Lesson Plan

Stories From the Clinch River Valley
Lesson Two: Displacement

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A pre-Manhattan Project house is moved on rollers to a new location.

Displacement occurred multiple times within the Clinch River Valley.

US Department of Energy/Ed Westcott

Grade Level:
Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
Subject:
Literacy and Language Arts,Social Studies
Lesson Duration:
60 Minutes
Common Core Standards:
3.L.4, 4.L.4, 4.L.4.c, 5.L.4, 5.L.4.c, 4.RI.2, 4.SL.1.c, 4.SL.1.d
State Standards:
Tennessee State Social Studies Standards
•5.24
•5.48
•5.49
•5.50
Additional Standards:
National Social Studies Standards
•Thematic Strand 2, 3, 5, 8
National Geography Standards
•Essential Element 1

Essential Question

What is displacement?
Why did displacement happen in the Clinch River Valley?
How does displacement affect a community and the residents?

Objective

Students will:
•Describe how displacement can affect daily life.
•Locate the Clinch River Valley on a map and describe why displacement took place in the construction of Norris Dam and Oak Ridge.
•Compare and contrast the effects of the bombing of Clinton High School and how the community reacted to students being displaced.

Background

Materials and Activity Sheets

  • Map, globe, or internet-based mapping site
  • Children’s book, Displacement
  • Worksheet 1: T chart template

Preparation

Prior to teaching this lesson, gather library books on Appalachian communities, dam construction projects, the Manhattan Project, and the civil rights movement.

Materials

Download Stories From the Clinch River Valley: Book Two Displacement

Procedure

  1. Locate and Introduce the Region
    • Display the Clinch River Valley on a map, globe, or digital resource.
    • Highlight key geographic concepts, including the idea of a river valley.
  2. Introduce Key Vocabulary
    • Review important terms with students, focusing on displacement.
    • Work together as a class to create a shared definition.
  3. Read-Aloud
    • Read Stories of the Clinch River Valley e-book, Displacement.
  4. Guided Discussion
    • Pause during and after reading to ask:
      • Why did displacement occur in the Clinch River Valley?
      • What examples of displacement were shown in the book?
      • How would you feel if you were suddenly displaced?
  5. Visible vs. Invisible T-Chart
    • Display a chart labeled Visible and Invisible.
    • Explain that displacement has both observable and hidden elements.
  2. Class Brainstorm
    • Using ideas from the reading and discussion, list examples:
      • Visible: houses moved or torn down, landscapes altered, families forced to move.
      • Invisible: feelings of loss, fear, alienation, not belonging.
    • Emphasize the difference between what can be seen and what cannot.
  3. Create a Shared Definition
    • In small groups, have students write 1–2 sentences (or words) describing displacement and its causes.
    • Record group definitions on the board.
    • As a class, agree on one final shared definition (e.g., “being forced to move due to natural disaster, government projects, or war”).
  4. Classroom Simulation: Experiencing Displacement
    • Have students count off by 1s and 2s.
    • Tell the “2s” they have been displaced. Give them 30 seconds to gather belongings and move to the back of the room.
    • Place a masking tape “X” on their desks, explaining they cannot return there and must find a new spot in the classroom.
    • Continue with a normal class activity for ~30 minutes while they remain displaced.
    • Afterwards, remove the “X” and allow students to return to their original desks.
  5. Reflection and Debrief
    • Lead a discussion:
      • What did the displaced students feel?
      • What did the rest of the class notice?
      • How would this experience feel if it were permanent?
    • Connect student reflections back to the historical examples studied.

Vocabulary

  • Clinch River Valley – A valley following the Clinch River for more than 300 miles through parts of Virginia and Tennessee.
  • Displacement: the situation in which people are forced to leave the place where they normally live.
  • Tennessee Valley Authority- an electric cooperation owned by the government. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia.
  • Community – a group of people who share common interests, beliefs, and/or cultural background.
  • Homestead - a house, especially a farmhouse, and outbuildings
  • Desegregation- the action of ending segregation between races or sexes in a place or organization
  • Eminent Domain: the right of a government to take private property for public use
  • Civil Rights Movement- a social movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized racial segregation, and discrimination in the country.

Additional Resources

Related Lessons or Education Materials

Stories From the Clinch River Valley - Lesson One: Change
Stories From the Clinch River Valley - Lesson Three: Community
Stories From the Clinch River Valley - Teacher's Guide

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Tags: clinch river valley

Last updated: December 12, 2025