Worksheet
Curated OER

Manifest Destiny Questions

For Students 8th - 11th
In this Westward Expansion instructional activity, students respond to 7 short answer questions about America's vision of Manifest Destiny and its effects.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Pupils discover how manifest destiny and westward expansion are related. Using the Internet, they research the beginnings of the movement of manifest destiny and how it influenced people moving westward. They discuss the expectations and...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Manifest Destiny

For Students 9th - 12th
In this Westward Expansion activity, learners read assigned textbook pages which describe  Manifest Destiny and respond to 33 short answer questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Get the Point!

For Teachers 1st
First graders, after reading about cattle drives, measure the width of the horns on drawings of longhorn cattle and then convert the measurements from inches to centimeters and from inches to feet. Ranching and the American cattle...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

GET THE POINT!

For Teachers 4th - 5th
The student will measure the width of the horns on drawings of longhorn cattle and then convert the measurements from inches to centimeters and from inches to feet.1. Review with students the steps required to measure an item and to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning Landscapes

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders analyze a landscape depicting Yosemite during the time of the Wild West. They compare their perceptions of the West from film and television to this representation. They observe the use of scale and color to depict size and...
Article
Henry J. Sage

Sage American History: The Republic of Texas and the Mexican American War

For Students 9th - 10th
Article on the history of Texas framed in a discussion of Spanish colonization to help readers better understand events leading to the Mexican-American War. With bullet pointed facts and links to primary source material.
Handout
History of American Wars

History of American Wars: Texas Independence: Mexican Texas 1821 1836

For Students 9th - 10th
Discusses the sequence of events in Texas from 1821 to 1836 that led up to the Mexican-American War.
Article
Henry J. Sage

Sage American History: Texas From American Settlement to Annexation 1820 1845

For Students 9th - 10th
Article in which the author takes us through the history of Texas from the time Americans arrived and settled in the area to annexation, and finally, war with Mexico over the territory. With photographs and links to related resources.
Article
Henry J. Sage

Sage American History: Expansion and War: The United States 1840 1860

For Students 9th - 10th
Article on the era of westward expansion and the resulting Mexican American War. The author demonstrates how Manifest Destiny and frontier settlement led to the annexation of Texas and ultimately war with Mexico over the territory.
Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: History: Mexican American War for Kids

For Students 1st - 9th
Kids learn about the Mexican-American War fought over the land rights to Texas after the Texan Revolution on this site.
Handout
History of American Wars

History of American Wars: Mexican American Culture Differences

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes the structure of Mexican society in the 19th century and the cultural clashes that resulted in their dealings with Americans in Texas.
Handout
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Stephen F. Austin

For Students 9th - 10th
Read this short biography of Stephen F. Austin, complete with links to primary documents involving the empresario known as "The Father of Texas."
Handout
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: Interactives: The Nation Expands: Texas Annexation, 1845

For Students 6th - 8th
Explains how Texas came to become part of the Union in 1845, at its own request. This precipitated the Mexican-American War.
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Us History: 1844 1877: Annexing Texas

For Students 9th - 10th
Quickly following Texan independence, the United States admitted Texas into the republic as a slave state.
Article
US Department of State

U.s. Department of State: Office of the Historian: Milestones: 1830 1860

For Students 9th - 10th
Concisely written accounts of three important events in the history and shaping of Texas: the Annexation of Texas, the Mexican-American War, and the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo.
Activity
Lone Star Junction

Lone Star Junction: Notable Texans Before 1900

For Students 9th - 10th
Lone Star Junction identifies an extensive list of high-profile Texans prior to 1900. A chart informs readers what general role in Texas history each person was involved in from Texas Revolution, Indian Wars, Civil War, and the...
Article
Other

Global Security: 54 40 or Fight

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes the significant territorial changes that took place in the United States under the presidency of James K. Polk. These included the annexation of Texas, the settling of the dispute with Great Britain over claims to Oregon...
Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Texas State History for Kids

For Students 1st - 9th
Kids learn about the history and timeline of the state of Texas including early explorers, Native Americans, Mexican-American War, Republic of Texas, and the Civil War.
Primary
US National Archives

Our Documents: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

For Students 9th - 10th
An interactive exploration of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which was signed in 1848 and ended the Mexican-American War. Puts the treaty in context, makes reference to U.S. territorial gains, and includes links to larger images, a...
Graphic
University of Texas at Austin

Center for American History: Texas, Texans, and the Alamo

For Students 9th - 10th
This is an online exhibit of photographs and other momentos from throughout the colonization of the Mexican territory as well as during the war.
Handout
Son of the South

Son of the South: The History of Texas: Battle of Medina

For Students 9th - 10th
Written in the style of a narrative of events, read the stories surrounding the Battle of Medina in the Mexican War for Independence from Spain.
Handout
Texas A&M University

Sons of De Witt Colony Texas: Gutierrez De Lara: In Nuevo Santander

For Students 9th - 10th
Jose Gutierrez de Lara, the first governor of Mexican Texas, was determined to free Mexico from Spain. Read about the early Texas settlement of Nuevo Santander, and how it was settled by Spanish American colonists.
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: "American Blood on American Soil"

For Students 5th - 8th
President James Polk's desire was for the United States to stretch from sea to shining sea. See what happened when his overatures to Mexico to buy the land north of the Rio Grande River were spurned. Take a brief vote to see if Polk was...