Description

Westward Expansion Unit – VA SOL USI.8

This Westward Expansion Unit is a hands-on unit that combines history and language arts skills! Everything you need for teaching about westward expansion, the Industrial Revolution, and the abolition and suffragette movements can be found here. Save time planning and your students will love completing the hands-on activities found in this unit.

For a closer look at the activities in this unit, see the product images at the top of the page!

What topics are covered in this Westward Expansion Unit?

This Westward Expansion Unit includes 11 detailed lesson plans. All lessons are hands-on and incorporate literacy skills. Students will investigate–

• the Lousiana Purchase
• the Lewis and Clark Expedition
• the War of 1812
• the Monroe Doctrine
• Manifest Destiny
• the acquisitions of Florida, Texas, Oregon, and California
• the results of the Mexican-American War
• Andrew Jackson’s role in the War of 1812 and the Indian Removal Act
• the Oregon Trail
• the California Gold Rush
• the impact of westward expansion on Indigenous people including the Seminole Wars, the Indian Removal Act of 1830, and the Trail of Tears
• Cherokee Nation v. Georgia and Worcester v. Georgia
• the Industrial Revolution
• inventions of the Industrial Revolution
• Chinese and Irish immigration to the United States
• the abolitionist movement and famous abolitionists including William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, and Soujourner Truth
• the women’s suffrage movement and famous suffragettes including Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Sojourner Truth

What types of resources are included in the unit?

A variety of no-prep activities are included in these unit plans.

• worksheets
• passages with comprehension questions
• hands-on activities
• centers
• simulation activities
• coloring activities
• board game
• quiz
• test
• word wall cards
• timeline of suggested activities: Provides a timeline for using the activities included within this unit and provides links to websites featuring videos about concepts being taught.
• answer keys included throughout

Students will become fully immersed in learning about westward expansion as they create timelines and projects, complete hands-on activities, and research past events!

Are digital resources included?

All of the passages and comprehension questions, most worksheets, the quizzes, and the test within this Westward Expansion Unit are also included in an interactive Google Slides format and can be shared with students using your Google Drive.

Video tutorials are included to help you share interactive Google Slides with your students.

What standards are covered?

This Westward Expansion Unit is specifically aligned with the 2023 Virginia U.S. History SOL USI.8, although it closely matches most U.S. History standards related to teaching about westward expansion, the Industrial Revolution, and the abolition and suffragette movements.

What are other teachers saying about this unit?

• “My students loved using this resource to practice skills we are learning in our class.  They found this engaging and interesting.” (Christy B.)
• “This resource had a lot of useful information for students. The reading comprehension questions are great for working on skills needed for state testing.” (LaDawn R.)
• “Thank you for making teaching history engaging and manageable!” (Renee U.)

Don’t Miss Out!

You don’t need to spend hours creating your Westward Expansion Unit! These lessons require minimal prep work and are easy to implement whether teaching in-person or virtually. Students will also enjoy learning about westward expansion as they complete hands-on activities and read passages.

You may also be interested in:

• Westward Expansion Escape Room
• Westward Expansion Task Cards
• U.S. History Unit Bundle
• U.S. History Escape Room Bundle
• U.S. History Task Cards Bundle

————————————————–

Other Information:

My Oregon Trail Board Game is included in this unit!

©Meghan Vestal, Vestal’s 21st Century Classroom LLC. All rights reserved. This product is to be used by the original downloader only. Copying for teachers, classroom, department, school, or school system is prohibited. This product may not be distributed or displayed digitally for public view. Teachers may NOT upload the product to school/district servers, or to any website, or share digital or print copies. Failure to comply is a copyright infringement and a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All sales are final.