Richmond Public Schools
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Curriculum Pacing and Resource Guide ~ Unit Plan
Course Title/ Course #: United States History 1 (to 1865) #2006
Unit Title/ Marking Period # (MP): Westward Expansion/ MP3
Start day: 93
Meetings (Length of Unit): 10
Desired Results ~ What will students be learning?
Standards of Learning/ Standards
The student will demonstrate knowledge of westward expansion and reform in America from 1801 to 1861 by
a) Describing territorial expansion and how it affected the political map of the United States, with emphasis on the Louisiana
Purchase, the Lewis and Clark expedition, and the acquisition of Florida, Texas, Oregon and California.
b) Identifying the geographic and economic factors that influenced the westward movement of settlers.
c) Describing the impact of inventions, including the cotton gin, the reaper, the steamboat, and the steam locomotive, on life in
America.
Essential Understandings/ Big Ideas
Students will be able to answer the following questions to demonstrate their knowledge of westward expansion and inventions from
1801-1861.
• What new territories became part of the United States between 1801 and 1861?
• What factors influenced westward migration?
• How did the inventions and entrepreneurs affect the lives of Americans?
Key Essential Skills and Knowledge
Essential Knowledge:
8a- New terriories added to the United States after 1801
Louisiana Purchase
• Jefferson bought land from France (the Louisiana Purchase), which doubled the size of the United States.
• In the Lewis and Clark expedition, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark explored the Louisiana Purchase from the Mississippi
River to the Pacific Ocean.
Florida
• Spain gave Florida to the United States through a treaty.
United States History: Beginnings to 1865
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Texas
• Texas was added after it became an independent republic.
Oregon
• The Oregon Territory was divided by the United States and Great Britain.
California
• War with Mexico resulted in California and the southwest territory becoming part of the United States.
8b- Geographic and economic factors that influenced westward movement
• Population growth in the eastern states
• Availability of cheap, fertile and land
• Economic opportunity, e.g., gold (California Gold Rush), logging, farming, freedom (for runaway slaves)
• Cheaper and faster transportation e.g., rivers and canals (Erie Canal), steamboats
• Knowledge of overland trails (Oregon and Santa Fe)
• Belief in the right of “Manifest Destiny”---The idea that expansion was for the good of the country and was the right of the
country
8c- Terms to know:
• Inventor: someone who is the first to think of or make something
• Entrepreneur: some who organizes resources to bring a new or better good or service to market in hopes of earning a
profit
New Technologies and the Impact on Society
• Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. It increased the production of cotton and thus increased the need for slave labor to
cultivate and pick the cotton.
• Jo Anderson (an enslaved African American) and Cyrus McCormick worked to invent the reaper. McCormick was an
entrepreneur who brought the reaper to market. The reaper increased the productivity of the American farmer.
• The steamboat was improved by the entrepreneur, Robert Fulton. It eventually provided faster river transportation that
connected Southern plantations and farms to Northern industries and Western territories.
• The steam locomotive provided faster land transportation.
Essential Skills:
• Make connections between the past and the present. (USI.1b)
• Sequence events in United States history. (USI.1c)
• Interpret ideas and events from different historical perspectives. (USI.1d)
• Analyze and interpret maps to explain historical events. (USI.1f)
• Identify the costs and benefits of specific choices made including the consequences, both intended and unintended, of the
decision and how people and nations responded to positive and negtive incentives. (USI.1i)
United States History: Beginnings to 1865
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Vocabulary
Academic
1)
2)
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7)
8)
Describe
Illustrate
Map
Analyze
Economic
Society
Predict
Define
Content
1) Louisiana Purchase
2) Oregon
3) Great Britain
4) Florida
5) Lewis and Clark
6) California
7) War with Mexico
8) Mississippi River
9) Texas
10) Pacific Ocean
11) Independent Republic
12) Manifest Destiny
13) Fertile land
14) Erie Canal
15) Economic opportunity
16) Logging
17) Oregon and Santa Fe Trails
18) California Gold Rush
19) Cotton Gin
20) Cyrus McCormick
21) Steam Locomotive
22) Entrepreneur
23) Eli Whitney
24) Steamboat
25) Cultivate
26) Jo Anderson
27) Robert Fulton
Assessment Evidence ~ What is evidence of mastery? What did the students master & what are they missing?
Assessment/ Evidence
Formative Assessments:
 Exit Ticket
 Postcards
 Map Puzzle
 Writing Prompt
 Manifest Destiny Painting Analysis
 Quote Analysis
United States History: Beginnings to 1865
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 Writing Prompt
 Bumper Stickers
Summative Assessment:
 Interactive Achievement
 Quiz
Learning Plan ~ What are the strategies and activities you plan to use?
Learning Experiences/ Best Practices
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Learning Experiences
All activities are meant to be completed or glued into student
interactive notebook.
Students will complete the writing prompt:
Define what you think “Westward Expansion” means. Predict what
American’s might be doing next based on this phrase.
Students will complete notes mapping out the territories and the
important information about each territory.
Students will view the “Louisiana Purchase” video clip and answer
the following questions.
a) Why did Jefferson buy this land?
b) Based on Lewis and Clark’s journey, would you have
wanted to explore west with them? Why or why not?
Students will complete a map review question activity with a
partner or in groups. Students will use their notes, and each other to
complete the questions about each of the territories.
Students can create foldable about the territories for study practice
Students will complete a writing prompt, from the following
choices:
a) Pretend you are moving west and you cannot stop at any
stores for 3 months. What would you pack to survive your
journey? What would you need to have with you to begin
your new life in the territories? (Remember that they didn’t
have refrigerators, cellphones, tablets, TV’s or computers in
the 1800’s)
b) Answer the following question, “What would take you
west?” Explain in complete sentences what would motivate
you to leave your friends and family behind to move west
and begin a new life in the territories?
United States History: Beginnings to 1865
Instructional Strategies
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Writing prompts
Word Study
Video clips to visualize concepts
Map study
Foldable
Guided Notes
Analyzing and answering questions about Manifest
Destiny
Writing Postcards
Creating “For sale” signs
Analyzing quotes
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Students will complete guided notes on the reasons why people
moved west in the 1800’s, into the new territories. Students can
draw a picture of each part next to their notes. Students will view
video clips to help them understand the reasons why people moved
west.
Students will analyze the “Manifest Destiny” painting and answer
questions to understand why people moved west. Post painting in
color on board for students to view as black and white copies make
it hard to see everything in the picture.
Students will complete a post card activity where they will choose
one reason from three choices given to them and write a letter
home describing why they have moved west.
a) Three topics are: The Gold Rush, Farmland, or Running
away from slavery.
In order to review the reasons people moved west, Students will
choose one reason that would make them most want to move west
and describe why they chose that reason, and debate among the
class why each reason is most important.
Students will be given the words “Entrepreneur” and “Inventor.”
Students will predict the meaning of each word, before the teacher
tells them the definition.
Students will complete guided notes on the inventions and view
video clips.
Students will analyze quotes made about each of the inventions.
Teachers can complete this activity by posting them on the
SMART board or have students complete the worksheet.
Students will complete “for sale” advertisements to encourage
people to buy their inventions, using information that they have
learned about the inventions.
Students will complete a writing prompt- Choose one invention
that you think is most important, and explain why you think it had
the most impact on people living in the 1800’s. Be sure to include
information that you have learned and think about the benefits it
may have had for Americans.
United States History: Beginnings to 1865
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Technology Integrations
“Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark” America: Story of Us
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGRT3LepYwo&list=PLnFrDeFoh1ckCFs4IcInaOwXGpbVu7QrX&index=14
Westward Expansion Map:
http://www.nonags.org/members/dasaunders/activities/comcast/activities/unit5/westward/ManifestWorksheet.jpg
Westward Expansion BrainPop:
https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/westwardexpansion/
“Erie Canal” America: Story of Us
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-gIFYOCIfE&index=2&list=PLnFrDeFoh1ckCFs4IcInaOwXGpbVu7QrX
“The Gold Rush” America: Story of Us
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps2lTHKkhjk&list=PLnFrDeFoh1ckCFs4IcInaOwXGpbVu7QrX&index=18
Manifest Destiny Painting:
http://picturinghistory.gc.cuny.edu/ite m.php?item_id=180
“The Cotton Gin” America: Story of US
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlISIvrFbLs&list=PLnFrDeFoh1ckCFs4IcInaOwXGpbVu7QrX&index=19
Cyrus McCormick and The Reaper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTdKHXELWhI
Resources
Textbook/ MaterialsAmerican Republic
VA Setting the Standards, p. 29-30
Technology-
For all SOL’s
SOLpass
http://www.solpass.org/us1.php
Westward Expansion Information
http://www.ducksters.com/history/westward_expansion/
Guided Notes
http://www.nonags.org/members/dasaunders/guidednotes/units/unit5.htm
8a
“Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark” America: Story of Us
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGRT3LepYwo&list=PLnFrDeFoh1ckCFs4IcInaOwXGpbVu7QrX&index=14
Westward Expansion Map:
http://www.nonags.org/members/dasaunders/activities/comcast/activities/unit5/westward/ManifestWorksheet.jpg
Westward Expansion BrainPop:
https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/westwardexpansion/
United States History: Beginnings to 1865
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8b
“Erie Canal” America: Story of Us
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-gIFYOCIfE&index=2&list=PLnFrDeFoh1ckCFs4IcInaOwXGpbVu7QrX
“The Gold Rush” America: Story of Us
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps2lTHKkhjk&list=PLnFrDeFoh1ckCFs4IcInaOwXGpbVu7QrX&index=18
Manifest Destiny Painting:
http://picturinghistory.gc.cuny.edu/item.php?item_id=180
8c“The Cotton Gin” America: Story of US
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlISIvrFbLs&list=PLnFrDeFoh1ckCFs4IcInaOwXGpbVu7QrX&index=19
Cyrus McCormick and The Reaper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTdKHXELWhI
Web ResourcesInteractive Notebook: Unit 7
http://rpshistory.weebly.com/interactive-notebooks.html
High Yield Activities:
http://rpshistory.weebly.com/high-yield-activities.html
Analysis tools:
http://rpshistory.weebly.com/analysis-tools.html
Virginia Department of Education
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/scope_sequence/history_socialscience_scope_sequence/2008/scopeseq_histsoc_ushist_to1865
.pdf
TTAC
http://www.ttaconline.org/z/sol_files/SOL%20plus%20hist/histUS1.pdf
Cross Curricular Connection
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Students can calculate in Math class the total square miles America expanded from 1860-1861
Students can paint their own pictures of what Manifest Destiny means to them in Art class
Students can create their own inventions in Science class
Students can investigate the terrain and topography that Lewis and Clark traveled in Science class as well as the plants and
animals that lived in the Western part of the United States.
Students can complete a research project to learn more about the inventions in English class.
United States History: Beginnings to 1865
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