What were the driving forces behind American expansion in the nineteenth century, and what were its effects? Scholars watch a video, read biographies, engage in discussion, write journals and poetry, draw, and create a multimedia...

How can primary sources bring history to life? Scholars create detailed lesson plans on the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in American history. The 17th installment of a 22-part program exploring American history examines...

Have you ever seen a movie about the romance of the American West with its buffalo, horses, cowboys, and endless frontier? The 13th installment of a 22-part series on American history presents the myths associated with the American West....

Tumbling tumbleweeds! Scholars work with video clips, primary and secondary documents, and song lyrics to uncover life in the Old West. They examine song's lyrics to uncover myths told in the 1930s about life in the Wild West. 

What would be in your life's scrapbook? Scholars use short video clips, primary and secondary documents, and photos to investigate a 1909 scrapbook. They analyze and uncover what the Rogue Book tells them about the past in Western...

Go West, young man! Scholars use PBS video clips, slide shows, and interactive materials to create a picture of Manifest Destiny in the American West. Using a variety of primary and secondary sources, young historians learn about the...

There's nothing like the Wild Wild West! Scholars investigate the American Frontier through the eyes of Kit Carson. To complete the first installment of a three-part series, they use presentations, a short video, and primary and...

As your young historians study Westward Expansion, practice in-depth primary source analysis with the documents and guidelines presented in this resource. They will examine a lithograph and excerpts from two letters written by a Nebraska...

Examine the mythology of the American West with Arthur Chapman's poem "Out Where the West Begins." Learners read the poem, answer text-dependent questions, and take some notes on a few more questions to prepare for a class discussion.

What a fantastic project idea for discussing not only the history of America's expansion into the West, but for reviewing any major unit of history in your class. Pupils build stamp collections to visually represent themes of the unit,...

Use the well-known KWHL chart as a tool for building up to a research project and oral presentation related to Willa Cather's My Antonia. Starting with a class brainstorm, pupils research and gradually narrow down topics relating to...

Why did people move westward in the United States? Your young historians will examine the experiences of various groups on the American frontier, from a miner working near the Comstock Lode in Nevada, to an Apache chief from the...

How did the United States come to acquire two of its largest states? Your class members will learn about the sequence of events that led to and immediately followed the acquisition of Texas and California, including the Mexican-American...

What major trails were used for westward migration of the American people during the nineteenth century? With these worksheets, your young historians will use and analyze maps to discover more about the travels of Jedidiah Smith, and to...

What a great list of brief research projects for reviewing the era of westward expansion in the United States! Learners are directed to choose and complete three of the projects on the given list, which includes opportunities to design...

Did westward expansion really live up to the dream of adventurers for a new life and opportunities for land and resources? While designed for a flipped classroom, try using this resource to evaluate primary sources alongside your class!...

If you've just covered a lot of territory in your social studies class and need a great cumulative review, look no further. Here is a hand out that includes 71 questions on 10 pages all related to slavery, the Civil War, Westward...

What do you need when you're teaching a lesson on Westward Expansion? A vocabulary review list! Slides contain 20 terms that range from the Santa Fe Trail and Davey Crockett to the Vigilance Committee and the Oregon Trail. 

Review the westward expansion, game-show style. Twelve hot topics related to the westward expansion, if answered correctly, will make your class winners in the game of American history. The game is modeled after the once-popular TV show,...

In need of informational text and a related quiz regarding the Louisiana Purchase? Here are four pages containing basic information on Thomas Jefferson, Napoleon, Manifest Destiny, and the Louisiana Purchase, plus a 15-question quiz. 

Explore the use of propaganda in art. In this visual arts lesson, analyze events from the American Revolution or Westward Expansion as they view artwork and read narrative accounts. Students explain how the artwork symbolically...

Students research about America's westward movement and the effect of railroads on indigenous peoples, U.S. society, the environment, and the economy. They plan, map, and document an imaginary train journey across North America in the...

Students study the history of the American Gold Rush and its effects on prospector's lives, indigenous peoples, western expansion, and the U.S. and Candian economy. They image life as a hopeful prospector during the Gold Rush. Students...

Even a cumulative review can include main ideas, key events, supporting details, and critical thinking. An excellent 8th grade history review is yours for the taking. It includes topics that range from the thirteen colonies to post Civil...