Lesson Plan
US Mint

U.s. Mint: Which Came First? [Pdf]

For Teachers K - 1st
Introduce students to the Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark's Expedition. Then, using the tails side of the Keelboat Nickel as a guide, make a timeline of the westward journey.
Unknown Type
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Us History: 1844 1877: Manifest Destiny

For Students 9th - 10th
A quick comprehension check over the Manifest Destiny.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: Whose Land Is This? Conflict Between Native Americans & Settlers [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A lesson plan from the producers of the 16-episode PBS series "Freedom: A History of US" designed to provide insights into the causes of the conflict between Native Americans and new settlers pushing west. Young scholars will examine...
eBook
OpenStax

Open Stax: u.s. History: Independence for Texas

For Students 9th - 10th
From a chapter on America's expansion westward in a history textbook. This section looks at Texas's struggle for independence from Mexico, and the relations between Mexico and Texas prior to and after independence. Includes review...
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Us History: 1865 1898: The Homestead Act and the Exodusters

For Students 9th - 10th
The Homestead Act of 1862 gave free land to Americans willing to improve it, regardless of race, sex, or nation of origin.
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Us History: 1865 1898: The Dawes Act

For Students 9th - 10th
The 1887 law intended to assimilate Native Americans led to the loss of millions of acres of land.
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Us History: 1865 1898: The Reservation System

For Students 9th - 10th
In the nineteenth century, Native Americans were confined to reservations to open up land for white settlers.
eBook
OpenStax

Open Stax: Lewis and Clark

For Students 11th - 12th
By reading this section of a chapter on "Westward Expansion," students will be able to explain the significance of the Louisiana Purchase and describe the terms of the Adams-Onis Treaty and the role played by the filibuster in American...
eBook
OpenStax

Open Stax: The Loss of American Indian Life and Culture

For Students 11th - 12th
Read this section from a chapter on "Westward Expansion" to learn about the methods that the U.S. government used to address the "Indian threat" during the settlement of the West and explain the process of "Americanization" as it applied...
eBook
OpenStax

Open Stax: The Missouri Crisis

For Students 11th - 12th
This section of a chapter on "Westward Expansion" explains why the North and South differed over the admission of Missouri as a state and how the admission of new states to the Union threatened to upset the balance between free and slave...
Unit Plan
Nebraska Studies

Nebraska Studies: High Falutin' Beef

For Students 9th - 10th
This is an impressive history of the introduction of beef to the Great Plains region complete with videos, photos, and lesson plans.
Website
Other

At Home in the Heartland: At Home on the Fringes of the Prairie (1800 1850)

For Students 3rd - 5th
Interactive site offers information and pictures pertaining to early pioneer life. See advertisements in the paper, furniture, glassware, and food preparation tools. Read stories of individuals who lived during that time and make...
Lesson Plan
US Mint

U.s. Mint: We're Going on a Bison Hunt [Pdf]

For Teachers K - 1st
For this four-part lesson, examine the significance of the Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark's Expedition. Then take the students on a simulated bison hunt to understand the importance of the bison as a food and materials source in...
Lesson Plan
US Mint

U.s Mint: Which Side Is Which [Pdf]

For Teachers K - 1st
Introduce students to the Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark's Expedition. Then take a look at the Peace Medal nickel and differentiate between heads and the tails sides. Finally, do a coin-flip activity, and record and analyze the...
Handout
Curated OER

National Park Service: Fort Necessity National Battlefield: The National Road

For Students 9th - 10th
A discussion of the building of the National Road, its route, and importance to the opening of the West. From the National Park Service.
Activity
Curated OER

National Park Service: Fort Scott National Historic Site: The Mexican War

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a very brief overview of the Mexican War, organized into the following sections: "Zachary Taylor's Army," "The Army of the West," and "Invasion of Mexico City." Includes links to related articles and websites.
Website
Curated OER

National Park Service: Pony Express: History and Culture

For Students 9th - 10th
A good article from the National Park Service which recounts the history of the brief existence of the Pony Express. Read about the route, what caused the demise of the Pony Express, and what part of the trail can still be seen.
Website
Curated OER

National Park Service: California National Historic Trail

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from the National Parks Service gives a brief history, and description of the California trail system which was used by settlers moving to California during the 1849 Gold Rush days.
Handout
The History Cat

The History Cat: The California Gold Rush

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes the events that led to the California Gold Rush, the lives of the miners, the discrimination faced by Chinese immigrant miners and African Americans, the women who mostly stayed behind when their husbands went west as well as...
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Revolutionary Limits: Native Americans

For Students 5th - 8th
A good description of the actions and fate of the Native Americans who allied with the British to fight against the Americans. Find out that while the Native Americans had treaties with the British, they were not represented at the talks...
Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: Native Americans and the Last Battles

For Teachers 6th - 8th
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart covers the history of the conflict between the US government and Native Americans on the Great Plains in the late 1800's.
Handout
Country Studies US

Country Studies: The Plight of the Indians

For Students 9th - 10th
This site explains how as westward expansion grew, more and more Indians encountered settlers, ranchers and miners who sought life, land, and riches out West. Conflicts between settlers and Indians soon involved the federal government...
Handout
Other

The Gold Rush: Fever

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource provides information about the Gold Rush, and fever that took place during westward expansion.
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Diplomatic Challenges in an Age of European War

For Students 5th - 8th
Both the British and French challenged American sovereignty and neutrality on the high seas. Read about the solution favored by Thomas Jefferson, but despised by the American shippers. See why this a cause of the War of 1812, along with...

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