520History.org
From canoes to cars, how have people moved through the SR 520 corridor over time? Why did Native communities call the Montlake Portage sxwac?gwi? (“carry a canoe”)? Why is there a park and boulevard alongside the highway in Seattle? What did community activists have to do with the “ramps to nowhere” in Union Bay?
The lesson plans developed for this curriculum will help students answer questions like these by exploring how communities in the SR 520 corridor region have been shaped by their environment and how those communities have utilized and altered that landscape to fit their needs.
The History, Geography, and Civics lesson plans are aligned with state standards for those subject areas, and also with selected reading and science standards. The lessons include primary and secondary sources, guiding questions for discussions and classroom activities, and ideas for fulfilling Classroom-Based-Assessment (CBA) activities. The lessons are targeted at grades 3-4 and 7-8, when students are learning about Washington state history, but they can be easily adapted for other grades.
- Standard: Washington State Standards
- Topics: First Peoples, Colonization, Environmental Science
Grade 3 Geography Materials
How do natural resources influence how and where people live?
Students will learn about the natural resources of Washington state and analyze why specific cultural groups chose to live in the Puget Sound region. Using maps and secondary sources, students will examine why it became more important to find better means of crossing Lake Washington to meet individual needs and wants.
Supporting Questions:
- How did early inhabitants of the area use the lake and the natural resources of the SR 520 corridor region in their daily lives?
- How did settlers use the lake in their daily lives or to promote the growth of the new city?
- How and why did the importance of crossing the lake for different groups change over the years?
- What affect did each of these groups have on this region’s resources?
Grade 3 Civics Materials
How do people work together to solve problems?
Students will apply concepts of “individual rights” and “common good” to challenges that have faced different groups of people living or working in the Lake Washington area. They will also use these concepts to resolve conflicts and differences seen in everyday classroom interactions.
Supporting Questions:
- How do people from differing cultural groups and ways of life work together to solve problems?
- Did each of the cultural groups in Washington’s early history have the same choices or advantages in making important decisions that affected their lives? How were issues resolved?
Grade 3 History Materials
What can we learn about ourselves by studying other cultures?
Students will use maps, photographs, and elementary essays to learn about several specific cultural groups who lived in the Lake Washington area from 1850-1915. Students will examine whether past contributions made by each cultural group has affected their lives today.
Supporting Questions:
- What did the Native American tribes of the SR 520 corridor region contribute to the culture of King County/Washington state?
- What cultural groups immigrated to the SR 520 corridor region and why?
- What cultures have helped shape your community?
- How have neighborhoods developed because of cultural identities?
Grade 4 Geography Materials – Unit 1
What makes Washington unique?
Unit 1 Olmsted Parks and Boulevard System: Students will learn about Seattle’s Olmsted Parks and Boulevards System. They will use selected primary and secondary sources to identify which of Puget Sound’s natural resources played a significant role in Olmsted’s plan for the parks and boulevards.
Supporting Questions:
- What are the special geographic characteristics of the different regions of Washington State?
- What are the special geographic characteristics of the SR 520 corridor region?
- Which characteristics of the natural environment of Washington did Olmsted identify as most unique and important to emphasize when creating a park and boulevard system for Seattle?
Grade 4 Geography Materials – Unit 2
What makes Washington Unique?
Unit 2 Natural Resources: Students will analyze the importance of this state’s natural resources to those who chose to live and work here. Students will use maps, timelines, and online research to examine why transportation played a significant role in allowing people to reach and use this region’s natural and human-made resources.
Supporting Questions:
- How have physical geography and resources contributed to people’s decisions to make Washington/ SR 520 corridor region their home? How were they formed?
- Who were the first people of Washington and how did they use their environment to meet their basic needs?
- How did the Native Americans from the SR 520 corridor region use the lake and its shores for transportation and personal needs?
- Who were the cultural groups who immigrated to Washington prior to 1916 – why did they come and where did they settle? Examine selected groups who settled in the SR 520 corridor region and how they used natural resources for transportation and personal needs.
Grade 4 Civics Materials
How can citizens make a difference in matters that affect their neighborhoods?
Students will identify current issues that impact the lives of those who live in the Lake Washington area. Using a set of primary sources provided, students will research multiple perspectives on this issue and choose a personal stand. Students will defend both their individual views on this issue and the credibility of their resources.
Supporting Questions:
- How do the citizens of the state work together to solve problems?
- What are the rights and responsibilities of citizens in Washington?
- How does government respond to the needs and wants of the people of Washington? How can citizens make a difference?
- Did Washington state residents have the opportunity to provide input into decisions about the bridges – their placement, concepts, etc. How did the government respond?
- Did residents of the SR 520 corridor region have the opportunity to provide input into decisions about the bridges – their placement, concepts, etc.? How did the government respond? How can you have your voice heard in neighborhood, city, and state decisions – especially those that directly affect you?
Grade 4 History Materials
What can history teach us about the world today?
Students will analyze how the environment and natural resources of Lake Washington have been utilized over the past 200 years. Using maps and timelines, students will examine how crossing Lake Washington has influenced the lives and cultures of those who lived in this region.
Supporting Questions:
- Which key events that took place prior to 1915 had the most lasting effects on the lives of the people of the SR 520 corridor region?
- How did human activities on Lake Washington change after the treaty-making period?
- How did the arrival of settlers influence transportation in the SR 520 corridor region?
- How did introducing steamships to Lake Washington’s transportation system influence the development of Lake Washington’s neighborhoods?
Grades 7 & 8 Geography Materials – Unit 1
What makes Washington unique?
Unit 1 Olmsted Parks and Boulevard System: Students will learn about Seattle’s Olmsted Parks and Boulevards System. They will use selected primary and secondary sources to identify which of Puget Sound’s natural resources played a significant role in Olmsted’s plan for the parks and boulevards.
Supporting Questions:
- What are the special geographic characteristics of the different regions of Washington State?
- What are the special geographic characteristics of the SR 520 corridor region?
- Which characteristics of the natural environment of Washington did Olmsted identify as most unique and important to emphasize when creating a park and boulevard system for Seattle?
Grades 7 & 8 Geography Materials – Unit 2
What makes Washington unique?
Unit 2 Natural Resources: Students will analyze the importance of this state’s natural resources to those who chose to live and work here. Students will use maps, timelines, and online research to examine why transportation played a significant role in allowing people to reach and use this region’s natural and human-made resources.
Supporting Questions:
- How have physical geography and resources contributed to people’s decisions to make Washington/ SR 520 corridor region their home? How were they formed?
- Who were the first people of Washington and how did they use their environment to meet their basic needs?
- How did the Native Americans from the SR 520 corridor region use the lake and its shores for transportation and personal needs?
- Who were the cultural groups who immigrated to Washington prior to 1916 – why did they come and where did they settle? Examine selected groups who settled in the SR 520 corridor region and how they used natural resources for transportation and personal needs.
Grades 7 & 8 Civics Materials
How can citizens work to address the challenges facing our state today?
Students will identify current issues that impact the lives of those who live in the Lake Washington area. Using a set of primary sources provided, students will research multiple perspectives on this issue and choose a personal stand. Students will defend both their individual views on this issue and the credibility of their resources.
Supporting Questions:
- What challenges face the people of Washington State today?
- How can citizens work to address those challenges?
- How will the growth of Seattle and Bellevue influence the need for additional or more updated ways to cross the lake in the future?
