SETTLING THE RED RIVER VALLEY
SURVEYORS

Grade Level:
4^th-8^th

Standards Integration:
Minnesota:
Grades 4-5: Read, Listen, and View: Literal Comprehension
2. Reading and applying technical instructions to perform an action.
Mathematical Concepts and Applications: Shape, Space, and Measurement
1. Describe and analyze two-and three-dimensional shapes and spaces using appropriate whole and partial units, including metric, to measure length, time, weight, volume, temperature, angle, and area, and using names and properties of common two-and three-dimensional shapes.
Grades 6-8: Read, Listen, and View: Technical Reading
2. Applying step-by-step directions using appropriate tools and safety procedures.
3. Showing an understanding of information from visual or graphic data.
Social Studies: Geography and Culture
2. Using mental maps to show location and region.

North Dakota:
Grades K-4: Social Studies: Geography
4.6.1 Read maps and understand how to use them.
Mathematics: Measurement
4.4.1 Select and use the appropriate tool to determine measurements of length, area, perimeter, volume, and angle size.
Grades 5-8: Mathematics: Measurement
8.4.2 Select and use appropriate measurement unit and tools to solve problems.

Materials:
measuring tools (string, tape measure)

Objectives:

	Students will understand the experiences of young surveyors as they walk and canoed, measured and marked, and then relayed statistics about the country in which they worked.
	Students will create a visual description of the land that was surveyed in order to demonstrate cognitive thinking.

Background:
Surveyors were some of the first European peoples to set foot in the Red River Valley. Hired by the Hudson’s Bay Company in England, these young men were usually only 14-19 years of age. They were sent by the Company to measure or survey the land for trade opportunities to and to create maps for those who were to come to the region later.

Pre-Visit Activity:
Ask the students to take a nature walk and imagine that they walk in uncharted territory. Have them sketch a picture of the area that includes as many natural landmarks as possible. They should take notes on the area and keep an accurate account of any landmarks. They will need to decide where their boundaries are and think about different ways to mark off and measure the area. Discuss with the students the tools that were used to survey the Red River Valley in the 1790s.

Post-Visit Activity:
The students should create a written description or visual description of the land they “surveyed”. If the “uncharted territory” is nearby, allow students to exchange descriptions and try to locate the area based on the written description. Display these works.