By

Carolyn G. Davis

Fort Pitt Elementary School

Contents of Curriculum Unit

• Narrative
• Connecting the National Standards
• Getting Started
• Lesson 1: In Search of Pittsburgh Steel Mills
• Lesson 2: In Search of Pittsburgh Historians
• Lesson 3: In Search of Pittsburgh Landmarks
• Lesson 4: In Search of Pittsburgh Artists
• Lesson 5: In Search of Pittsburgh Writers
• Summary
• Student Bibliography
• Teacher Bibliography
• Appendix A- Pittsburgh School District's Standards
• Appendix B- Scavenger Hunt Journal
• Appendix C- Pittsburgh Photographs

A scavenger hunt is an exciting and fun way to explore and discover objects, facts and information having a specific topic or theme. Children as well as adults have had fun playing this game at parties, summer camp, sleepovers and a variety of other social gatherings. This curriculum unit titled: "Meet you at the Point: A Scavenger Hunt about Pittsburgh" will be an exciting way for my third grade students to collect facts, data and information about the city of Pittsburgh. Although this unit is written for the students who live Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, it can be adapted for students who live in other cities.

The third grade social studies curriculum in the Pittsburgh Public Schools has a unit of study that focuses on the city of Pittsburgh. In that unit students study the Board adopted curriculum, which focuses on Pittsburgh's three rivers, bridges, landscape, transportation, early exploration and neighborhoods. In this curriculum unit, the emphasis will be placed on literacy, using essays, novels, poems, prose and tour guides about the city of Pittsburgh. It will supplement the social studies unit and will be taught immediately after the Board curriculum. This unit will give students the opportunity to explore and discover facts about Pittsburgh that are not covered in the social studies unit.

The theme for this unit is based on the book titled "Another Kind of Monday" by William E. Coles. In this novel the main character Mark, a Pittsburgh High School student, discovers a mysterious note and money concealed in Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations". This mysterious note has been hidden in the Dickens classic for years, and it begins Mark's adventure through Pittsburgh. Mark and his classmate Zeena embark on a quest through Pittsburgh's historical landmarks to find further clues that uncover facts about Pittsburgh and a secret about Mark. This unit will be implemented in the third grade social studies classroom. In this unit students will embark on a quest for knowledge about Pittsburgh steel mills, historians, landmarks, artists and writers.

The Pittsburgh Board of Education has adopted Core Curriculum Frameworks to help the district meet the National Education Standards proposed by the Department of Education. These Core Curriculum Frameworks are in the areas of: Communications, Family and Consumer Sciences, Mathematics, Arts and Humanities, Citizenship, Wellness and Fitness, Science and Technology, Environment and Ecology and Career Education and Work (Appendix A - pg.1-2). Within these core areas are 62 content standards of academic knowledge and skill that students will have to demonstrate to earn a high school diploma in Pennsylvania.

For our purposes this unit will focus on the Communication Standards (Appendix A). The lessons are matched to specific standards below. All of the lessons will cover more than one standard.

Communication Standard #1- All students use effective research and information management skills. (Unit Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5);

Communication Standard #2- All students read and use a variety of methods to make sense of various kinds of complex texts. (Unit Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5);

Communication Standard #3-All students respond orally and in writing to information and ideas gained by reading narrative and informational texts and use the information and ideas to make decisions and solve problems. (Unit Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5);

Communication Standard #6- All students exchange information orally, including understanding and giving spoken instructions, asking and answering questions appropriately, and promoting effective group communications. (Unit Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5);

Citizenship Standard #1- Students demonstrate an understanding of major events, cultures, groups and individuals in the historic development of Pittsburgh. (Unit Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5).

Citizenship Standard #7- Students demonstrate their skills of communicating, negotiating and cooperating with others. (Unit Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5) and

Citizenship Standard #8- All students demonstrate they can work together effectively with others. (Unit Lesson: 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5).

The classroom reading period is a great way to share the book "Another Kind of Monday" by William E. Coles, with your third grade students. Introduce this story before you begin and while you are completing the social studies curriculum about Pittsburgh. It may take about two weeks to get through the entire novel which consist of 296 pages. This can be done during the reading workshop time, DEAR time (drop everything and read), before or after lunch. Once the novel is completed then you can begin this curriculum unit, Meet you at the Point: A Scavenger Hunt about Pittsburgh.

The class should be divided into five groups of five. If your class is larger, then make the groups larger or divide them into six groups of five. Each group will be named after sections of the city for instance; North Side, Garfield, East Liberty, Homewood and The Hill. Groups can also be named after the city's sports teams, streets, mayors or anything that is associated with the city of Pittsburgh. To begin the scavenger hunt, a group envelope is given to the designated group leader that has been chosen by the group. These groups will remain the same throughout this unit. Students are encouraged to work as a team in order to complete each assignment. Although students work in a group, each will record all events in his or her personal journal. A mystery clue, seen on the next page, will be written on the chalkboard in the third grade classroom each morning. This will be done on the same day of the week for the next five weeks.

Once the students have read the message they are to report to the designated "point" given in the clue. The designations will be around the school building such as in the library, computer lab, art room, courtyard and science room. Students will assemble for the instruction and then embark on the quest. The group has to complete the assignment in their journal using the materials given. After all group members have completed the assignment the group will receive a puzzle piece to a larger clue. The designated group leader is responsible for keeping all puzzle pieces in the group's envelope. Students will follow this procedure throughout the unit. The goal is for students to accumulate all the puzzle pieces that create a mystery picture of Pittsburgh. The mystery puzzle, is a picture of the Incline on Mount Washington that each group will solve at the end of this unit.

The materials you will need for each student include the Scavenger Hunt Journal in Appendix B, pencils and books from the student bibliography. The teacher's materials include the mystery clues, mystery envelopes, chalkboard, chalk, Pittsburgh photographs and books from the teacher's bibliography. And of course a sense of adventure and fun!

Classroom Mystery Clue: Hot, Black Steel

Made in Pittsburgh town

Meet you in the Science room

To see if they're still around

 

Mystery Steel Mill envelops: Edgar Thomson Works

Jones & Laughlin

Bessemer

Homestead Works

Painter's Mill

Thomas Bell's character Mike Dobrejcak in the novel "Out of this Furnace" is part of the first clue Mark has to solve in order to solve the mystery, in William Coles' book "Another Kind of Monday". In this story Mark reads a clue that leads him to an abandoned steel mill in a part of town he had never been before. You will need to read excerpts from Chapter 1, 2 and 3 that highlight the location of the steel mill. Also, review the clue in chapter 1 to refresh the student's memory. Next, read the account of life in the steel mills from the books "Out of this Furnace" and " Homestead: The Glory and Tragedy of an American Steel Town" by William Serrin. Explain to the class the poor work conditions the people had to work in, their long hours and their low wages. Give them a comparison of how the owners were getting richer and richer and the workers were very poor. Once you have given them an adequate description of life in the steel mill, then it is time to move into the activity.

Give each group their mystery envelope. Inside the envelope is the name of the steel mill the group has to research for their journal. Students will use the books, photographs and information packets you have provided. After the group has completed the lesson, they are given puzzle pieces of something related to Pittsburgh. The puzzle pieces will be kept in the envelope. At the end of each lesson, give your students time to guess about the puzzle pieces and share their speculations within the group.

The materials that students need for this lesson include the Scavenger Hunt Journal (Appendix B), pencils, group envelope, Steel Mill photographs and books from the student bibliography. The teacher's materials include the mystery clues, mystery envelopes, chalkboard, chalk, Pittsburgh photographs, information packet and books from the teacher's bibliography. And of course a sense of adventure and fun!

Classroom Mystery Clue: Rich man, Poor man

Who could it be?

Meet you in the Computer Lab

And you soon will see

 

Mystery Historian envelops: Andrew Carnegie

Henry Clay Frick

James Brashear

Robert Vann

David L. Lawrence

In this lesson students will you the Internet to discover facts about historical Pittsburghers. You make want to write the list of websites on the chalkboard prior to the start of class. Give each group their mystery envelope. Inside the envelope is the name of a historical Pittsburgher the group has to research for their journal. Students will use the Internet, photographs and information packets you have provided. After the group has completed the lesson, they are given puzzle pieces of something related to Pittsburgh. The puzzle pieces will be kept in the envelope. At the end of each lesson, give your students time to guess about the puzzle pieces and share their speculations within the group.

The materials that students need for this lesson include the Scavenger Hunt Journal (Appendix B), computers, pencils, group envelope, Pittsburgh History photographs and books from the student bibliography. The teacher's materials include the mystery clues, mystery envelopes, list of websites, Pittsburgh photographs, information packet and books from the teacher's bibliography. And of course a sense of adventure and fun! The materials students need for this lesson include the Scavenger Hunt Journal, pencils, group envelope, computer and books from the student bibliography. The teacher's materials include the mystery clues, mystery envelopes, computer and books from the teacher's bibliography. And of course a sense of adventure and fun!

Classroom Mystery Clue: Buildings High and Low

Made of Stone or Brick

Meet you in the Courtyard

To find your Landmark QUICK!

Mystery Landmark envelops: Phipps Conservatory

Cathedral of Learning

Allegheny Observatory

St Paul's Cathedral

Smith Street Bridge

A city of rolling hills and rivers, Pittsburgh is famous for its world-class scenery, culture, sports and architecture. As one drives through the Fort Pitt tunnel, the downtown area of Pittsburgh can be captured in a glimpse as you emerge from the tunnel. Its bridges and skyscrapers suddenly appear, creating a gateway to the city. There are many architectural landmarks throughout the city of Pittsburgh. The shimmering PPG Tower and the gleaming One Oxford Centre have become the visual center of downtown's Renaissance II. The "Rich/Poor Man's Guide to Pittsburgh" by Dorothy Miller, has helped Pittsburghers and visitors appreciate the city's uniqueness and its hidden secrets. Students will use this Guide to help them complete their journals.

Give each group their mystery envelope. Inside the envelope is the name of a historical landmark the group has to research for their journal. Students will use the tour guide, photographs and information packets you have provided. After the group has completed the lesson, they are given puzzle pieces of something related to Pittsburgh. The puzzle pieces will be kept in the envelope. At the end of each lesson, give your students time to guess about the puzzle pieces and share their speculations within the group. The materials that students need for this lesson include the Scavenger Hunt Journal (Appendix B), pencils, group envelope, Pittsburgh Landmark photographs and books from the student bibliography. The teacher's materials include the mystery clues, mystery envelopes, chalkboard, chalk, Pittsburgh photographs, information packet and books from the teacher's bibliography.

Classroom Mystery Clue: Images and thoughts,

The Artist tries to strive

Meet you in the Art room

Where pictures come alive!

Mystery Artist envelops: Andy Warhol

Romare Bearden

Selma Burke

Mary Cassatt

Robert Qualters

Pittsburgh has a great love for the Arts. This is evident in its many galleries, symphonies, theaters, museums, art centers and ballet companies. The Carnegie Museum of Art offers a distinguished collection of contemporary art that includes film and video works. Other collections include works of American art from the late nineteenth century, French

Impressionist and Post-Impressionist, European and American decorative arts from the late seventeenth century to the present. Pittsburghers have enjoyed going to the Carnegie Museum for many years. Annie Dillard, a native Pittsburgher and author shares her Saturday morning art class experience, in her memoir "An American Childhood". Read and discuss this excerpt on page 210 with your class.

Give each group their mystery envelope. Inside the envelope is the name of a Pittsburgh artist the group has to research for their journal. Students will use the photographs and information packets you have provided. After the group has completed the lesson, they are given puzzle pieces of something related to Pittsburgh. The puzzle pieces will be kept in the envelope. At the end of each lesson, give your students time to guess about the puzzle pieces and share their speculations within the group.

The materials that students need for this lesson include the Scavenger Hunt Journal (Appendix B), pencils, group envelope, Pittsburgh Artist photographs and books from the student bibliography. The teacher's materials include the mystery clues, mystery envelopes, chalkboard, chalk, Pittsburgh photographs, information packet and books from the teacher's bibliography. And of course a sense of adventure and fun! The materials you will need for this lesson include the Scavenger Hunt Journal (Appendix B), pencils, group envelope, photographs of artwork and books from the student bibliography. The teacher's materials include the mystery clues, mystery envelopes, photographs of artwork, chalkboard, chalk, and books from the teacher's bibliography.

Classroom Mystery Clue:

Books, Stories, Poems
Writers from yesterday and today
Meet you in the Library
Discover what they say.

Mystery Writer envelops:

August Wilson
John Edgar Wideman
Annie Dillard
Sharon Flake
Michael Chabon

Pittsburgh produced more than just steel, aluminum and glass. There are many well-known scientists, artists, celebrities and writers who were born here and did some of their best work here. This lesson will focus students on a quest for Pittsburgh writers.

Give each group their mystery envelope. Inside the envelope is the name of a Pittsburgh writer the group has to research for their journal. Students will use the photographs, books and information packets you have provided. After the group has completed the lesson, they are given puzzle pieces of something related to Pittsburgh. The puzzle pieces will be kept in the envelope. At the end of each lesson, give your students time to guess about the puzzle pieces and share their speculations within the group.

The materials that students need for this lesson include the Scavenger Hunt Journal (Appendix B), pencils, group envelope, Pittsburgh writer photographs and books from the student bibliography. The teacher's materials include the mystery clues, mystery envelopes, chalkboard, chalk, Pittsburgh photographs, information packet and books from the teacher's bibliography. And of course a sense of adventure and fun!

In each lesson the clue that is written on the chalkboard is read to the students. This will give them an idea of what aspect of Pittsburgh they will focus on for each lesson. Then students will assemble in the designated point identified in the clue. You will either read an article, an excerpt from a novel or share the photographs and material explained in the above lessons. After you have presented and discussed these materials with the students, they are given the group envelope. Students are to search for information about the clue and record the information in their scavenger hunt journal. When the students in each group has completed the assignment they will be given a puzzle piece, which is a picture of the Incline on Mount Washington. This procedure will be the same for all lessons.

After students have accumulated all the puzzle pieces they will research the picture and then share the information with the class as a final project. The mystery puzzle, is a picture of the Incline on Mount Washington. Students will use the materials from their Social Studies book "Pittsburgh, Our City" and Photographs from "Pittsburgh Then and Now" by Arthur G. Smith. If money and time allows, the final project could be a field trip to Mount Washington to ride the Incline.

This curriculum unit was developed to help students have fun while learning important information about the city's past and present history. You may be creative and add other topics to this unit such as sports, mayors, neighborhoods etc. In any event just remember to help your students have fun and enjoy the quest.

William E. Coles, Another Kind of Monday, (Avon Books, 1999)
Two Pittsburgh students embark upon a scavenger hunt through Pittsburgh landmarks

Nancy Ward Balderose, Pittsburgh, Our City, (Board of Education, Pittsburgh, 1999)
Social studies curriculum about the City of Pittsburgh.

Dorothy Miller, Rich/Poor Man's Guide to Pittsburgh: I Love Pittsburgh

Sightseeing Guide, (New Pittsburgh Publications, 1977)
A sight seeing guide of Pittsburgh.

Thomas Bell, Out of This Furnace, (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1976)
Novel set in Braddock, originally published in 1941.

Sharon Flake, The Skin I'm In, (Hyperion Books, 1998)
Questions about skin color in acclaimed book for teen readers.

Anne Dillard, An American Child, (Harper, 1998)
Growing up in Point Breeze in the 1950s.

William E. Coles, Another Kind of Monday, (Avon Books, 1999)

Two Pittsburgh students embark upon a scavenger hunt through Pittsburgh landmarks Nancy Ward Balderose, Pittsburgh, Our City, (Board of Education, Pittsburgh, 1999)
Social studies curriculum about the City of Pittsburgh.

Dorothy Miller, Rich/Poor Man's Guide to Pittsburgh: I Love Pittsburgh
Sightseeing Guide, (New Pittsburgh Publications, 1977)
A sight seeing guide of Pittsburgh.

Thomas Bell, Out of This Furnace, (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1976)
Novel set in Braddock, originally published in 1941.

Sharon Flake, The Skin I'm In, (Hyperion Books, 1998)
Questions about skin color in acclaimed book for teen readers.

Anne Dillard, An American Child, (Harper, 1998)
Growing up in Point Breeze in the 1950s.

John Edgar Wideman, Brothers and Keepers, (Vintage Books, 1984)
One brother writes; the other serves life sentence in Western Penitentiary.

Michael P. Weber, Don't Call me Boss: David L. Lawrence, Pittsburgh's Renaissance Mayor, (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1988)
Historian examines four decades of Pittsburgh City politics.

William Serrin, Homestead: The Glory and Tragedy of an American Steel Town, (New York: Times Books, 1982) Reporter leaves New York Times, moves to Eighth Avenue after mill shuts down.

http://www.clpgh.org

http://www.city.pittsburgh.pgh.pa.us

http://www.clpgh.org/neighborhoods/point

http://www.cmoa.org

http://www.encyclopedia.com

http://trfn.clpgh.org

http://isi9.mtwilson.edu

Quester___________________ Group____________________

Teacher____________________ Room #___________________

Date Started________________ Date Ended________________

Pittsburgh Steel Mill

Location________________________________________________________________

Established when?_________________________________________________________

Number of employees______________________________________________________

Closed when?____________________________________________________________

What is there now?________________________________________________________

Type of steel produced_____________________________________________________

Owner__________________________________________________________________

Interesting facts and information:_____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In Search of Pittsburgh Historians

Pittsburgh Historian_______________________________________________________

Birthplace_______________________________________________________________

Birth date________________________ Death_________________________

Contribution to Pittsburgh: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Interesting Facts and Information: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What did you like or not like about this person: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In Search of Pittsburgh Landmarks

Pittsburgh Landmark_______________________________________________________

Address_________________________________________________________________

Location________________________________________________________________

Tour Information__________________________________________________________

Date Built and by whom__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Purpose________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Does it still exist? If not why? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Interesting facts and information:_____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pittsburgh Artist__________________________________________________________

Birth date__________________________ Died__________________________

Where in Pittsburgh did they live? ____________________________________________

Where do they live now? ___________________________________________________

Type of medium used______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Famous Art work_________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Where can you find this artist's work?

_______________________________________________________________________

Important facts and information

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pittsburgh Writer__________________________________________________________

Birth date _________________________ Died__________________________

Where in Pittsburgh did they live? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Where do they live now? ___________________________________________________

What Pittsburgh schools attended_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Books and Novels written ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Important facts and information______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________