Lesson Plans

The following is a possible schedule for teaching Utah Studies.
It's set up for 40 days, which will fit roughly into a typical A/B day schedule, with a couple of extra days available for tests/makeup/end of term work.

Strand 1- Physical Geography and Utah's Earliest People (Prehistory-1847)

Utah's physical geography, ancient cultures from the Archaic period through the Fremont and Ancestral Puebloans, Utah's five historic tribes, and European exploration including the Spanish expedition and the mountain men fur trade.

Day 1- Utah's geological time & place in the world

Lesson Plan: Physical Geography

Essential Question: What does Earth's deep past have to do with Utah today?

Student Information Pages Used:
Utah's Geological Time
Utah's Place in the World

Standard(s) Covered:
UT Standard 1.2: Students will analyze and explain the interactions and interconnections between the physical characteristics of Utah and American Indian cultures using a range of texts, oral histories, and geographic inquiry. (geography)

Day 2- Utah's Regions & Climates

Lesson Plan: Utah's Regions and Climates

Essential Question: How do Utah's three geographic regions differ from one another?

Student Information Pages Used:
Utah's Regions and Climates

Standard(s) Covered:
UT Standard 1.2: Students will analyze and explain the interactions and interconnections between the physical characteristics of Utah and American Indian cultures using a range of texts, oral histories, and geographic inquiry. (geography)

Day 3- Danger Cave & Utah's Earliest People

Lesson Plan:

Essential Question: What can one cave tell us about 10,000 years of human life?

Student Information Pages Used:
Danger Cave

Standard(s) Covered:
UT Standard 1.1: Students will make evidence-based inferences about the complex ancient cultures in Utah after studying artifacts from the prehistoric era. (history)

Day 4- Archaic Peoples- Fremont and Ancestral Puebloans

Lesson Plan: Ancient People of Utah

Essential Question: How did ancient groups adapt to very different environments?

Student Information Pages Used:
Archaic Native Americans- Fremont and Ancestral Puebloans

Standard(s) Covered:
UT Standard 1.1: Students will make evidence-based inferences about the complex ancient cultures in Utah after studying artifacts from the prehistoric era. (history)
UT Standard 1.2: Students will analyze and explain the interactions and interconnections between the physical characteristics of Utah and American Indian cultures using a range of texts, oral histories, and geographic inquiry. (geography)

Day 5- Utah's Five Historic Tribes

Lesson Plan: Utah's Historic Tribes

Essential Question: How were the Goshute, Navajo, Paiute, Shoshone, and Ute tribes similar and different?

Student Information Pages Used:
Historic Tribes

Standard(s) Covered:
UT Standard 1.2: Students will analyze and explain the interactions and interconnections between the physical characteristics of Utah and American Indian cultures using a range of texts, oral histories, and geographic inquiry. (geography)
UT Standard 1.3: Students will explain the economic activity of a prehistoric and/or historic American Indian tribal community by using basic economic concepts, including supply, demand, trade, and scarcity. (economics)

Day 6- Primary vs Secondary Sources

Lesson Plan: Primary and Secondary Sources

Essential Question: How do historians know what they know?

Student Information Pages Used:
Primary and Secondary Sources

Standard(s) Covered:
UT Standard 1.4: Students will analyze primary and secondary sources to explain causes and effects of European-American exploration, including the response and involvement of Utah’s American Indian tribes. (history)

Day 7- Dominguez-Escalante & Spanish Arrival

Lesson Plan: Arrival of the Spanish

Essential Question: What were the two major accomplishments of the 1776 expedition?

Student Information Pages Used:
Spanish Arrive in Utah

Standard(s) Covered:
UT Standard 1.4: Students will analyze primary and secondary sources to explain causes and effects of European-American exploration, including the response and involvement of Utah’s American Indian tribes. (history)

Day 8- Mountain Men & the Fur Trade

Lesson Plan: Mountain Men

Essential Question: How did mountain men reshape Utah's human geography?

Student Information Pages Used:
Mountain Men

Standard(s) Covered:
UT Standard 1.3: Students will explain the economic activity of a prehistoric and/or historic American Indian tribal community by using basic economic concepts, including supply, demand, trade, and scarcity. (economics)
UT Standard 1.4: Students will analyze primary and secondary sources to explain causes and effects of European-American exploration, including the response and involvement of Utah’s American Indian tribes. (history)

Day 9- Utah's Sovereign Nations Today

Lesson Plan:

Essential Question: How do contemporary Utah tribes balance tradition, sovereignty, and change?

Student Information Pages Used:

Standard(s) Covered:
UT Standard 1.3: Students will explain the economic activity of a prehistoric and/or historic American Indian tribal community by using basic economic concepts, including supply, demand, trade, and scarcity. (economics)
UT Standard 1.5: Students will describe the cultural change and continuity of at least one of Utah’s current sovereign nations as it has responded to changing political, social, and economic forces. Students will use a variety of resources that may include written primary and secondary sources, oral histories, photographs, artifacts, and art. (economics, civics)

Strand 2- The Journey for Statehood (1847-1896)

Mormon and non-Mormon migration, pioneer settlement across the Great Basin, conflicts with Native Americans, the territorial period, the transcontinental railroad, mining, and the long road to statehood.

Strand 3- Utah in the Union (1896-1945)

Utah's new state constitution, the Progressive era and labor reforms, WWI, the Great Depression and New Deal, and Utah's home-front role in World War II including military installations, Japanese American internment at Topaz, and women's suffrage.

Strand 4- Utah in the World (1945-2002)

The Cold War's impact on Utah, civil rights, debates over natural resource management and federal lands, Utah's growing economic ties nationally and globally, and the landmark 2002 Winter Olympics.

Strand 5- Looking Towards Utah's Future (2003-present)

Capstone strand synthesizing everything learned — current demographic trends, water and air quality challenges, economic planning, and a culminating civic policy proposal where students apply their learning to a real issue facing Utah today.