Lesson Plan

Content area: THE CONQUEST OF THE FAR WEST (chapter 16, American History)
Grade level: 11-12
USOE CORE: Standards for Literacy in History/ Social Studies 6-12, #4
WIDA: ELP Standard 5: The language of Social Studies, Summative Framework
USOE CORE Standard: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a
text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the
course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
WIDA ELP Standard: Level 1 Entering: Reading Match people or places to periods in world
history through illustrations, words/phrases and timelines. Writing Label significant individual
or historical times in politics, economics or society using illustrations or photographs and
models.
Objectives: E.L.L students will learn new vocabulary and will then use it to understand
terminology or phrases used by the book to learn historic concepts. At the end of all four
activities the students should be able to analyze each phrase or word and learn of its importance
in the chapters subject. The four activities are also designed to meet the standards set by WIDA
reading and writing for a level I ELL student. Learning the vocabulary and its meaning will aid a
new ELL student understand the lesson and future exercises and assessments.
Essential questions (What question(s) students be able to answer at the end of the lesson):
What was the treatment of the Western Tribes and how did it change the west expansion?
Content Concepts (main ideas you will teach):
1. The effects of migration into Indian Territory on the west
2. The treatment of Native Americans by U.S. Government.\
3. Events that shaped the west and risked the survival of Native Americans.
Lesson Sequence
1.
For the first five minutes of class, do a review of the previous lesson and ask find out if
they have any questions. (5 min)
2.
Go over the assigned reading in chapter 16 and discuss the main events and topics on how
the Americans view the west. (10 min)
a.
Ask the students what they imaging the west to be like after reading the chapter
b.
How would they react if they were native Americans living in this part of the country
during this time period?
3.
Before starting with the vocabulary words for the week, go over the fist activity with the
students. Go over the rules and allowed them time to look up the content compatible words in the

dictionary. (10 min) After they have look up the vocabulary words in the dictionary, have the
students match the words with the picture that matches the description given in the dictionary.
(10 min)
4.
Go over the compatible words with the class and make sure ELL students understand the
meaning of each word before moving into the historical meaning of the vocabulary words or
phrases for the weeks lesson. (10)
5.
For the last 20 minutes of class allowed the class to work on the other two activities, and
remind them to finish them before coming to class tomorrow. Knowing what each word or
phrase has in the history of the west will allow the students to know and participate in
tomorrows class.

Vocabulary words. Choose 5-7 for each content concept. You may include both
content obligatory words and content compatible words.
List vocabulary words
Content obligatory words:
1. Caste System
2. Buffalo
3. Indian Weakness
4. Frontier
5. Concentration Policy
6. Indian Resistance
7. Indian Hunting
8. Little Bighorn
9. Chief Joseph
10. Ghost Dance
11. Wounded Knee
12. Dawes Act of 1887
13. Assimilation
Content compatible words:
1.
Chief
2.
Buffalo
3.
Frontier
4.
Resistance
5.
Hunting
6.
Dance
7.
Indian
8.
Act
9.
Policy
10.
Nick names

Content Compatible Words Activity Match the pictures

The purpose of this activity is for the students to match people or places to important
periods in the chapter through illustrations.
Vocabulary Learning Activity #1 Concept Definition Map
The purpose of this activity is to get Second Language Students familiarize with
words that are used in the text and its importance in understanding its meaning to the
course of the chapter.
Vocabulary Learning Activity #2 Classifying and Sorting
The purpose of this activity is for students to classify and sort each word with its
correspondent meaning or related word.
Vocabulary Learning Activity #3 - Odd man out
The purpose of this activity is for students to circle out the word that does not fit with
the description of a word or phrases

Concept Definition Map

Instructions: This activity has three questions that need to be answers for each vocabulary word.
-

What it is?

What it is like?

What are some examples?

Vocabulary words for this activity:

-

Chief

Buffalo

Frontier

Resistance

Hunting

Dance

Indian

Policy

Nick names

Instructions for the educator: Use the first vocabulary word as an example and do it
together with the students
Concept: Chief
What it is? A chief is a leader, ruler, commander, or authority figure of a
group of people.
What it is like? - decorated with medals, different uniform from the rest of
the army, the father of a group, or a person with the leadership skill necessary to lead
someone. (e.g. fearless, unselfish, trust worthy)
What are some examples? The President of the United States, the father of
a household, the leader of an native American tribe (or any tribe in the world)

Classifying and Sorting

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Frontier
Caste System
Chief Joseph
Assimilation
Ghost Dance
Dawes Act
Buffalo
Wounded Knee
Indian weakness
Little Bighorn

____source of food
____ Battle between U.S. army and Sioux
____ Smallpox
____ Land waiting settlement
____ Nez Perce
____ Hierarchy system
____ Massacre
____ Allotment of land
____ Boarding School
____ Visions

Odd Man Out

Instructions: circle the word that does not belong.
-

Spanish and Mexicans/Pueblos/Chinese/Genizaroz

Food/Clothing/Herd/Transportation

Border/Last/uncivilized/Canada

Tracking/deer/sports/killing

Frontier/Battle/Sioux/U.S. army

Chief/Mxico/Nez Perce/Canada

Elimination/allotment/1890/acres

Children/house/boarding/educated

Paiute/mystical./flower/dance

Massacre/Navajo/Sioux/Starving

VOCABULARY WORDS - CHAPTER 16 THE CONQUEST OF THE FAR

WEST- WESTERN TRIBES
Caste System top = Spanish/Mexicans, middle = Pueblos (Apaches, Navajos),
bottom = genizaros (Indians without a tribe)
Buffalo flesh principle source of food/skin supplied materials for clothing, shoes,
tepees, blankets, robes, and utensils. Dried manure fuel
Indian Weakness vulnerable to eastern infectious diseases = Smallpox, outmanned
and outgunned
Frontier an empty, uncivilized land waiting settlement.
Concentration policy each tribe was assigned its own defined reservation
confirmed by separate treaties
Indian Resistance Indian warriors traveling in raiding parties to attack a train,
stagecoaches, and isolated ranches in retaliation for earlier attacks.
Indian hunting practice of tracking down and killing Indians, for whites it became
a sport. Bounty hunters brought back scalps and skulls as proof of their deeds.
Little Bighorn Battle between U.S. Army and Sioux Indians that resulted in the
death of the seven Calvary unit led by George A. Custer.
Chief Joseph chief of the Nez Perce, tribe that tried to escape to Canada but was
capture right before crossing the border.
Ghost dance Paiute dance inspired ecstatic visions that many participants
believed were genuinely mystical. Example- restoration of great buffalo herds.
Wounded Knee - Massacres of starving Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee in 1890
Dawes Act of 1887 provided elimination of tribal ownership of land and the
allotment of tracts to individual owners. 160 acres/family, 80 acres/single adult, and
40 acres/dependent child.
Assimilation Indian children sent to boarding schools so that they could be
educated and abandon their tribal ways. (Religion and traditional life)