• Activity Lesson 12: Culminating Event
• Activity Lesson 13: Wrapping It Up

Resources:
• Journal Rubric
• Annotated Bibliography

Activity Plan—Lesson 1

Title: Introduction to the Town of Burke

Subject(s): 4. Civic and Social Responsibility, 6. History and Social Sciences

Grade level(s): Grade 3

Vermont Framework of Standards:
*4.6 Understanding Place

Activity Type:
Assessment
Writing Assignment

Procedures for conducting the activity:
1. Ask the students "Where do we live?"
2. Ask students to write in their journals what life was like in Burke in 1858.
3. Ask them to write why they think people came to Burke to live?
4. Ask them to write down one question that they have about the town of Burke and its past.
5. Then create a KWL chart with the students to assess what they know and what they want to learn.
Outline the things that they will be learning over the next few weeks.

Products / Performances:
Written description of the town of Burke and/or a drawn picture with dictated sentences about the town. KWL chart created by the students and teacher together.

Duration/length of the activity: 1 Day(s)

Other Resources/Materials needed:
1. KWL charts (large one for board and smaller ones for the student’s folders.
2. Folders for each student to hook in materials on Burke History throughout the unit.
3. Journal paper in the folders for students to write on.
4. Colored pencils for drawing.

Accommodations:
Circulate the room to make sure that students who need help with dictated sentences get the help they need.

Activity Plan—Lesson 2

Title: Exploring Our Town, Part I

Subject(s): 2. Reasoning and Problem Solving, 6. History and Social Sciences

Grade level(s): Grade 3

Vermont Framework of Standards:
* 6.4.b. Historical Connections)
*4.6 Understanding Place)

Activity Type:
Instructional; Performance Task

Procedures for conducting the activity:
1. Introduce what natural and man-made features are.
2. Make a list of features that our town has now.
3. Make a list of features that the town might have had in the past.
4. Discuss why people might have settled where they did.
5. Ask a student to pass out pieces of the Burke 1858 map.
6. Ask students to look at their map pieces and find any distinct lettering (Large print, bold).
7. Does anyone have a school, mill, mountain, river, and other important feature?
8. List these features on the board as you go. See how many of each feature the students can find.
9. Review your findings and then check your prediction paper for features the town might have had. Mark the ones you found.
10. Ask students to come to the round table and see if they can put their pieces together to make our town.
11. Have students write in their journals 2-3 super sentences about what they have learned about our town today.
12. Collect the journals.

Products / Performances:
* Create features list. * Study map pieces. * Create list of features found on 1858 map.

Duration/length of the activity: 1 Day(s)

Source or Copyright Information: 1858 Map of Burke, Vermont

Other Resources/Materials needed:
1. Pieces of laminated Burke map. 2. Chart paper for maps.

Accommodations:
Be sure to stand near students who might need help with reading their piece of the map.

Activity Plan—Lesson 7

Title: The First Settlers - What were their lives like?

Subject(s): 4. Civic and Social Responsibility, 6. History and Social Sciences

Grade level(s): Grade 3

Vermont Framework of Standards:
*. . 6.4.a. Historical Connections)
*. . 6.4.b. Historical Connections)
*. . 6.4.d. Historical Connections)
*. . 4.6.c. Understanding Place)

Activity Type: Instructional; Writing Assignment

Procedures for conducting the activity:
1. Review what we learned the day before about the first settlers.
2. Make a class list of the jobs that people have in town now.
3. Using the occupations graph from the day before, see if there are any jobs that are the same and any that are different.
4. Why are some jobs different? What made occupations change time? Use this as the student’s journal prompt for today.
5. Make a list of what kids and adults do today for fun and for chores around their houses.
6. Homework tonight will be a sheet about chores and fun in the "OLDEN DAYS". Have children take it home and do it with their parents.
7. The next day, make a list of olden day chores and fun and then compare to present list. Why are the things we do for fun different or the same? Why are chores different or the same? Use these as journal prompts for today.

Products / Performances: Homework and Journal prompts

Duration/length of the activity: 2 Day(s)

Other Resources/Materials needed: occupations graph, chart paper, marker, homework sheets, journals

Accommodations:
Monitor students who might need help writing in their journals. Allow some students to draw if needed and then dictate sentences.

Activity Plan—Lesson 8

Title: Field Trip - First Settled Area and Cemeteries

Subject(s): 2. Reasoning and Problem Solving, 4. Civic and Social Responsibility, 6. History and Social Sciences

Grade level(s): Grade 3

Vermont Framework of Standards:
*. . 4.6.c.Understanding Place)
*. . 6.4.b. Historical Connections)
*. . 6.4.a. Historical Connections)
*. . 6.4.d. Historical Connections)
*. . 2.1.c. Types of Questions)

Activity Type: Instructional; Writing Assignment

Procedures for conducting the activity:
1. Brief students before boarding the bus. Review expected behavior. What does the whistle mean if blown (FREEZE)!
2. Discuss what we'll be seeing or looking for.
3. Board bus and get to destination.
4. At destination again review road behavior.
5. Begin walking and talking about what we are seeing. Why would this have not been the best place to move to? What is missing? (water).
6. Look at natural features of the land now and in the pictures we have from the past. How has it changed?
7. Continue walk to first cemetery in town.
8. At cemetery, look at different types of stones (regular field stones, slate, marble, granite). Look for people on our list.
9. As we continue onto next cemetery, note features such as stone walls, trees that survived the hurricane of 1938, old roads, barns and houses.
10. At next cemetery, look for more of the people who died in 1858. Then break for lunch.
11. After lunch, have students record what they have learned in their Burke History Journals.
12. Short recess
13. Then do some stone rubbings.
14. Walk back to school again looking at natural and man-made features.

Products / Performances: Journal Write Cemetery Search Findings Questioning

Duration/length of the activity: 1 Day(s)

Other Resources/Materials needed:
Line Up the bus. Type up list of people to look for in the cemetery. Find chaperones First Aid kit/meds and inhalers Camera Emergency Forms Lunch arrangements Bathroom stops along the way Paper, pencils, black crayons

Accommodations: Pack an extra lunch. Bring extra pencils. If students tire, take frequent breaks.

Activity Plan—Lesson 9

Title: Oral History Interviews

Subject(s): 1. Communication, 5. Arts Language and Literature, 6. History and Social Sciences

Grade level(s): Grade 3

Vermont Framework of Standards:
*6.4.b.Historical Connections)
*6.4.d. Historical Connections)
*2.1Types of Questions)
*4.6.c. Understanding Place)

Procedures for conducting the activity:
1. Have students brainstorm questions that we could ask elderly in the town about the changes they have seen in their lifetime.
2. Make invitations to local elderly to come and be interviewed by the students.
3. Have students ask the questions, teacher write the answers while taping the sessions as well.
4. The next day, make a list of changes that have occurred based on the interviews with the children.
5. Talk about why things changed.
6. Talk about what changes the students think they will see in their lifetime.
7. Journal prompt for the day - Do you think the changes in Burke have been good ones or bad ones? Give details to support your answer.

Products / Performances: Lists made and Journal entries

Duration/length of the activity: 3 Day(s)

Other Resources/Materials needed: tape recorder, invitations, pre-made questions, refreshments, journals

Accommodations: Encourage even the shiest students to participate in the question asking.

Activity Plan—Lesson 10

Title: Making Connections

Subject(s): 2. Reasoning and Problem Solving, 4. Civic and Social Responsibility, 6. History and Social Sciences

Grade level(s): Grade 3

Vermont Framework of Standards:
*. . 6.4.a. Historical Connections)
*. . 6.4.b. Historical Connections)
*. . 6.4.d. Historical Connections)
*. . 4.6.c. Understanding Place)

Activity Type: Instructional; Writing Assignment

Procedures for conducting the activity:
1. Look at our data that we've collected over the past few weeks.
2. Create a large VENN Diagram to compare Past & Present.
3. Discuss with students what we've found out.
4. Make a list of changes for possible projects.
5. Go over Project Rubric with students.
6. Journal entry - What topic do I think I want to do? What do I know about this topic?

Products / Performances: Venn Diagram; Journal Entry

Duration/length of the activity: 1 Day(s)

Other Resources/Materials needed: Journals, Data sheets, Town Folders, Project Rubric, chart paper, Venn Diagrams

Activity Plan—Lesson 11

Title: Change Over Time Project

Subject(s): 4. Civic and Social Responsibility, 6. History and Social Sciences

Grade level(s): Grade 3

Vermont Framework of Standards:
*. . 6.4.a. Historical Connections)
*. . 6.4.b. Historical Connections)
*. . 6.4.d. Historical Connections)
*. . 4.6.c. Understanding Place)
*. . 2.1.c. Types of Questions)

Activity Type: Assessment

Performance Task: Writing Assignment

Procedures for conducting the activity:
1. Have the students choose a topic they want to cover.
2. Have them fill out the pre-project form.
3. Have them work on their projects.
4. Have them present their projects to the class.

Products / Performances: Project

Duration/length of the activity: 1 Week(s)

Rubric(s): Rubric:Burke History; Change Over Time Rubric

Other Resources/Materials needed:
Materials will vary depending upon what type of project the students decide to make.

Accommodations:
Help students who need direction plan a project that they can successfully complete with the minimum of help from the teacher or parents.

PROJECT RUBRIC
“BURKE, VERMONT–CHANGE OVER TIME”

Scores

Criteria

*Criteria/Scores*	Getting Started (S-)	Almost There (S)	Got It!! (S+)
Student asked a question that compares and contrasts to determine similarities & differences. [VT Standard 2.1c]	Student's question is not connected to the project at all.	Student attempted to ask and answer the question but some data may be missing.	Student asked and answered the question thoroughly through information provided on project.
Student demonstrates knowledge of some aspect of community heritage- past and present. [VT Standard 4.6c]	Project shows past or present but not both. Project could be neater. Some effort was shown.	Writing is legible but could have been neater.	Project shows both past and present. Project is neat and organized. Student's best effort is shown.
Student can analyze why changed did or did not occur in the aspect that they chose. [VT Standard 6.4a]	Student attempted to analyze why or if change occurred but does not show complete understanding.	Illustrations are clear but few are colored.	Student was able to analyze why or if change occurred in their aspect of Burke History.

Activity Plan—Lesson 12

Title: Culminating Event

Subject(s): 4. Civic and Social Responsibility, 6. History and Social Sciences

Grade level(s): Grade 3

Vermont Framework of Standards:
*. . 6.4.a. Historical Connections)
*. . 4.6.c. Understanding Place)

Activity Type: Performance Event

Procedures for conducting the activity:
1. Review the types of fun & celebrations that people of Burke used to have.
2. Have students decide what type of celebration they would like to have to end this unit.
3. Invite parents and elders that we interviewed to this celebration.
4. Make refreshments.
5. Celebrate!!

Duration/length of the activity: 1 Day(s)

Other Resources/Materials needed: Fun chart, invitations, party plan

Activity Plan—Lesson 13

Title: Wrapping It Up

Subject(s): 4. Civic and Social Responsibility, 6. History and Social Sciences

Grade level(s): Grade 3

Vermont Framework of Standards:
*. . 6.4.a. Historical Connections)
*. . 6.4.b. Historical Connections)
*. . 6.4.d. Historical Connections)
*. . 4.6.c. Understanding Place)

Activity Type: Assessment; Writing Assignment

Procedures for conducting the activity:
1. Ask students to answer the following questions in their journals: What did you like best about this unit? Why? What did you like least about this unit? Why? What is an interesting thing that you learned about the history of Burke, Vermont? What do you still have questions about?
2. Complete KWL Chart for what we learned!!
3. Collect journals, folders etc. to look at.

Products / Performances: KWL; journal

Duration/length of the activity: 1 Day(s)

Other Resources/Materials needed: KWL chart; journals

Annotated Bibliography for the Unit
“Burke, Vermont: A Study of Change Over Time”
Created by Tracie Surridge, Burke Town School

Burbank, Phyllis; Burke: More Than Just a Mountain; Northlight Studio Press, 1989
This book contains the history of the town of Burke as compiled and written by Phyllis Burbank. The book includes a written and pictorial history of the town of Burke and was co-written with the Burke Historical Society. Features include settlement, schools, cemeteries, people, industries and many other fascinating facts on the town of Burke.

Burke Historical Society; Past Views of Burke; Troll Press; St. Johnsbury, VT; 1986
A history of the town of Burke using actual photographs collected from the townspeople. This book was created for the celebration of Burke’s Bicentennial celebration in 1996.

Burke Historical Society; Burke-Portrait of a Small Vermont Town; Troll Press; St. Johnsbury, VT; 1996
A book that was created by the Historical Society. It contains pictures and brief histories of events and things that happened in the history of Burke, Vermont. Again, the materials were gathered from members of the community.

Burke, Town of; Vitals Records of 1858 - Births, Deaths & Marriages
These records were kept by the town clerk to record important events in the town history. We used these records to look for trends in disease, graphed data in math and looked for family names that appeared in the records and then found the graves in the cemeteries.

Child, Hamilton; Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, VT - 1764-1887; The Syracuse Journal Company, Printers and Binders, Syracuse, NY; 1887
A book with town histories and a directory of households and businesses. Great for finding information of towns people and what they owned (animals, acres and occupations).

Copeland, Peter F.; Early American Trades-Coloring Book; Dover Publications, Inc. New York, 1980
Coloring book of American trades with brief histories of the trade and it’s tools. Special pages with the tools and a key to the numbering of the tools.

Copeland, Peter F.; Early American-Crafts and Occupations-Coloring Books; Dover Publications, Inc.; New York; 1994
Coloring book of early American crafts and occupations. Brief histories and descriptions of the trades or crafts at the bottom of each page.

Houston, Gloria; My Great Aunt Arizona; Scholastic, Inc.; New York; 1992
This is a story about a child’s aunt who was a teacher. It tells the wonderful ways the teacher taught and shows life in a one-room schoolhouse. It also shows what everyday life was like.

Jeffrey, William H.; Successful Vermonters-A Modern Gazetteer of Caledonia, Essex and Orleans Counties; The Historical Publishing Company; East Burke, VT ; 1904
A historical review of the towns and the important people who have earned recognition through their deeds, professions, businesses or politics. Many illustrations of the people and places mentioned.

McGovern, Ann; If You Lived 100 Years Ago; Scholastic, Inc; New York; 1999
A great book for comparing the past to the present. Gives many details about everyday ordinary parts of life. Children can see through the terrific illustrations how things appeared 100 years ago. Great for discussions of change over time!

McGovern, Ann; If You Lived in Colonial Times; Scholastic, Inc.; New York; 1964
A book that tells about life during the colonial period. It answers common questions about daily life and people in colonial times. Great illustrations and easy to understand concepts for children.

Rylant, Cynthia; When I Was Young In The Mountains; E.P. Dutton, New York, New York; 1982
Through this book children discover life in the mountains. It tells of everyday life a child and his family. It shows the concept of extended family living together and operating as a whole.

Sweeney, Joan; Me On The Map; Crown Publishers, New York; 1996
A book that starts children thinking about where they are in comparison to the rest of the world. It starts with me and ends up with that country on earth and then comes back. Illustrations that children can identify with.

Wilder, Laura Ingalls; Dance at Grandpa’s; Scholastic, Inc.; New York, 1932
This is a beautifully illustrated book that tells of the preparation the family makes for going to the big dance at Grandpa’s house. It tells of everyday life, celebrations and modes of transportation in the olden days.

For more information on the Vermont Rural Partnership,
please contact: margaret.maclean@ruraledu.org

©2000-2011 copyright Vermont Rural Partnership, all rights reserved

USE POLICY VRP provides the resources and material on this Web site as a service to teachers, with the understanding that it remains the property of VRP, or of the individual schools or teachers who created it. Material found on this site may be used by schools and teachers, provided that it is properly credited, used for not for profit purposes, and conforms to any additional guidelines stated within. permission contact

VRP Website development support
provided by Community Works Institute (CWI)
Contact Webmaster