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The Pack contains associated resources for the learning experience, typically in the form of articles and videos. There is a teacher Pack (with only teacher information) and a student Pack (which contains only student information). As a teacher, you can toggle between both to see everything.
Here are the teacher pack items for Moving Westward:
Overview In this experience, students begin by thinking about reasons families might move to a new place and the opportunities and challenges they might face. Then, they examine improvements in transportation, including the National Road, steamboats, and the Erie Canal, and analyze how these changes affected westward migration. Next, they explore changes in communication and write a short telegram from the perspective of someone who moved west. Note that railroads will be discussed in a later lesson. Estimated duration: 35-45 minutes Vocabulary words: Objectives
After the United States became a nation, many U.S. leaders and settlers looked west. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson bought France’s claim to the Louisiana Territory. After the War of 1812, more settlers moved west beyond the original states. Moving west was not easy. Roads and other ways to travel were limited, which made it hard to move families and goods. Native nations already lived on and governed much of the land. Spain also controlled or claimed much of the Southwest and land reaching to the Pacific Ocean. In this experience, you will learn how better transportation and communication helped people travel, move goods, and settle farther west.
Objectives
Why might a family decide to move to a new place? Think about what they might hope to gain and what challenges they might face. Write one or two sentences explaining your ideas.
Look for common ideas in student responses, such as finding work, owning land or a home, being closer to family, seeking safety or freedom, or hoping for new opportunities. Students may also recognize challenges such as leaving family behind, traveling long distances, or adjusting to a new place. Ask students: Have you heard the phrase “the American Dream”? What do you think it means? Explain that people have used the phrase American Dream to describe the hope that people in the United States can build a better life for themselves and their families. The writer James Truslow Adams helped make the phrase popular in his 1931 book The Epic of America. He described the American Dream as the hope that everyone could have the chance to build a better life and reach their goals. Explain that people may have different ideas about what the American Dream means and whether everyone has had the same opportunities to achieve it. As students learn about westward migration, encourage them to consider what settlers hoped to gain by moving west and how their migration affected Native nations and other groups already living on the land.
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