Name: Natalie Youngs

Class: Dr. Good

Date: 10/24/2014
History Through Pictures
Central Idea: Manifest Destiny
Subject: Social Studies - Westward Expansion
Grade Level: 5
NC Essential Standard(s):
5.G.1.4 Exemplify migration within or immigration to the United Stated in order to identify push and pull
factors (why people left/why people came)
5.C.1.1 Analyze the change in leadership, cultures and everyday life of American Indian groups before
and after European exploration.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning,
tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).
Daily Lesson Objective: Students will learn how to interpret history through pictures, the views of
acquisition of US territory, and the effects of US expansion.
Prior Knowledge: I expect students to be aware of westward expansion. I also expect students to have
some idea of why we wanted to go west, or reasons that would pull people west.
Academic Language Demand: Manifest Destiny, Trail of Tears
Materials:

Manifest Destiny - History through Pictures PowerPoint

Paper
Crayons, markers, or colored pencils

Engage (5 min)
Remind the class that we have been learning about westward expansion.

What is manifest destiny?

What reasons could America have to believe in Manifest Destiny?
Why would people want to move west?

Make a list on the board of all the reasons people might want to move west. Ask students how people
were able to record things at the time.

 How do we remember events now?

Did we have cameras back in the 1800s?
How did people record what happened?
Guided Practice: (15 min)
We are going to look at a series of paintings and maps for Westward expansion. I want you to think
about what you see and what the images tell you.
1. Show picture of Manifest Destiny.

Why is one side of the painting light and the other dark?
What is the woman holding in her hands?
What is she trailing behind her?
What is the difference between the two sides of the painting?

2. Show picture of US Map 1805.

What is missing from this picture?

How would Lewis and Clark traverse this?
How would Lewis and Clark remember where they were going?

3. Show the political cartoon for the battle of Buena Vista. This was a battle fought during the
Mexican American war.

Who are the two armies in this picture?

Who seems to be winning?
Is there any difference between the two sides?
Which side looks more heroic/nicer?

4. Show the Trail of Tears painting. Many American Indians (Native Americans) were forced out of
their homes during this time. Americans wanted the land that they had. Some bought, stole, or
harassed them until they gave up their lands. In 1838 Cherokees were coerced into a treaty and
forced by Andrew Jackson to head west. Their journey was called the Trail of Tears.

What do you see in this picture?

How do the people look?
How does this picture make you feel?
Does it look like a nice travel?

Independent Practice (10 min)

Students will draw a their own picture to represent Westward Expansion. Their picture can be an event
from Westward Expansion, a picture representing Manifest Destiny, or a picture representing Westward
Expansion as a whole. Students will need to identify what it is that they are drawing, and have the
elements of their drawing describe the event they drew.
Assessment:
Student drew a picture representing Westward
Expansion or an event/topic from Westward
Expansion.
Student accurately and clearly labeled the
event/topic from Westward Expansion.
Student included 3 sentences explaining what part
of their picture helped describe their event/topic
from Westward Expansion.

___ /1
___ /1
___ /3

Resources:
The Trail of Tears Picture
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h1567b.html
Manifest Destiny Picture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifest_destiny#mediaviewer/File:American_progress.JPG
Mexican American War Picture
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/1-mexican-american-war-battle-of-buena-everett.html
1805 US Map Lewis, S./H. S. Tanner
http://www.murrayhudson.com/antique_maps/united_states_maps/united_states_1800-1840.html