Students examine the 19th-century idea of Manifest Destiny that drove the United States to expand across the continent — weighing its promise of opportunity against its devastating human cost to Native American nations.
Students will be able to…
In just a few decades the United States grew from a coastal republic to a continental power. What belief drove that expansion — and who paid the price for it?
Project this and tap each part of westward expansion. Have students weigh the opportunity it promised against its human cost.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
How did a coastal nation become a continental power so fast?
Students investigate.
Students analyze.
Students conclude.
Students take action.
Aligned to the C3 Framework for Social Studies (Grades 9–12) and Common Core literacy in history/social studies.
Analyze multiple and complex causes and effects of events in the past.
Evaluate the impact of human settlement on regions.
Use questions to assess the historical significance of events.
Determine central ideas of a source and provide an accurate summary.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students research the forced removal of the Cherokee and other nations along the Trail of Tears, and explain its human cost. A printable research sheet is in the Social Studies library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.