Students complete a variety of activities that go along with the study of and possible fieldtrip to Raton Pass and Glorieta Battlefield on the Sante Fe Trail in New Mexico.

Students research the role of general stores in the development of communities. In this South Carolina history lesson, students study the economic development of early U.S. communities. Students write essays and create advertisements...

Students explore the concept of manifest destiny as practiced in the 1840s. They discuss how contemporary maps of the 1840s influenced United States expansion in the 1840s and analyze the relationship between manifest destiny and democracy.

Students review census data to correlate to emigration in Kansas. In this Westward Expansion instructional activity, students analyze a painting and create definitions for emigration and discuss why people emigrate. Students read and...

Teach your class about the value of a dollar in this economics presentation, which details the inner-workings of commercial banks. From reserve requirements to money expansion, these slides will clear up any misconceptions about "the...

How has the Internet of Things affected our lives? Scholars examine the massive influence of mobile devices in this analysis instructional activity, which begins with a seven-minute documentary clip. They also read a New York Times...

Two methods are always better than one! The eighth installment in this series asks pupils to convert decimals to fractions using two approaches. Individuals first use the more traditional approach of long division and then use reverse...

Students use a map of the Missouri Compromise to explain the geographical changes it brought to the U.S. and why the changes provoked a debate over the expansion of slavery in the U.S.

During the Industrial and commercial expansion of the United States, war broke out between America and the Philippines. Explore conflict, American Imperialism, and political cartoons with this creative project. Learners view the film,...

Kids make quilts as they learn about pioneer life and the concept of tempo. The Aaron Copland piece, Rodeo is used to convey rhythm and tempo in music. As the children discuss tempo and rhythm, they also discuss what life was like for...

How does a nation turn into a global superpower? The 16th installment of the 22-part series on American history investigates the rise of the United States to global importance in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Groups...

What is the universal breakfast? The resource includes two activities, the first one observing oatmeal to understand the texture of the universe. Then, scholars measure raisin bread dough before and after it rises to represent the...

Fifth graders identify the American Indian tribes who lived on the lands in which the California Trail went through. They investigate and describe the impact of western expansion on the American Indians.

Students examine and evaluate how the U.S. government dealt with the Native American populations during westward expansion. They complete a class KWL chart, take notes during a teacher-led lecture. Students read about the Battle at...

Sixth graders research and identify key facts about men and women of the Westward Movement. They assess the events and reasons that motivated people to move west, hardships they faced and their contributions to the nation. Each student...

Students research cultural and social issues in the areas of Westward Expansion, Immigration, and Civil Rights. They use their research to create a PowerPoint electronic book to be used by other students.

Fourth graders research the history of Utah. Students explore westward expansion and the importance of ranching in Utah's history. Students also investigate cattle drives in Utah.

Students construct an origami models of different molecules. In this chemistry lesson, students explain what expansive soils are made up of. They discuss what happens when this expansive soil expands or shrinks.

Tenth graders examine the purpose of territorial expansion. In this World History lesson, 10th graders analyze various articles on World War II.  Students prepare arguments for and against territorial expansion. 

In this determinant worksheet, students find the determinants of each matrix. They use diagonals and the expansion by minors method to help. There are 10 problems on this worksheet.

Fifth graders read from their textbook a story about the pioneer settlement of the Western Frontier. They review the pioneer standpoint, but also discuss how the Homestead Act of 1862 affected Native Americans. They write another story...

Sixth graders work in small groups to organize a wagon train for a trek westward. They determine leadership responsibilities and rules needed to make a successful trek.

Students, in groups, study the Homestead Act. Each group studies a region of the country in the 1840s: the North, the South, and the West. Ask each group to research and write their region's position on the homestead issue.

Second graders use a minimum of three maps of Kansas developed during the 1800's. They plot five major settlements that developed near water sources. Students brainstorm reason settlements may have developed near water sources.