Curated OER
Oregon Trail Diary
Students write a diary. In this writing and creativity lesson plan, students pretend they are moving west and keep a diary about their adventures. Students study real-life scenarios about families who made the trip out west before...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
What Brought Settlers to the Midwest?
Drawn by promises of fertile land, thousands of settlers poured West because of the Homestead Act of 1862. By examining images of the ads that drew them westward, learners consider the motivations for movement. They also consider how the...
Curated OER
African Americans and the Move West
Students examine the phases of westward migration in the United States during the 19th century focusing on the incentives that led many African Americans to make the move.
Curated OER
East Meets West: Americans on the Move
Students imagine what it was like to be part of the Lewis and Clark expedition. In this Lewis and Clark Expedition instructional activity, students watch "East Meets West: Americans on the Move," and then write journal entries from the...
Curated OER
Moving West!
Students explore, explain and experience the importance of good character traits in everyday life by assessing the challenging journeys traveled on the Oregon Trail. They study the daily accounts of perseverance and courage along the trail.
Curated OER
Mountain Vista
Students participate in a role play activity in which they play an American pioneer moving west. During the role play, they select an occupation and a town to live in. In groups, they use a map to determine the best route to arrive to...
Smithsonian Institution
Eastern Indian Wars
Many know that Native Americans were forced off their lands and moved west, but how did these people react? The Red Sticks faction of the Creek nation opted to defend themselves and their lands in a series of wars called the Eastern...
Curated OER
"Go West, Young Man!"
Young scholars examine reasons why people migrated west. They describe how the geography of the U.S. changed in the 19 th century and design a PowerPoint presentation to convey factors for westward expansion.
Curated OER
Going West
Students examine the lives of early pioneers who traveled west for better opportunities. They listen to story "Josafina and the Story Quilt", and discuss hardships encountered by traveling families. Students then complete research and...
Curated OER
The Westing Game: Chapters 25-30
In The Westing Game chapter questions worksheet, learners complete a series of short answer questions over chapters twenty-five through thirty to advance their understanding of the text.
Curated OER
Protecting Against the West Nile Virus
Students anaylyze how the west nile virus is passed from mosquitoes to humans. They answer questions based on an article from the CDC. They finally examine their state map and track where cases have been reported.
Curated OER
Wagons West
Students prepare to travel west. In this Westward Movement lesson, students participate in classroom activities that require them to prepare for a trip west as pioneers.
Curated OER
Wagon's West
Students travel to the American West. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students discuss the Oregon Trail and then play the computer game of the same title. Students take on the roles of those who travelled the trail.
Curated OER
East Meets West: Americans on the Move
Young scholars examine the settlement of the Louisiana Territory. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students watch segments of the Discovery video "East Meets West: Americans on the Move". Young scholars conduct further research...
Curated OER
Go West: Imagining the Oregon Trail
Students access the Oregon Trial website to find information on what it was like to experience traveling the Oregon Trial. Then, in groups, they create dioramas depicting events that could have happened along the Oregon Trail.
Curated OER
Nevada Trilogy
Young scholars, after watching Gone West, discuss and make some of the decisions people faced in travelling westward.
Curated OER
The American West - End of Unit Test
In these American West worksheets, students answer questions based on the American West unit. Students answer 23 questions about the unit.
Curated OER
Bible Lesson: Wagons West
Students debate whether manifest destiny is right or wrong. In this manifest destiny lesson plan, students discuss the westward movement and the role of manifest destiny as they focus on the Native Americans. Students view the idea of...
Curated OER
The American West-Knowledge Test
In this American West instructional activity, students complete a 24 questions test about the American West. Answers are included beneath questions on instructional activity.
Curated OER
Come West Young Man
Students interpret the maps associated with the early development of the Oklahoma Country. They describe reasons for moving to Oklahoma Country in a letter to a relative.
Curated OER
Cross (Curricular) Fit
Get up and move with a set of cross-curricular activities designed for math, social studies, or science classes. Each physical education exercise is paired with a concept from a different discipline, including the geography of the Mali...
Curated OER
Manifest Destiny
Students explore the Manifest Destiny. They interpret quotations, study point of view in writing, research English words that derived from Mexico, and analyze reasons why settlers moved west. After writing journal entries in first-person...
Curated OER
African-Americans in California's Heartland
Students read and view video about the pioneers moving west. In this African American pioneer lesson, students become familiar with the problems faced by the pioneers and African-American pioneers. Students complete worksheets and...
PBS
African-Americans in the American West
Secondary learners explore the westward movement of African Americans. Segmented into four time periods, the lesson provides an overview of how African Americans experienced westward expansion. Learners view PBS specials on the westward...