TITLE: Areas Acquired to
Form the United States
Main Goal(s):
• To provide information on the territorial growth of the United States.
• To facilitate the students’ use of maps and charts.
TAKS:
Statewide:
Objective 2: The student will demonstrate an understanding of geographic influences on
historical issues and events.
(8.6) History. The student understands
westward expansion and its effects on the
political, economic, and social development
of the nation.
•
(E) The student is expected to
identify areas that were acquired
to form the United States.
Specifically 8.6.(E) is assessed on the 8th grade TAKS.
Objective 5: The student will use critical thinking skills to analyze social studies
information.
(8.30) Social studies skills. The student
applies critical-thinking skills to organize
and use information acquired from a variety
of sources including electronic technology.
(B) The student is expected to
analyze information by sequencing,
categorizing, identifying cause-andeffect relationships, comparing,
contrasting, finding the main idea,
summarizing, making
generalizations [and predictions],
and drawing inferences and
conclusions.
(C) The student is expected to
[organize and] interpret information
from [outlines, reports, databases,
and] visuals including graphs,
charts, timelines, and maps.
•
8.30 (B) correlates to WH25(C) /W21(A) and is used for the 10th grade TAKS.
•
US24(B) is used for the 11th grade TAKS
•
8.30 (C) is used on the 8th grade TAKS, and correlates to WH26(C) for the 10th
and 11th grade TAKS.
Bracketed material is not specifically tested on the TAKS.
Additional Assessment:
District or Local System: (Locally developed content objectives, benchmarks, or
references to campus or district improvement plans.)
Brief Description of Activity:
Students will sequence the territorial acquisitions to the United States in chronological
and geographic order. Students will also divide each acquisition into categories:
purchase, treat/agreement, conquest/seizure, and annexation. Students will then use facts
to support or refute the generalization that the settlement of the United States moved from
east to west.
Required Materials:
•
Transparency or handout of provided chart
•
Hand outs: “Areas Acquired to Form the United States”, “Map of
Territorial Growth of the United States”
•
Textbooks/ Supporting materials
Using the Grant Wiggins’ “Understanding by Design” approach to planning, please use
“WHERE” to plan for the remainder of the lesson.
Where the work is headed and the purpose of day to day work.
Hook students with engaging work that makes them more eager to explore key ideas
Explore the subject in depth, equip students with required knowledge and skill to
perform successfully on final tasks and help them experience key ideas.
Rethink with students the big ideas; students rehearse and revise their work.
Evaluate results and develop action plans through self assessment of results.
(Additional ideas to be filled in by the teacher, supervisor, system or district:)
Possible Plans For Independent
Practice:
Adaptations:
Extensions:
Possible Connections to Other
Subjects:
United States Map
Areas Acquired to Form the United States
Area Acquired
Original 13
Colonies
& lands west to the
Mississippi River
Date
How Acquired
From
1783
American Revolution
Treaty of Paris
Great Britain
Louisiana
Territory
1803
Purchased for
$15 million
France
West Florida
1810 &
1813
Seized
Spain
Florida
1819
Adams-Onis Treaty
Spain
Texas
1845
Annexation
Independent
Republic
Oregon Territory
1846
Agreement
Great Britain
Mexican Cession
1848
Mexican War
Treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo
Mexico
Gadsden Purchase
1853
Purchased for
$10 million
Mexico
Alaska
1867
Purchased for
$7.2 million
Russia
Hawaii
1898
Annexation
Independent
Country
TITLE: Geographic
Distributions and Patterns
Main Goal(s):
• To provide information of urban growth of the United States.
• To facilitate the students’ use of maps.
• To encourage students’ to deduce scenarios due to historical
information.
TAKS:
Objective 2: The student will demonstrate an understanding of geographic influences on
historical issues and events.
(8.10) Geography. The student uses geographic
tools to collect, analyze, and interpret data.
•
(B) The student is expected to
[pose and] answer questions about
geographic distributions and patterns
shown on maps, graphs, charts,
[models, and databases].
Specifically, TEKS (8.10)(B) is assessed at Grades 8, 10, and 11.
Objective 5: The student will use critical thinking skills to analyze social studies
information.
(8.30) Social studies skills. The student
applies critical-thinking skills to organize
and use information acquired from a variety
of sources including electronic technology.
(B) The student is expected to
analyze information by sequencing,
categorizing, identifying cause-andeffect relationships, comparing,
contrasting, finding the main idea,
summarizing, making
generalizations [and predictions],
and drawing inferences and
conclusions.
(C) The student is expected to
[organize and] interpret information
from [outlines, reports, databases,
and] visuals including graphs, charts,
timelines, and maps.
•
(8.30)(B) assessed at Grade 8 corresponds with the (WH25)(C)/
(WG21)(A) correlation at Grade 10, and (US24)(B) at Grade 11.
•
(8.30)(C) is assessed at Grade 8 and correlates with (WH26)(C) assessed
at Grades 10 and 11.
Bracketed text will not be specifically tested on the TAKS.
Additional Assessment:
District or Local System: (Locally developed content objectives, benchmarks, or
references to campus or district improvement plans.)
Brief Description of Activity:
Students will interpret information from maps by determining the size of United States
east coast cities in 1800 and 1870. Students will compare and contrast the changes in
size over these 70 years and hypothesize about causes behind urban growth by analyzing
the geographic settlement patterns. Additional exercises could include comparing and
contrasting regions, and making inferences on the historical impact i.e. the Civil War of
these geographic differences.
Required Materials:
•
Transparency or handout of “City Population 1800,” and “City
Populations 1870”
•
Textbooks/ Supporting materials
Using the Grant Wiggins’ “Understanding by Design” approach to planning, please use
“WHERE” to plan for the remainder of the lesson.
Where the work is headed and the purpose of day to day work.
Hook students with engaging work that makes them more eager to explore key ideas
Explore the subject in depth, equip students with required knowledge and skill to
perform successfully on final tasks and help them experience key ideas.
Rethink with students the big ideas; students rehearse and revise their work.
Evaluate results and develop action plans through self assessment of results.
(Additional ideas to be filled in by the teacher, supervisor, system or district:)
Possible Plans For Independent
Practice:
Adaptations:
Extensions:
Possible Connections to Other
Subjects:
Adaptations:
Extensions:
Possible Connections to Other
Subjects:
City Population, 1800
Map: United States Census Agency
City Population, 1870
Map: United States Census Agency
TITLE: New England and the
South: Physical and Human Characteristics of
Places and Regions of the United States
Main Goal(s):
•
To provide information of regional differences of the United States.
•
To facilitate the students’ use of charts.
•
To encourage students’ to deconstruct scenarios due to historical information.
TAKS:
Objective 2: The student will demonstrate an understanding of geographic influences on
historical issues and events.
(8.11) Geography. The student understands
the location and characteristics of places and
regions of the United States, past and present.
•
(B) The student is expected to
compare places and regions of the
United States in terms of physical
and human characteristics.
TEKS (8.11)(B) is assessed at Grade 8, but is not assessed at Grades 10 or 11.
Objective 5: The student will use critical thinking skills to analyze social studies
information.
(8.30) Social studies skills. The student
applies critical-thinking skills to organize
and use information acquired from a variety
of sources including electronic technology.
(B) The student is expected to
analyze information by sequencing,
categorizing, identifying cause-andeffect relationships, comparing,
contrasting, finding the main idea,
summarizing, making
generalizations [and predictions],
and drawing inferences and
conclusions.
(C) The student is expected to
[organize and] interpret information
from [outlines, reports, databases,
and] visuals including graphs,
charts, timelines, and maps.
•
TEKS (8.30)(B) assessed at Grade 8 corresponds with the (WH25)(C)/
(WG21)(A) correlation at Grade 10, and (US24)(B) at Grade 11.
•
TEKS (8.30)(C) is assessed at Grade 8 and correlates with (WH26)(C) assessed at
Grades 10 and 11.
Bracketed text will not be specifically tested on the TAKS.
Additional Assessment:
District or Local System: (Locally developed content objectives, benchmarks, or
references to campus or district improvement plans.)
Brief Description of Activity:
Students will study the physical and human characteristics of two regions of the United
States between the years of 1800 and 1850. Students will compare and contrast the two
regions and draw conclusions about their subsequent economic development. Additional
exercises could include drawing conclusions about why the conflicting interests and
features of the regions might have led to the Civil War.
Required Materials:
•
Transparency or handout of the chart “New England and the South;
Regions and Places in the US 1800-1850”
•
Textbooks/ Supporting materials
Using the Grant Wiggins’ “Understanding by Design” approach to planning, please use
“WHERE” to plan for the remainder of the lesson.
Where the work is headed and the purpose of day to day work.
Hook students with engaging work that makes them more eager to explore key ideas
Explore the subject in depth, equip students with required knowledge and skill to
perform successfully on final tasks and help them experience key ideas.
Rethink with students the big ideas; students rehearse and revise their work.
Evaluate results and develop action plans through self assessment of results.
(Additional ideas to be filled in by the teacher, supervisor, system or district:)
Possible Plans For Independent
Practice:
Adaptations:
Extensions:
Possible Connections to Other
Subjects:
Adaptations:
Extensions:
Possible Connections to Other
Subjects:
New England and the South:
Regions and Places in the U.S., 1800-1850
Features
New England
The South
Land
Land was not productive and
farms tended to be small
family enterprises.
Fertile land in the Tidewater
region along the East Coast
and coastal regions of the
Deep South was ideal for
growing tobacco, rice, indigo,
cotton, and sugar cane. Small
farms were generally found in
the Piedmont region.
Climate
Long cold winters and a
short growing season
prevented the cultivation of
many crops.
Mild winters and a long
growing season made the
cultivation of a variety of
agricultural products possible.
Labor Source
Immigrants supplied
manufacturers with a new
source of labor for factories.
Plantation owners depended
on slave labor to cultivate
large one-crop operations.
Small farms used family
labor.
Economic
Resources
Fast-flowing rivers created
waterpower needed for
manufacturing. Deep-water
harbors were ideal for
shipping and trade.
Rivers could be navigated to
the Fall Line for transporting
agricultural products to
market.
Population
Distribution
Most inhabitants lived in
cities, towns, or villages.
Rural residents were less
common than in the South.
Most inhabitants lived in
rural areas and were engaged
in agriculture.
Boston was the main city and
port of New England.
Charleston, on the Atlantic,
and New Orleans, on the
Mississippi River, were main
ports in the South.
Typical Cities
TITLE: Impact of
Geographic Factors on Historical
Events: The Gold Rush
Main Goal(s):
• To provide information on the territorial growth of the United States.
• To facilitate the students’ use of maps, charts, and primary resources.
• To understand the differences between human and physical geography
on settlement and discovery.
TAKS:
Objective 2: The student will demonstrate an understanding of geographic influences on
historical issues and events.
(8.11) Geography. The student understands
the location and characteristics of places and
regions of the United States, past and present.
•
(C) The student is expected to
analyze the effects of physical
and human geographic factors
on major historical [and
contemporary] events in the
United States.
Specifically, TEKS 8.11(C) is assessed at Grade 8, but is not assessed at Grades
10 or 11.
Objective 5: The student will use critical thinking skills to analyze social studies
information.
(8.30) Social studies skills. The student
applies critical-thinking skills to organize
and use information from a variety of sources
including electronic technology.
(B) The student is expected to
analyze information by sequencing,
categorizing, identifying cause-andeffect relationships, comparing,
contrasting, finding the main idea,
summarizing, making
generalizations [and predictions],
and drawing inferences and
conclusions.
•
•
(C) The student is expected to
[organize and] interpret information
from [outlines, reports, databases,
and] visuals including graphs,
charts, timelines, and maps.
TEKS 8.30(B) assessed at Grade 8 corresponds with the (WH25)(C)/ (WG21)(A)
correlation at Grade 10, and (US24)(B) at Grade 11.
TEKS 8.30(C) is assessed at Grade 8 and correlates with (WH26)(C) assessed at
Grades 10 and 11.
Bracketed material is not specifically tested on the TAKS.
Additional Assessment:
District or Local System: (Locally developed content objectives, benchmarks, or
references to campus or district improvement plans.)
Brief Description of Activity:
Students will sequence the territorial acquisitions to the United States in chronological
and geographic order. Students will also divide each acquisition into categories:
purchase, treat/agreement, conquest/seizure, and annexation. Students will then use facts
to support or refute the generalization that the settlement of the United States moved from
east to west.
Students will study the information provided in the “The Gold Rush: Effects of Physical
and Human Geographic Factors” chart. Discuss the cause and effect relationship
between the discovery of gold in California and the subsequent increase in population.
Challenge the student to make inferences the impact of the population explosion on the
economy and allied businesses that were established as a result of the discovery of gold
and draw conclusions about the extent of gold-producing areas of California.
The students will then view the photographs to discuss the types of work and different
people involved with gold discovery. Some possible discussion topics could include
gender, ethnicity, culture, type of dress, and age of pictured subjects.
Required Materials:
•
Hand outs “The Gold Rush: Effects of Physical and Human Geographic
Factors”, “Gold-bearing areas of California”, photographs
•
Textbooks/ Supporting materials
Using the Grant Wiggins’ “Understanding by Design” approach to planning, please use
“WHERE” to plan for the remainder of the lesson.
Where the work is headed and the purpose of day to day work.
Hook students with engaging work that makes them more eager to explore key ideas
Explore the subject in depth, equip students with required knowledge and skill to
perform successfully on final tasks and help them experience key ideas.
Rethink with students the big ideas; students rehearse and revise their work.
Evaluate results and develop action plans through self assessment of results.
(Additional ideas to be filled in by the teacher, supervisor, system or district:)
Possible Plans For Independent
Practice:
Adaptations:
Extensions:
Possible Connections to Other
Subjects:
The Gold Rush:
Effects of Physical and Human Geographic Factors
Physical Factors
Human Factors
Deposits of gold were discovered in the streams and
mountain areas of California (see map). Gold could be
recovered by panning in streams, called placer mining
(see picture), or by tunneling and digging into the
hillsides. Millions of dollars worth of gold was mined
between the years 1848 and 1859. From $10 million in
1849, gold production increased to $81 million in 1852.
By 1859, the value of California gold mined had
decreased to $44 million.
The discovery of gold at Sutter’s Fort in California
caused a rush of people from all over the world.
California had been newly acquired by the United States
as a part of the Mexican Cession in 1848. Prospectors
came overland across the Great Plains and Rocky
Mountains, by ship across the isthmus of Panama, and by
ship around Cape Horn to the port of San Francisco. The
population of California increased dramatically.
Note: About one-half of the Forty-Niners were American born or American citizens.
However, other people came from Asia, Australia, and Europe to seek fortunes. Most of
these travelers were men but some women could be found in the small cities, and even
some were actively involved in the search for gold.
Gold-bearing Areas in California
Gold Bearing: areas in which gold is found
Lode gold: gold found near waterways without digging.
Placer gold: an alluvial, marine, or glacial deposit containing particles of valuable
mineral.
Dredging field: an area where digging occurs.
Source: California State Library, www.library.ca.gov:80/goldrush/images