D11-DOI-Social Studies-8th Grade, 3rd Quarter, Unit 1

District 11 Educational Support Services
Social Studies

Grade 8, Quarter 3: From Sea to Shining Sea - U.S. Acquires Territory
Duration @ 21 days

Overview
View the Video Introduction. The United States went from 13 colonies on the Atlantic Ocean in 1776 to expanding all the way to the Pacific by the mid 1800’s. How were new territories acquired? How did the United States interact with the countries from whom new territories were acquired? What about interactions with people already living in these lands? For example, how did Lewis and Clark interact with the Native Americans, or the Americans moving to Texas with the Mexicans and Tejanos? Also, what can primary sources tell us about what people believed about expansion at this time?

Unit Rigor & Relevance Rating: Quadrant C Assimilation - provides opportunities for students to analyze and apply information within a discipline.

Next Unit

Quarter Overview

Enduring Understandings - important ideas that students should carry with them years beyond the instruction received this year.

People and events are organized chronologically to increase understanding historical relationships.
Maps, globes, and other geographic tools are used to acquire, process and report information about the past and present.
Foreign policy influences the interaction of nations.
Societies are diverse and change over time.
Religious beliefs and philosophical ideas change societies.

Essential Questions - most important “big picture” questions students should be able to answer after completing learning activities.

Which events in the chronological progression of territorial acquisition for the US were the most important? Why?
What can information on a map of territorial acquisition reveal that information on a chart or time line cannot?
How did the US interact with other nations to acquire territories?
How did migrating people and indigenous peoples view western expansion- as a blessing or a threat?
How did religious and philosophical ideas affect the interaction of migrants/immigrants and indigenous populations?
Which type of source provides the best information about territorial expansion and why?

Standards-Based Indicators of Learning
History 1: Organize events and people in chronological order and use this data to determine cause/effect relationships.
Geography 1: Interpret maps, globes, charts, and geographic databases.
Civics 3: Define foreign policy and describe ways nations interact (ed) diplomatically in the past and present.
History 3: Describe basic cultural elements (traditions, customs, religion, language government), compare and contrast societies, and explain how they changed over time.
History 6: Describe religious beliefs and philosophical ideas, and how they changed societies.
History 2: Identify, interpret, compare, and evaluate primary and secondary sources, including documents, eyewitness accounts, letters and diaries, literature, and newspapers.

Lessons

Lesson 1: Timeline of Territories

Duration: 3 class periods
Standard H1: Students understand the chronological organization of history and know how to organize events and people into major eras to identify and explain historical relationships.
District Indicator: Organize events and people in chronological order and use this data to determine cause/effect relationships.
Enduring Understanding: People and events are organized chronologically to increase understanding historical relationships.
Essential Questions: Which events in the chronological progression of territorial acquisition for the US were the most important? Why?
Assessment: In a brief essay, respond to the essential question.

Activities
Complete time line and/or chart of territorial acquisition.
Determine cause/effect relationships based on the events identified.

Resources
Creating America, Chapter 11,12 and 13; The American Republic, Chapters 9, 10, 11, 12; History Alive! Chapters 14 – 17; Chart on Fact Monster Website
Differentiation
Support: Provide time line and limited list of events to place correctly.
Extension: Illustrate the time line.

Lesson 2: The Map of U.S. Territories

Duration: 4 class periods
Standard G1: Students know how to use and construct maps, globes, and other geographic tools to locate and derive information about people, places, and environments.
District Indicator: Interpret maps, globes, charts, and geographic databases.
Enduring Understanding: Maps, globes, and other geographic tools are used to acquire, process and report information about the past and present.
Essential Questions: What can information on a map of territorial acquisition reveal that information on a chart or time line cannot?
Assessment: What can information on a map of territorial acquisition reveal that information on a chart or time line cannot? Why are both important?

Activities
Construct a map of US territories acquired through expansion.
Correlate map identification information with information on the timeline/chart of acquisitions.

Resources
Creating America Chapter 11,12 and 13; The American Republic Chapters 9, 10, 11, 12; History Alive! Chapters 14 – 17; Westward Expansion Map Digital History Website
Differentiation
Support: Provide map and list of territories to place correctly.
Extension: Illustrate the map using connections with the time line from the previous lesson.

Lesson 3: Foreign Policy in the 1800’s

Duration: 4 class periods
Standard C3: Students know the political relationship of the United States and its citizens to other nations and to world affairs.
District Indicator: Define foreign policy and describe ways nations interact (ed) diplomatically in the past and present.
Enduring Understanding: Foreign policy influences the interaction of nations.
Essential Questions: How did the US interact with other nations to acquire territories?
Assessment: Writing Prompt-- Which means of acquiring land seemed to be most effective? Why?

Activities
Describe how each territory was acquired and from which nation: Proclamation of 1763, Northwest Territories, Louisiana Purchase, Florida, Texas, Mexican Cession, Oregon Country, and Gadsden Purchase.
Describe ways the US acquired territories, i.e. war, treaty, annexation, purchase and others.
Explain the process for Statehood, including when and how it began.

Resources
Creating America Chapter 11,12 and 13; The American Republic Chapters 9, 10, 11, 12; History Alive! Chapters 14 - 17
Differentiation
Support: Ask for a constructed response answer to the Essential Question of this lesson. Provide multiple choice questions and a word bank. Provide ELL students a word bank to complete the prompt response.
Extension: Research methods of acquiring territories, comparing those used in the past with those used in the present.

Lesson 4: Lewis and Clark

Duration: 4 class periods
Standard H3: Students understand how that societies are diverse and change over time.
District Indicator: Describe basic cultural elements (traditions, customs, religion, language government), compare and contrast societies, and explain how they changed over time.
Enduring Understanding: Societies are diverse and change over time.
Essential Questions: How did migrating people and indigenous peoples view western expansion- as a blessing or a threat?
Assessment: What were the major similarities between the explorers-- led by Lewis and Clark-- and the Indians? What were the major differences? Illustrate responses using a Venn or other non-linguistic representation/graphic.

Activities

Use a graphic to record similarities and differences in the Indian tribes Lewis and Clark encountered on their journey and between the tribes and the explorers
National Geographic's Journey of Lewis and Clark - In pairs, students share a computer and each receive a "leg" of the journey to research and record (found under journal log). After documenting what they learn from journal entries, historical photos, drawings, etc., each writes 5-6 sentences describing the trip in their own " journals." Then they exchange papers with their classmates and, using what their classmates "observe and experience," describe a different leg of the journey. They do this "write around" for different legs of the journey four times. They also draw the "legs" of the journey on a US map.

Resources
Creating America, Chapter 11,12 and 13; The American Republic, Chapters 9, 10, 11, 12 ; History Alive! Chapter 16 ; Lewis and Clark Website and ; PBS Website on Lewis and Clark Westward Expansion Video on the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Differentiation
Support: Provide a partially completed chart with similarities and differences. Provide ELL students with a word bank of similarities and differences for their chart.
Extension: Dramatize meeting between Lewis & Clark and Mandan tribal leaders.

Lesson 5: Spanish/Mexican Influence

Duration: 3 class periods
Standard H6: Students know that religious and philosophical ideas have been powerful forces throughout history.
District Indicator: Describe religious beliefs and philosophical ideas, and how they changed societies.
Enduring Understanding: Religious beliefs and philosophical ideas change societies.
Essential Questions: How did religious and philosophical ideas affect the interaction of migrants/immigrants and indigenous populations?
Assessment: What was the most significant Spanish influence on indigenous people? What was the result of that influence?

Activities
Use the Cornell Note-taking strategy to have students gather information on Spanish influence in Florida, Texas and California, and their impact on indigenous peoples. Summarize the influence of the Spanish on the settlement and expansion of the United States.

Resources
Creating America Chapter 11,12 and 13; The American Republic Chapters 9, 10, 11, 12; History Alive! Chapter 15,17; Video: Mormon Trail-California's Mission Trail (1997) 55 minutes, item# 92285
Differentiation
Support: Have a list of possible responses the student could use for note-taking.
Extension: students will provide an extended response to the assessment prompt.

Lesson 6: Analyzing Primary Sources: Lewis and Clark's Journals , Words of Forty-Niners, Mexican Settlers in Texas, and Accounts of Native Americans, Chinese, and others

Duration: 3 class periods
Standard H2: Students know how to use the processes and resources of historical inquiry.
District Indicator: Identify, interpret, compare, and evaluate primary and secondary sources, including documents, eyewitness accounts, letters and diaries, literature, and newspapers.
Enduring Understanding: Processes and resources of historical inquiry allow for interpreting the past and analyzing present day issues.
Essential Questions: Which type of source provides the best information about territorial expansion and why?

Activities
Analyze primary and secondary sources including: Lewis and Clark's Journals, words of Forty-niners, Mexican settlers in Texas, accounts of Native Americans, Chinese, and others
Choose one of these groups, then write a letter from the perspective of a person in that group. It should be based on analysis of the sources used and describe what was like as a member of this group.

Resources
Creating America Chapter 11,12 and 13; The American Republic Chapters 9, 10, 11, 12; History Alive! Chapter 15,17; Video: Mormon trail-California's mission trail (1997) 55 minutes, item# 92285;
PBS Archives Website and Digital History Website.
The Museum of Westward Expansion Website tells the story of the United States' nineteenth century expansion from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. From the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition to the farmers settling the Great Plains, the Museum interprets 100 years of American history.
Differentiation
Support: provide students with the definition of primary and secondary sources and a modified list of samples; provide visual samples of primary and secondary sources.
Extension: Students locate and examine sources independently using web sites provided, then provide statements adding to their learning bout the peoples studied.
Extension: With the purchase of Louisiana in 1803, migrations beyond the Mississippi began in earnest. Other events, including a second war with Great Britain, occurred in the early 1800s as well. The War of 1812 was one of these. An extension activity could include The War of 1812 WebQuest.
Extension: Research and report back to the class on the relevance of the Star Spangled Banner to the War of 1812. Use the following information to begin your research.

During the war, The Star Spangled Banner was written - Who wrote it? What was happening at the time? What does it mean? Why would we choose a National Anthem that was written about a battle? Hear the District 11 Honors Middle School Band play the Star Spangled Banner, and learn the facts and the meaning behind the song that is our national anthem.

When England began interfering with American international trade, the American Congress declared war on Great Britain in 1812. In August 1814, British forces defeated an American army twice its size and marched on to Washington. They set fire to the United States Capitol, the President’s Mansion, and other public buildings. The local militia fled, and President James Madison barely escaped.

One month later, the British were planning an attack on the Fort that protected the entrance to the Baltimore harbor. At the same time, a Georgetown lawyer, Francis Scott Key, was asked by John S. Skinner, the U.S. government’s agent for dealing with British forces, to help persuade the British to release a civilian prisoner. The British agreed to release the prisoner, but forced Key and Skinner to wait on a British ship until the attack on Fort McHenry was over. Key and Skinner became eyewitnesses to the attack on Fort McHenry. Waving proudly over the fort, the American flag could be seen for miles around. From a ship anchored eight miles down the river, Francis Scott Key spent an anxious night watching and hoping for a sign that the city, and the nation had been saved. As he watched, he wrote the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner. The song soon become the most well-known American patriotic song. Although the first verse is the most familiar, the fourth verse tells of Key's hope for the future of all Americans.

The American soldiers fought throughout the night and protected the city from attack. Three months later, the British agreed to a treaty that ended the war. The original flag Key saw during the battle was actually much larger than people might think. It was larger than most classrooms measuring 30 feet wide by 42 feet long and it flew from a 90 ft. tall pole.

The Museum of Westward Expansion Website tells the story of the United States' nineteenth century expansion from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. From the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition to the farmers settling the Great Plains, the Museum interprets 100 years of American history.