Teacher's Guide

Procedure

Preparation

1. Before reading Marco Paul's Travels on the Erie Canal, students should have studied the following background material:
• geographic features of New York State;
• DeWitt Clinton's dream of a canal;
• building the Erie Canal; and
• economic and social impact of the canal on New York and on the nation.
2. Students should also have a basic understanding of how to look at and read documents in order to analyze and interpret primary sources (from What Are Primary Sources workshop).

Lessons

Pre-Reading Activities - study primary sources from the 1840s to gain an understanding of the time period; create a word wall of important vocabulary terms.

Introduction to Classroom Reading - introduce the novel and response journal format.

Chapter I: Planning - follow the map along the Erie Canal and learn more about boats and aqueducts.

Chapter II: The Packet - introduce the concept of a maxim.

Chapter III: Getting on Board - learn about life in Schenectady, New York.

Chapter IV: Night - write about life on a packet boat.

Chapter V: Canajoharie - learn how a lock works.

Chapter VI: Honesty - discuss moral character.

Chapter VII: The Pass of the Mohawk - identify types of transportation used in the Mohawk Valley.

Chapter VIII: Perplexity - learn about issues facing Little Falls, New York.

Chapter IX: A Project - write on a variety of topics ranging from geography to economics.

Chapter X: The Steersman - understand the impressions people make on one another.

Chapter XI: The Ride - learn from mistakes.

Chapter XII: The Outlet - reach the end of the journey in Troy, New York.

Evaluation

1. General Assessment

1. Participation in discussions
2. Quality of journal entries

2. Specific Assessment

1. Using their journals and the word wall as resources, each student writes a letter to the teacher from the point of view of Marco Paul. In the letter he or she explains what was learned about the canal and how it was learned.
2. After completing the book, assess the students' understanding of vocabulary, events, and concepts using the unit evaluation.

Extension

1. After reading the book, students apply their knowledge of the Erie Canal and primary sources to create a Primary Source Alphabet Book about the canal.

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