Westward ExpansionGrade 5

By:

Amy Adams

Elizabeth Meyer

Neil Manning

Westward ExpansionWestward Expansion The Fifth grade focuses on the

Revolutionary war era. Westward Expansion is an integral part of this era.

Westward Expansion is a key theme to learn to understand how the United States formed.

Many of the events during Westward Expansion help to explain our society and geography of today.

ObjectivesAmerican Heritage

The students will: Identify significant

individuals form the region’s past…

Use time lines to explore causes and effects relationships…

Investigate the influence of geography on the history of the region.

American HeritageWeb Sources

www.ushistory.org Site containing all of American history contacts.

www.tntech.edu/www/acad/hist/history.html This site has many options to categorize and research historical events.

www.mpm.edu/collect/hresearch.html This site is the Milwaukee Museum site, which contains many references pertaining to westward expansion and the people involved.

www.edsoasis.org/TGUILD/Lessons/born.html This site has great lesson ideas for history.

www.saber.net/~paloeser/ This site has many links to history pages and ideas.

American HeritageActivities

Students will create a biography board for a key person who lived during Westward Expansion.

Students will act out a play involving many of the famous people from this time period.

In the library the students will research a famous person and write a report on the person’s accomplishments.

The students will create a timeline of events during the westward expansion.

In journals the students will write about how life has changed into what it is today.

ObjectivesPeople in Societies

The students will: Use appropriate maps to

locate sources of major migrations…

Describe how customs and traditions of immigrant groups have affected the American society

Read stories about individuals who represent various cultural groups…

People in SocietiesWeb Sources

www.si.edu/organize/meseums/amerind/pub/pubdance.htm This site has many Native American traditions and dances.

www.photius.com/wfb/wfb1999/united_states/united_states_geography.html This site has geographic information of all of the countries.

www.bn.com This is the site of Barnes and Nobles a well known site for book references.

www.religion-online.org This site holds vast arrays of religious documents.

www.corvinia.org/history/hi-mode.html Has many resources for historical dates and events.

People in SocietiesActivities

The students will fill in maps defining where major populations came from.

Students will study Native American’s beliefs. Students will read books from many cultural areas

pertaining to the different populations. An in-class activity where the students are given a small

amount of money and many unexplainable taxes for their learning.

Study various religions and their differences.

World Interactions During Westward Expansion

The learner will identify significant individuals from the region’s past and explain the impact they had on the cultural heritage of the United States.

The learner will utilize a variety of resources to find different informative perspectives about North America.

Web Sites

http://score.rims.kiz.ca.us/grade5/index.html

http://www.americanwestcenter.org/pages/Eventsmainback.html

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/pages/jb_0814_oregon_1.html

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/SS45.htm

http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/

Activities

Write a 1-2 page report on a person who had a great impact on America between 1789 and 1850.

Go on a field trip to the Heritage Festival to learn about life during the Westward Expansion.

Play through the Oregon Trail on CD-ROM and write down your thoughts of how life would be back then.

Create a problem that a pioneer may have faced, and brainstorm the possible decisions to be made and (+/-) consequences that would arise from each choice.

Read a fictional/nonfictional book with a setting in America between 1789 and 1850.

Decision Making & ResourcesDuring Westward Expansion

The learners will compare the reasons different cultures had for coming to America, and describe the influence their customs had on the American way of life.

The learners will read stories about individuals who represented various cultural groups and compare the problems the groups encountered.

Web Sites http://members.aol.com/

calebj/dir.html http://www.pbs.org/weta/

thewest/wpages/wpgs400/ http://www.

lessonplanspage.com/SS45.htm

http://x.ed.uiuc.edu/YLP/97-98/97-98_units/97-98mini-unit/JAugustine_13Colonies/13colonies.html

http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/

Activities

Write a 1-2 page paper about why Europeans sailed to America on the Mayflower

Hold a Show-n-Tell of different traditions and customs brought to America from Europe.

Read a book about an individual who represented a particular cultural group between 1789 and 1850.

Create your own country that your classmates would migrate to in order to be free, and write 1 page about the expansion of the country, the people their and their traditions.

Lead a discussion about why people would want to leave everything to come to America and then expand westward.

Democratic Processes

The learner will examine and interpret examples of political activity as applications of the characteristics of American democracy.

Web Sites http://www.nps.gov/jeff/mus-o

ur.htm http://www.geocities.com/Athe

ns/Academy/6617/west.html http://www.connectingstudents

.com/themes/west.htm http://www.nationalgeographic

.com/features/97/west/ http://tess.uis.edu/www/

448sp99/westward.html

Activities Play on-line game, “Go West Across America with Lewis and Clark” Research the Homestead Act, write a paper explaining why only 160

acres of land was offered to those settling the west. Watch The American Experience miniseries “TR, The Story of

Theodore Roosevelt” Research and present one of the U.S.’s current policies and compare

and contrast to policies during western expansion Research the goals of a third political party in U.S. history. Create a

chart of the similarities and differences between that party and the contemporary mainstream parties.

Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities The learner will differentiate

between facts and opinions and between relevant and irrelevant information when examining national issues.

The learner will reflect dispositions that will enhance the learner’s effectiveness in influencing group action.

Web Sites http://www.pbs.org/

lewisandclark/into/intro.html http://americanhistory.about.com/

homework/americanhistory/msub20.htm

http://www.high-point.net/dept/library/expansionwest.htm

http://www.rochesterschools.com/rms/wexp.htm

http://americanwest.com/pages/westwrd2.htm

Activities Students will explore, online, and respond to the Museum of

Westward Expansion The students will compile a list of rules and regulations the party

will follow on the trail Play an on-line game called Lewis and Clark Participate in a western expansion Web Quest Participate in an online discussion with a historian

ConclusionThe westward expansion of our country had, and continues to have, a

profound affect on our lives, as citizens of the United States. There

is a lot we can learn from the history of America, that can help us

understand and appreciate the changes our country has gone through.

Just as exploration expanded our nation it also expands our minds.

EXPLORE and EXPAND the possibilities!!!

REALLY!!