Format
Students will receive /download typescripts of letters and copies of select originals. The instructor will walk them through the letters, discussing highlighted passages, exploring the nature of westward expansion, and examining life on the 19th century American frontier.
Objectives
1. Students will be able to analyze and interpret primary source materials.
2. Students will be able to distinguish between primary and secondary sources.
3. Students will be able to use maps to identify location and estimate distances.
4. Students will understand the factors that led people to decide to move west in the
mid-nineteenth century, specifically push/pull factors.
5. Students will understand some of the hardships that people faced as they moved west in the mid-nineteenth century.
6. Students will understand the role ordinary Americans played in the making of American history.
Standards Alignment
National Standards
National Curriculum Standards:
Historical Thinking Standards:
Standard 2: Historical Comprehension
Standard 3: Historical Analysis & Interpretation
Historical Content Standards:
Era 4: Expansion and Reform (1801-1861):
Standard 2: How the industrial revolution, increasing immigration, the rapid expansion of slavery, and the westward movement changed the lives of Americans and led toward regional tensions.
Common Core
Grade Two
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.3 : Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.4 : Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.6 : Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.
Grade Three
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.1 : Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.3 : Describe the relationships between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.7 : Use information gained from illustrations and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (eg, where, when, why, and how key events occur).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.9 : Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.
Grade Four
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3 : Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text , including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.4 : Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.6 : Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and information provided.
Grade Five
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3 : Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.4 : Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.6 : Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.7 : Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
Grade Six-Eight
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6-8.1 : Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6-8.2 : Determine the central ideas or information of primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6-8.3 : Identify key steps in a text's description of a process related to history/social studies.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6-8.7 : Integrate visual information (eg., photographs or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6-8.9 : Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
Grade Nine-Ten
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.1 : Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.3 : Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text; determine whether earlier events caused later ones or simply preceded them.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.9 : Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.
Grade Eleven-Twelve
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.4 : 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.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.7 : Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media in order to address a question or solve a problem.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.9 : Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.
State Standards
Our programs are aligned with both national standards and Virginia Standards of Learning. While our programs can be tailored to suit learners of any age, they are initially designed for students in upper elementary and secondary schools.
2015 Virginia Studies
VS.1
VS.6
2023 Virginia Studies
Skills VS The student will apply history and social science skills to the content by
a. analyzing and interpreting information sources including, but not limited to artifacts, primary and secondary sources, charts, graphs, and diagrams;
b. applying geographic skills to identify and understand geographic features and connections;
c. developing questions, enhancing curiosity, and engaging in critical thinking and analysis;
d. using evidence to construct timelines, classify events, and distinguish fact from opinion;
e. comparing and contrasting people, places, and events;
f. identifying cause-and-effect relationships to clarify and explain content;
g. using economic decision-making models to make informed economic decisions and to explain the incentives and consequences of a specific choice;
h. practicing civility, respect, hard work, honesty, trustworthiness, and responsible citizenship skills; and
i. developing products that reflect an understanding of content.
VS.6d The student will apply history and social science skills to explain the establishment and growth of the new American nation with emphasis on the role of Virginians and events in Virginia during the 18th and 19th centuries by
d. explaining how geographical features and technological advances impacted the western movement in the first half of the 1800s;
2015 United States History to 1865
USI.8 The student will demonstrate knowledge of westward expansion and reform in
America from 1801 to 1861 by
b) identifying the geographic and economic factors that influenced the westward
movement of settlers.
c) describing the impact of inventions, including the cotton gin, the reaper, the
steamboat, and the steam locomotive, on life in America.
2023 United States History to 1865
Skills USI
USI.8 The student will apply history and social science skills to explain westward expansion and reform in America from 1801 to 1861 by
a. describing how territorial expansion affected the political map of the United States including, but not limited to the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the role of Sacagawea, the acquisitions of Florida, Texas, Oregon, and California, and the results of the Mexican-American War;
c. identifying geographic, economic, and religious motivations that influenced the movement of settlers;
d. analyzing the impact of westward expansion on Indigenous people including, but not limited to the Indian Removal Act (1830), the Trail of Tears, and the Seminole Wars;
e. explaining technological advancements and innovations and their effects on life in America including, but not limited to the cotton gin, the reaper, the steam engine, and the steam locomotive;
2015 Virginia and United States History
VUS.6The student will demonstrate knowledge of the major events from the last decade of
the eighteenth century through the first half of the nineteenth century by
b) identifying the economic, political, and geographic factors that led to territorial expansion and its impact on the American Indians.
2023Virginia and United States History
Skills VUS. The student will apply history and social science skills to the content by
a. selecting and synthesizing evidence from information sources including, but not limited to artifacts, primary and secondary sources, charts, graphs, and diagrams, to question and understand information about events in Virginia and United States history;
b. applying geographic skills to determine and/or predict patterns and trends of people, places, and events;
c. questioning and using inquiry to construct arguments, using evidence from multiple sources;
d. investigating and analyzing evidence from multiple sources to construct arguments and draw conclusions;
e. comparing and contrasting historical, cultural, economic, and political perspectives;
f. determining cause and effect to analyze connections;
g. using economic decision-making models to analyze and explain the incentives for and consequences of a specific choice;
h. engaging and communicating as an informed individual with different perspectives;
i. developing products that reflect an understanding of research and content to make real-life connections; and
j. contextualizing corroborating and evaluating sources for credibility, propaganda, and bias to determine patterns and trends in Virginia and United States history.
VUS.7e,f The student will apply history and social science skills to analyze major events in Virginia and United States history during the first half of the 19th century bye. describing the political results of territorial expansion and its impact on Indigenous people;
f. analyzing the social and cultural changes during the period including, but not limited to immigration and “The Age of the Common Man” (Jacksonian Era);