Michigan's Two Regions
Social Studies/Geography
Grade 3
Objectives:  To introduce the students to the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan and the area called The Straits Of Mackinac which joins the two regions.  The students will discover that the two regions have very different characteristics.
Standards and Benchmarks:
Michigan Social Studies: Historical Perspective
Place major events in their development of their local community and the state of Michigan in chronological order.
Content Standard 1:2

Michigan Technology: Evaluating and Forecasting
Describe how technological advances have impacted society and the environment.
Content Standard 6 :6

Materials:
           Classroom pull down map of Michigan
            Classroom projector and lap top computer bookmarked to Mackinac Parks and Mackinac Bridge
            Computers in the lab bookmarked to The Mitten web site
            Handouts for each student with the events they will research
             Timeliner Sofware
Procedure:
Engage:
Have the students hold their hands up to form the two peninsulas of Michigan.  Tell them that these two peninsulas are different regions of Michigan.  Which of these statements is true?   Michigan is a state with big cities and factories, tall office buildings, and crowds of people.  Or can I say, Michigan is a state of tall trees, waterfalls, small towns with open spaces and quiet roads.  Which of these statements is correct?  Even though the two statements sound very different they are both true.

Anticipatory Set:
Explain to the students that many things in the upper peninsula of Michigan are very different from the lower peninsula.  In the past the Upper Peninsula had several mining towns and lumber mills with camps where the Lower Peninsula had car factories.  The car industry is the reason more people moved to the Lower Peninsula and there are larger cities in the lower peninsula than the upper.  Go to the map of Michigan ( Mackinac Parks web site)  and show the students that the two peninsulas are connected by The Straits of Mackinac.  Point out the major cities in each peninsula.  Upper- Marquette, St. Ignas, Sault Ste. Marie, Escanaba / Lower- Lansing, Dearborn, Detroit, Traverse City, Flint, Grand Rapids, Port Huron.  Tell the students that the two peninsulas are connected by the Mackinac Bridge and take the students on a photo tour of the bridge.  It was this bridge that connected the different communities of the upper and lower peninsulas.  Talk about the ways that the bridge makes life easier for both communities.  You will now explore what life was like at Fort Mackinac for a boy living there in 1883 as well as what life is like today.  You will hear about different events that occurred in the area of the Mackinac Straits.

Independent Practice:  The students will form groups and each group will be given a list of 3/4 events.
Events:
*  Mill Creek provides sawn lumber for Mackinac Island
*  French missionaries start a Catholic mission on the north side of the straits
*  Mackinac Island becomes Michigan's first state park
*  Harold Corbusier starts his diary

*  The French built Fort Michilimackinac on the south shore of the straits
*  The British move their fort from the south shore of the straits to Mackinac Island
*  Native Americans move into northern Michigan

*  Mackinac Island becomes the nation's second national park
*  Railroads reach the straits
*  The French lose control of the straits to Great Britain

*  The American Fur Company builds its store on Mackinac Island
*  Michigan's two peninsulas are joined by the Mackinac Bridge
*  Father Jacques Marquette leaves the straits to explore the Mississippi River

They will read the articles on the Mitten web site and find the dates for the events in the following articles: "A Boy at Fort Mackinac", "Mackinac the Gathering Place", and "Mackinac Today". ( The Mitten)  The research will be compiled in a classroom timeline.  Each group will make a section of the timeline on construction paper and illustrate it.  One group will also use Timeliner software to make another version of the timeline.

Closing:  The students will present their portion of the timeline and we will attach each part to complete it.  We will display the timeline in our classroom.  The group that made the timeline using Timeliner software will present it to the class.

Assessment:  Students will be assessed by their participation in their groups and by the completed timeline.

Literature connection:  Paul Bunyan and The Great Lakes 

Resources
Web sites:
Mackinac Historical State Parks
http://www.mackinacparks.com/

The Official Web site of the Mackinac Bridge
http://www.mackinacbridge.org/

The Mitten Magazine
http://michiganhistorymagazine.com/kids/issues.html

Books:
Paul Bunyan
By Steven Kellog
 


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