TEACHER:
FRAME THE LESSON
CLASS: 8th Grade
DATE: April 25-26
M T W TH F
Western Agriculture
Resources/Materials:
Student Expectations Bundled in Lesson
Noun=Underline
Verb=Italicize
U.S. History Textbook
Colonization through
Reconstruction
(p. 589-600)
9D: identify the effects of legislative acts such as the Homestead Act, the Dawes Act, and the Morrill Act
Interactive Reading
Notepad (p. 589)
10A: locate places and regions of importance in the United States during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries
11A: analyze how physical characteristics of the environment influenced population distribution, settlement patterns, and
economic activities in the United States during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries
Online Editable
Presentation (p. 589)
Online Start Up
Activity (p. 589)
Objective/Key Understanding:





Interactive Map: Cattle
Trails
(p. 590)
Identify the Cattle Kingdom.
Describe cowhands and cow towns during the cattle boom.
Summarize the massive westward migration followed by the Homestead Act.
Identify challenges western farmers faced and the alliances created to improve conditions.
Explain why the Populist Party was formed.
Interactive Gallery:
Cowhands and Their
Gear
(p. 590)
Interactive 3-D Model:
Nineteenth-Century
Sod House (p. 596)
Introduce Vocabulary Activity (p. 589)
Cattle drive
Inflation
cow town
Morrill Acts
sod house
vaquero
sodbuster
cooperative
Informal Assessment Questions 1-5 (p. 600)





What were the benefits of driving cattle along a known trail, such as the Chisholm Trail?
Why did sheriffs often have a hard time keeping the peace in a cow town?
Explain why the second Morrill Act was passed.
What made farming on the western plains so difficult?
Why was the National Garage successful in meeting some of its goals?
wholesale
Analyze Charts (p. 599)
Digital Activity: The
Effects of the
Homestead Act (p. 600)
Digital Lesson Quiz:
(p. 600)
Stop & Check for Understanding—High Level Questions









What influences did the vaqueros have on cowhand culture in the United States?
How would you describe the settlement pattern of cow towns in the West?
What effect did the arrival of growing numbers of farmers have on the open range system?
Why were eastern bankers opposed to the Populists’ “free silver” demand?
Who worked to get around the rules of the Homestead Act in order to profit from the land, and how did they profit?
Why were the Morrill Acts important for the average American student?
What effects did the isolation of western farms have on the women of the Plains?
What was the principle upon which the National Grange and the Farmers’ Alliance were formed?
Why were eastern bankers opposed to the Populists’ “free silver” demand?
Critical Writing Prompt:
Small Group Purposeful Talk Question Stems
Cattle Kingdom on the Plains (p. 590-591)
 Why did cattle ranching spread in the plains?
 How do you think the rise of the cattle industry contributed to westward expansion?
 How did physical characteristics of the environment influence life for cowhands?
Ranching Impacts Settlement Patterns (p. 591-592)
 How did cattle drives influence settlement patterns in the West during the nineteenth century?
 How do you think physical characteristics of the environment influenced population distribution in the West in the nineteenth century?
The Spread of Farming (p. 592-593)
 Give examples that show how changes to the physical environment caused a downturn in the cattle industry.
Effects of the Homestead Act (p. 593-595)
 How did physical characteristics of the environment shape economic activities in the West?
 Identify the effects of the Homestead Act.
Effects of the Morrill Acts (p. 595-596)
 Identify the effects of the Morrill Acts.
Life on the Plains (p.596-598)
 How did the physical environment of the plains create difficulties for farmers?
Farming and the Economy (p.598-599)
 Describe the steps farmers took to improve their economic conditions.
The Rise of the People’s Party in the West (p. 599)
 Identify the legislative acts the Populist Party wanted to pass.
 What did they hope would be the effects of these acts?
Online Resources, Analyzing Maps and Charts & Digital Activity
Interactive Reading Notepad (p. 589)
You may also use the questions found in the Interactive Reading Notepad (p. 589) for this lesson to guide your class discussion.
Online Editable Presentation (p. 589)
Use the Online Editable Presentation (p. 589) found on the Digital Course to present the main ideas for this lesson.
Online Start Up Activity (p. 589)
You can project the Start Up Activity from the course. Ask students to think about what they have learned so far about reconstruction.
Interactive Map: Cattle Trails (p. 590)
Project the Interactive Map: Cattle Trails (p. 590) and click through the layers. Have students locate where they cattle trails went and explain their
purpose.
 Why did cattle ranching spread in the plains?
Interactive Gallery: Cowhands and Their Gear (p. 590)
Project the Interactive Gallery: Cowhands and Their Gear (p. 590) and click through the images.
Interactive 3-D Model: Nineteenth-Century Sod House (p. 596)
Project the Interactive 3-D Model: Nineteenth-Century Sod House (p. 596) and click through the images.
 Discuss how the physical conditions of the plains environment shaped the features of the sod house.
Analyze Charts (p. 599)
Review the infographic, Farmers Unite to Battle Freight Prices, on page 599.
 Based on the information in charts, why did farmers form Granges?
Digital Activity: The Effects of the Homestead Act (p. 600)
Project the Digital Activity: The Effects of the Homestead Act (p. 600). Have students compile a list of effects and then answer the question in a
complete paragraph.
 Ask students if they would revise the paragraphs they wrote at the beginning of the lesson now that they have learned more about how the
physical environment of the region influenced life in the region.
 Discuss what factors, including the Homestead Act, led settlers to build farms in the West despite the challenges and risks.
Digital Lesson Quiz: (p. 600)
Assign the Digital Lesson Quiz. Pose these questions:
 Trace the economic development of the West from the end of the Civil War through the election of 1896. What role did the physical environment
play in shaping the economic activities of the region?
 What factors influenced settlement patterns and population distribution in the West during the nineteenth century? Provide evidence for support.
Engage
~Have students preview the lesson objectives and the list of key terms (p.590). Use the Editable Presentation found on the digital course to present the main ideas of the lesson (p. 590).
Complete the Start Up Activity on p 590. Tell students that during the late 1800s, a new way of life developed in the West and Midwest that revolved around farming and ranching.

Why do you think people moved west?

How do you think the environment influenced where people chose to settle?
Explore
Explain
Elaborate
Evaluate
Tell students that in this lesson they will be learning about western expansion and settlement in the nineteenth century.
~Divide the class into groups. Each group is to read a section and be prepared to discuss and share findings with the class. Students are to read assigned sections and use the Note Taking
Study Guide to help them take notes and understand the text as they read.

Cattle Kingdom on the Plains (p. 590-591)

Ranching Impacts Settlement Patterns (p. 591-592)

The Spread of Farming (p. 592-593)

Effects of the Homestead Act (p. 593-595)

Effects of the Morrill Acts (p.595-596)

Life on the Plains (p.596-598)

Farming and the Economy (p.598-599)

The Rise of the People’s Party in the West (p.599)
Tell students that in this lesson they will be learning about western expansion and settlement in the nineteenth century.
Cattle Kingdom on the Plains (p. 590-591)

Before this time, the Spanish, and then the Mexicans, had set up cattle ranches in the Southwest. Over the years, strays from these ranches, along with American breeds, grew
into large herds of wild cattle. These wild cattle were known as longhorns. They roamed freely across the grassy plains of Texas.
Ranching Impacts Settlement Patterns (p. 591-592)

Before long, cattle drives began to influence the settlement of western towns. As more cattle were driven through these areas, businesses offering services to the cowhands began
to form in towns. As a result, cattle drives ended in cow towns that had sprung up along the railroad lines. The Chisholm Trail, for example, ended in Abilene, Kansas. Other cow
towns in Kansas were Wichita, Caldwell, and Dodge City.
The Spread of Farming (p. 592-593)

In the 1870s, ranching spread north from Texas and across the grassy Plains. Soon, cattle grazed from Kansas to present day Montana. Ranchers had built a Cattle Kingdom in
the West. They came to expect high profits. Millions of dollars poured into the West from people in the East and in foreign countries who wanted to earn money from the cattle
boom. However, the boom did not last.
Effects of the Homestead Act (p. 593-595)

Congress passed the Homestead Act in 1862. It was the centerpiece of the government’s land policy. The law promised 160 acres of free land to anyone who was head of a
household, who had not fought for the Confederacy, and who had paid a small filing fee and improved the land over five years.
Effects of the Morrill Acts (p.595-596)

Agriculture was becoming more of a business as farmers increasingly grew food for the market at the same time as industry was growing. To train professionals for both
agriculture and industry, there was a growing call for publicly supported agricultural and mechanical colleges. The Morrill-Land Grant Colleges Act of 1862, put forth during the
Civil War by Justin Smith Morrill of Vermont, offered states a federal land grant to build schools that would teach and promote scientific farming and engineering.
Life on the Plains (p.596-598)

Farmers on the western plain faced many hardships. The first problem was shelter. Because wood was scarce on the Great Plains, many farmers built houses of sod-soil held
together by grass roots. Rain was a serious problem for sod houses. One pioneer woman complained that her sod roof “leaked two days before a rain and three days after.”
Farming and the Economy (p. 598-599)

As early as the 1860s, farmers began to work together. They learned that they could improve their condition through economic cooperation and political action.
The Rise of the People’s Party in the West (p.599)

In 1892, farmers and labor unions joined together for form the People’s Party, also known as the Populists. At their first national convention, the Populists demanded that the
government help to raise farm prices and to regulate railroad rates. They also called for an income tax, an eight-hour workday, and limits on immigration.
~Guided Reading and Discussion Questions

See Small Group Purposeful Talk Question Stems from the previous page for this portion of the lesson.
~Analyzing Maps and Charts & Digital Activity

See Online Resources from the previous page for this portion of the lesson.
~Assign the Digital Lesson Quiz for this lesson (p. 600). Teachers can also opt to have students demonstrate mastery by responding to the following questions on paper:

What were the benefits of driving cattle along a known trail, such as the Chisholm Trail?

Why did sheriffs often have a hard time keeping the peace in a cow town?

Explain why the second Morrill Act was passed.

What made farming on the western plains so difficult?

Why was the National Garage successful in meeting some of its goals?
FRAME THE LESSON
Hardship and Native Americans
TEACHER:
CLASS: 8th Grade
DATE: April 27-29
Student Expectations Bundled in Lesson
Noun=Underline
Verb=Italicize
M T W TH F
Resources/Materials
9D: identify the effects of legislative acts such as the Homestead Act, the Dawes Act, and the Morrill Act
U.S. History
Textbook
Colonization through
Reconstruction
(p. 601-611)
Interactive Reading
Notepad (p. 601)
Online Editable
Presentation (p. 601)
Objective/Key Understanding:




Describe the life of the Plains Indians and their uses of buffalo.
Summarize promises made to Native Americans.
Explain why the Plains Indians way of life ended.
Identify why reforms in favor of Native Americans failed.
Interactive Map:
Native American
Losses, 1850-1890
(p. 610)
Digital Activity: The
Desire for Reform
(p. 611)
Introduce Vocabulary Activity (p. 601)
Tepee
travois
corral
jerky
reservation
Stop & Check for Understanding—High Level Questions






Describe how the practice of Plains Indians change after the Pueblo revolt of 1680?
How was the buffalo useful to the Plains Indians?
Describe the role women played in the household.
Why were the terms of the Fort Laramie broken?
What was the purpose of the Ghost Dance?
What was the purpose and effects of the Dawes?
Digital Lesson Quiz:
(p. 611)
Informal Assessment Questions 1-5 (p. 611)
 Explain the Plains Indians’ dependence on the buffalo.
 Summarize the roles men played in the Plains Indians’ daily life.
 Why couldn’t the settlers and miners live in peace with the Plains Indians?
 Given what you have learned about the treatment of Native Americans at the hands of the U.S. government, what best explains the reaction of
Chief Joseph an some Nez Perce Indians when they were ordered to move to a reservation in Idaho after gold was discovered on their land?
 Using the Ghost Dance as an example, what evidence san you provide to support the idea that misunderstanding and fear can lead to tragedy?
Small Group Purposeful Talk Question Stems
Critical Writing Prompt:
The Plains Indians (p. 602)
 Describe how the physical environment shaped life for Plains Indians.
Life on the Plains (p. 602-603)
 Make a prediction about how life for Plains Indians will be affected by white settlers killing off the buffalo. Explain your reasoning.
Gender Roles in Plain Indian Society (p. 604)
 Escribe the responsibilities of men and women in Plains Indians culture.
Broken Promises (p. 605-607)
 Summarize the promises made to Naïve Americans.
 How did the discovery of gold affect land treaties with Native Americans?
 Explain the effect of the Sand Creek Massacre.
Conflict in the West Continues (p.607-609)
 What factors caused the Plains Indians way of life to end?
 Sequence events of the Sioux War of 1876.
 Cite evidence explaining the significance of Geronimo’s surrender.
Remembering a Lost Way of Life (p.609-610)
 What caused the Paiute people to perform the Ghost Dance?
Calls to Reform Native American Policies (p.610-611)
 Give an example of how Americans called for reforms to the treatment of Native Americans.
Online Resources, Analyzing Maps and Charts & Digital Activity
Interactive Reading Notepad (p. 601)
You may also use the questions found in the Interactive Reading Notepad (p. 583) for this lesson to guide your class discussion.
Online Editable Presentation (p. 601)
Use the Online Editable Presentation (p. 583) found on the Digital Course to present the main ideas for this lesson.
Online Start Up Activity (p. 601)
You can project the Start Up Activity from the course.
Interactive Map: Native American Losses, 1850-1890 (p. 610)
Project the Interactive Map: Native American Losses, 1850-1890 (p. 610) and click through the layers.
 What factors cause Native Americans to lose land in the 1800s?
Digital Activity: The Desire for Reform (p. 611)
Project the Digital Activity: The Desire for Reform (p. 611). Have students write a paragraph using specific examples to tell what motivated the reformers of the late
1800s.
 Discuss how the ways of the life for Native Americans in the Plains changed as a result of westward expansion in the 1800s.
 Give specific examples that show the hardships Native Americans faced. (Remind students to consider economic, political, and environmental factors).
Digital Lesson Quiz: (p. 611)
Assign the Digital Lesson Quiz. Pose these questions:
 Why didn’t the U.S. government keep its promises to Native Americans?
 Evaluate the different ways that the federal government treated Native Americans in the 1800s.
 What approaches did the government take, and why?
 What were the different effects?
Engage
~Have students preview the lesson objectives and the list of key terms (p.602). Use the Editable Presentation found on the digital course to present the main ideas of the
lesson (p. 602).
Complete the Start Up Activity on p 602. Tell students that Native Americans of the Plains met the “basic needs” of life-food, clothing, and shelter-from the buffalo.
 Write a paragraph describing how you think the Plains Indians could use the buffalo for food, clothing, an shelter.
Explore
Explain
Elaborate
Evaluate
Tell students that in this lesson they will be learning about the difficulties Native Americans in the Plains faced as a result of westward expansion.
~Divide the class into groups. Each group is to read a section and be prepared to discuss and share findings with the class. Students are to read assigned sections and use
the Note Taking Study Guide to help them take notes and understand the text as they read.
 The Plains Indians (p. 602)
 Life on the Plains (p. 602-603)
 Gender Roles in Plain Indian Society (p. 604)
 Broken Promises (p. 605-607)
 Conflict in the West Continues (p.607-609)
 Remembering a Lost Way of Life (p.609-610)
 Calls to Reform Native American Policies (p.610-611)
~ Tell students that in this lesson they will be learning about the difficulties Native Americans in the Plains faced as a result of westward expansion.
The Plains Indians (p. 602)
 Plains Indians had rich and varied cultures. They were skilled artists. They also had well-organized religions and warrior societies. Each nation had its own
language. People from different nations used sign language to communicate with one another.
Life on the Plains (p. 602-603)
 The buffalo served as a living grocery store for Plains Indians. After acquiring horses, they followed the huge buffalo herds that had roamed their homeland for
centuries. Plains Indians began to live in tepees, or tents made by stretching buffalo skins on tall poles. The tepees could easily be carried on a travois-a sled
pulled by a dog or a horse.
Gender Roles in Plain Indian Society (p. 604)
 Women and men had specific roles in Plains Indian society. In some tribes, women helped mem with the hunting and governing. A Blackfoot woman, Running
Eagle, led many hunting parties herself.
Broken Promises (p. 605-607)
 Before Europeans and Americans began to the settle on the Plains, the Plains Indians often fought with one another over territory or other resources. But as
American settlers began to encroach on Plains Indians’ lands, their attention turned toward this new threat. Conflict on the Plains began as early as the 1840s,
when settlers and miners began to cross Plains Indian hunting grounds. The settlers and miners asked for government protection from the Native Americans.
Conflict in the West Continues (p.607-609)
 Settlers and miners continued to move into the West. They wanted more and more land for themselves. Even on reservations, Native Americans were not left in
peace.
Remembering a Lost Way of Life (p.609-610)
 Many Native Americans longed for their lost way of life. On the reservations, the Lakotas and other Plains Indians turned to a religious ceremony called the
Ghost Dance. It celebrated the time when Native Americans lived freely on the Plains.
Calls to Reform Native American Policies (p.610-611)
 The Native Americans were no longer able to resist the government. During the late 1800s, more Native Americans were forced onto reservations.
~Guided Reading and Discussion Questions
 See Small Group Purposeful Talk Question Stems from the previous page for this portion of the lesson.
~Analyzing Maps and Charts & Digital Activity
 See Online Resources from the previous page for this portion of the lesson.
~Assign the Digital Lesson Quiz for this lesson (p. 588). Teachers can also opt to have students demonstrate mastery by responding to the following questions on
paper:
 Explain the Plains Indians’ dependence on the buffalo.
 Summarize the roles men played in the Plains Indians’ daily life.
 Why couldn’t the settlers and miners live in peace with the Plains Indians?
 Given what you have learned about the treatment of Native Americans at the hands of the U.S. government, what best explains the reaction of Chief Joseph an
some Nez Perce Indians when they were ordered to move to a reservation in Idaho after gold was discovered on their land?
 Using the Ghost Dance as an example, what evidence san you provide to support the idea that misunderstanding and fear can lead to tragedy?