TomEasttey

TechnologyLessonPlan
EDU5170

Grade8:SocialStudiesLesson
Deconstructinghistoricalnarratives.AlessononTurner,theFrontierThesis,andthegreat
americanfrontiermyth

NYSTeachingStandards
:

NYSP12CommonCoreLearning
StandardsforSocialStudies:
A. Standard1:Toeducateonandincorporateknowledgeofwestwardexpansioninto
abroaderscopeofU.S.history.
B. Standard3:Reinforcemapskillsandgeographyskillsthroughapplication.

TechnologyStandards(ISTENETS):
A. Standard(1)Creativityandinnovation
a. Facilitatestudentcreativityandlearningthroughtheuseoftechnology
B. Standard(4)Criticalthinking,problemsolving,anddecisionmaking
a. Identifyanddefineauthenticproblemsandsignificantquestionsfor
investigation
C. Standard(6)Technologyoperationsandconcepts
a. Understandandusetechnologysystems

LessonObjectives
:

StudentswillbeabletoidentifyproblemswithFrederickJacksonTurnersFrontier
Thesis,andidentifylargertrendsandeventsinwestwardexpansion.
Theywillusetheirfindingsfromawebactivitytomarkoutachartonwestward
expansionandcompleteashortresponseontheirfindings.
Lesson:
IntroducetheLearningActivity:

 Haveyoueverwenttogoseeamoviebecausethetrailerlookedawesomeand
allyourfriendshypeditsayingitwasreallygood,onlytofindoutthatthefilmis
drasticallydifferentthanadvertised?Videogamesusethesametacticswith
flashygraphicsandhypedupindustryreviews.Thelossoftimeandmoneycan
bedisappointing.Theworstpartofthisishoweveristhefeelingthatyouvebeen
liedto,andthatsomethingyouvebeentoldwassupposetobereallygood,is
actuallyjunk.Historiansgothroughthisfeelingallthetimethroughthe
breakdownofwhattheycallNarrativeHistory.

GivestudentsABriefHistoryofWestwardExpansionhandout
ThedevelopmentoftheeducationaroundthenarrativeofManifestDestiny,or
whitesettlersfromEuropeweredestinedtospreadfromtheeasttowestcoast
withoutdifficultyofresistance,comesfromFrederickJacksonTurnersFrontier
Thesis.
Askstudentswhattheyknowaboutwestwardexpansion,orwhatcomestomind
whenstudentthinkofwestwardexpansion
Briefhistoryofwestwardexpansionpriortothe1890s.Theseareallthingsthe
studentsshouldknowonlycoverwhattheydontbrieflymention.
TheLouisianaPurchaseallowedforthemassiveacquisitionofoccupied
landbytheU.S.fromtheFrenchatcentsonthedollar.
LewisandClarkhadanentireexplorationpartyincludingaYorkclarks
slaveandafrenchfurtraderwhoownedtheNativeAmericanwomanwe
knowasSacagawea.HerrealnamewasPorivo.
TheWarof1812:AlliancesbetweenNativeAmericangroupswithboth
sidesofthewarof1812causedmassivecasualtiesandgreaterdistrust
betweentribesintheeasternUnitedStates.ThisgreatlyimpactedNative
AmericansabilitytoresistpioneersettlementfollowingtheWarof1812.
TheMonroeDoctrine:TheUnitedStatesdeclaresitselfasovereignnation
thatshouldbefreeofforeigninfluence.AtthispointtheBritishstillhad
basesintheAmericanwestandtheSpanishwerestillinCaliforniaand
centralAmerica.

 TheTrailofTearsandtheIndianRemovalActs:Bothremovedlarge
groupsofnativeamericansfromlandsthathadbeenpromisedtothemby
treatiesintheAmericanmidwest.
TheOregonTrail:Thefirstgroupofeasternpioneersmoveswestward
CaliforniaGoldRush:Thepromiseofjobsandgoldcausesasecond
massivemigrationofamericanpioneers.
Thetranscontinentalrailroad:Peoplecouldtravelwesteitherbyferryor
bytrainandonlyhadtodoaportionofthetripbywagon.
TheHomesteadAct:Thegovernmentgavelandtosettlersasawayto
boosteconomicgrowth.
IntroducethegeneralconceptofFrederickJacksonTurnersworkandgivethem
theFrontierThesishandout:
TheFrontieropenswhenonegroupentersanewarea
Thatgroupstruggleswithapreviouslyunperceivedforce(Native
inhabitants,Cultureclash,Nature,andsoon)
Thisclashcreatesaboundarybetweenthetwoforces(Cultural,economic,
natural,andsoon)
Theboundaryisclosedwhenevertheclashbetweenthosetwoforcesis
resolved.
AccordingtoTurner,inmostcasesthenativeamericanpopulationswere
eitherdyingoffduetodiseaseorunabletodealwiththesuperior
technologyofthesettlers.Thislefttheamericanfrontieropentobe
colonized.

WestwardexpansionwasanaturalandpredestinedpartofU.S.history

WhatmadetheUnitedStatesgreatwasitsfrontiers

TheclosingoftheGreatAmericanFrontierwasalsoanendtoits
greatness

ProvidePractice:
Askstudentsiftheyseeanythingwrongwithhowwestwardexpansionbasedon
Tunersviews

 CompleteWebactivityinsmallgroups.Havestudentsdiscusssteps15,andthen
dostep6asagroup.
Havestudentsbreakupintothreegroupsandwatchthevideosoneitherthe
HesterFamily,theDonorParty,orthe20MuleWagonParty.
Labelonthemapprovidedthethepathyourgrouptakesandwheretheystopped
Createanupdatedfrontierchartthatincludesexternalfactorsnotaccountedforin
Turnersthesis
ProvideKnowledgeofResults/ReviewtheActivity
Havethegroupsdiscusstheirfindings
GooversomecritiquesofTurnersviewoftheAmericanFrontierbasedonthe
classdiscussion
MethodsofAssessment
HavestudentswriteashortresponseaboutthedifferencesbetweenTurnersview
ofthewestwardexpansionandtheirfindings

SubstituteResources:

LinktotheWebActivity:
http://chsapush.weebly.com/thewestc16assignment.html
TimelineandBriefhistoryofwest:
http://www.historynet.com/westwardexpansion
AsummaryofTurnersworkandthecontroversyaroundit:
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/s_z/turner.htm