The Impact of Westward

Expansion
Fifth Grade Writing, Social Studies

by Sarah Sumnicht November 21, 2018

How did westward expansion impact people living in the United States? Use this history lesson to give students
an overview of the people and events involved. Then help them reflect on multiple perspectives in an
informational paragraph.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to write an informational paragraph about westward expansion using a timeline and
informational text as resources.

Materials and Preparation Key Terms

Class set of Historical Perspectives: Westward expansion

Expansion westward expansion
One copy of The 50 States Manifest Destiny
Class set of Sun Notetaking Louisiana Purchase
Paper or notebooks for student writing Trail of Tears
One piece of chart paper Homestead Act
Class set of Color the States (optional)
Class set of Lewis and Clark (optional)
Teacher copy of What Are the Facts?
Standards-Based Rubric (optional)

Attachments

PDF
Historical Perspectives: Westward Expansion
PDF
Map the States: State Abbreviations
PDF
Sun Notetaking
PDF
U.S. Expansion: Color by History
PDF
Historical Heroes: Lewis and Clark

Introduction (5 minutes)

Show students a blank map of the United States and explain that our country did not always look the way
it does today.
Explain that prior to the 1800s, the United States extended between the Atlantic Ocean and the
Mississippi River. The country consisted of 16 states, including the original 13 colonies, and various
territories that would later become states.
Draw a blue line to show where the Mississippi River is and shade in the portion of the map to the right of
it in green (do not shade Florida; see related media for a map showing the region to shade). Label the
shaded area "United States before the 1800s."

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 Tell students that today we are going to learn about some of the events and people that were involved in
expanding the United States westward, helping to make the country what it is today.

Explicit Instruction/Teacher Modeling (15 minutes)

Hand out the Sun Notetaking organizer and instruct students to write "Westward Expansion" in the center
circle.
Explain that the word expansion means "an enlargement or extension of an area." So westward
expansion is the term for how the United States grew as it acquired territory west of the Mississippi.
Tell students that you are going to tell them some key facts about westward expansion. Explain that, as
you talk, they should record key terms, names, and dates that they hear. Remind students that they do
not need to write in complete sentences or worry about spelling as they take notes.
Provide students with a brief overview of the important people and events during this time. Highlight and
shade important places on the map as you go.
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson paid France $15 million for the land that stretched from the
Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. That territory, over 800,000 square miles, included land
that would eventually become 15 states, from Louisiana to North Dakota. This transaction is known
as the Louisiana Purchase and it nearly doubled the size of the United States. (Shade this area
on the map red. Label it "Louisiana Purchase 1803.")
Soon after, President Thomas Jefferson hired Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore and
map out the area that was included in the Louisiana Purchase. They traveled from Missouri and
eventually reached the Pacific Ocean. During their expedition, they mapped out river valleys that
would later become important parts of the Oregon Trail, a major route for emigrants heading west
in the mid-1800s. (Draw Lewis and Clark's trail in brown and label it.)
In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, forcing Native Americans to
leave their homes and move west of the Mississippi River. As part of that act, 16,000 people in the
Cherokee Nation were forced to walk 1,200 miles to relocate to Oklahoma. Thousands of Native
Americans died during this walk and it became known as the Trail of Tears. (Draw and label the
trail in black.)
Some Americans believed that they had a divine right to claim land and spread democracy. A
journalist named John O'Sullivan described this belief as the United States' Manifest Destiny.
During this time, many people began moving west because they hoped there would be greater
opportunities in the new territory. The California Gold Rush and the development of the
Transcontinental Railroad brought thousands of Americans and immigrants from all over the world
to the Western United States.
The U.S. government wanted to encourage more settlement in the Western United States. So, in
1862, the Homestead Act was signed into law, which allowed any American to claim free land.
Many people who previously couldn't own land, like freed slaves and women, were allowed to
participate.

Guided Practice/Interactive Modeling (10 minutes)

Draw a blank timeline on the board. Label one end "1800" and the other end "1900." Make a small,
unlabeled mark at the midpoint as a guide for the other dates that will be added in.
Ask students to volunteer information to help fill in the timeline, using their notes for specific events and
dates.
Support students as you collaboratively fill in dates and events on the timeline. Record key dates that
relate to Westward Expansion in red (i.e., 1803—the Louisiana Purchase, 1830—the Indian Removal Act,
1862—the Homestead Act).
Insert other important dates and events that fit into the time period in black (i.e., 1836—Battle of the
Alamo, 1846–1848—the Mexican American War, 1848—the discovery of gold in California,
1861–1865—the Civil War, 1869—the Transcontinental Railroad is completed, 1876—the telephone is
invented, 1879—the electric light bulb is invented). This will help students develop a context for how
westward expansion fit into history.

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Independent Working Time (20 minutes)

Explain to students that they are now going to read more information about three of the events you
discussed—the Louisiana Purchase, the Trail of Tears, and the Homestead Act.
Hand out a copy of Historical Perspectives: Westward Expansion to each student. (Note: students will also
need a sheet of paper or a writing notebook for this activity.)
Choose volunteers to answer the following question based on the reading: "How did westward expansion
impact the people living in the United States?" Write some of their thoughts on the board, using
appropriate transition words and phrases (e.g., "The Homestead Act gave people the chance to own land.
As a result, many moved out west, leaving their homes behind for the chance of a new home.").
Tell students they will now write an informational paragraph about how westward expansion impacted
the people living in the United States.

Differentiation

Support:

Read the informational text aloud during Independent Work time, or allow students to partner read.
Provide sentence frames to support students during the writing activity.
Instead of making your own map during the lesson, use a simplified map coloring sheet (see optional
materials) or an image of a map that is already colored.

Enrichment:

Color and label the rest of the blank map to include the Texas Annexation, the Acquisition of Florida, the
Mexican Cessation, the Gadsden Purchase, and the Oregon Territory.
To make your map even more specific, note the original 13 colonies on the map and label the area with
the year 1776. Label the other areas east of the Mississippi "Old Northwest 1783" and "Old Southwest
1783."
On the timeline, include state-specific events and dates that relate to your home state. Remember to
label Westward Expansion dates in red and all other dates in black so that students can pinpoint events
that are directly related to the lesson. All other dates will serve as historical context.
To build on this history lesson, offer students additional reading on key historical figures, like Lewis and
Clark (see additional resources).
Invite students to recreate the Westward Expansion map by shading and labeling a blank map of their
own.

Technology Integration

Show a video with a rap song about Westward Expansion's impact on Native Americans to give students
additional information in a visual format. See related media.

Related Books and/or Media

MAP: Westward Expansion Map

MAP: Trail of Tears Map
MAP: Lewis and Clark Trail
VIDEO: Westward Expansion Rap

Assessment (5 minutes)

Have students sit with a partner and share their informational paragraphs.
Circulate and listen as students read their paragraphs so that you can get a sense of overall student
understanding.
Call on a few volunteers to read their paragraphs aloud to the whole class.
Optional: use a standards-based rubric to assess student writing (see optional materials).

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Review and Closing (5 minutes)

Make a web organizer on a sheet of chart paper. Label the center circle "The Impact of Westward
Expansion." Label four branches from the center "U.S. Government," "Native Americans," "African
Americans," and "Women."
Call on students to discuss how each group listed was personally impacted by westward expansion.
Record student answers on the chart.

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