Introduction
This webquest will help students discover the true meaning and effects of manifest destiny by researching individuals who were part of westward expansion and then writing a diary from the perspective of that individual.
Introduction
As we are learning about Westward Expansion, we must remember that these are real individuals that made this amazing journey. The best way to learn about them is to put ourselves in their shoes. For this activity, you will write a journal from the perspective of an individual traveling west or who is a native to the west.
Task
Task
Your task is to create a diary as if you were a settler going west or someone who already lives in the west. You will be one of the following ten individuals (assigned in class):
1) A working class, single, female.
2) A merchant
3) An upper class, married, female
4) A Chinese Immigrant
5) A Child
6) A Mexican native
7) A young, single, white, male
8) A freed slave
9) A Native American
In your groups, you will research your individual with the websites provided. Individually you will then write three journal entries as outlined below and in the format as displayed on this website and as shown in class. You will also need to incorporate your vocabulary words into your journal entries:
1) Introduce your individual's (person's) identity by telling your reader who you are, where you come from, and why you are in the west.
2) Describe your experiences living in the west. What is your job? What hardships do you encounter?
3) By using inferring skills how has your individual (person) contributed to a national identity?
Process
Process
1) A WORKING CLASS, SINGLE, FEMALE:
PBS Homestead History: Life on Homestead
Prezi Presentation about Role of Women
Women of the West – and everyday life along the trail
2) A MERCHANT:
Economic opportunities in California
3) AN UPPER-CLASS, MARRIED, FEMALE:
Narcissa Whitman, among the first white settlers of the west
Emmaline Wells, Mormon pioneer and activist
4)A CHINESE IMMIGRANT
Chinese in the Pacific Northwest
Chinese Americans in the Columbia River Basin
Chinese Immigrants in California
Chinese and Mexican Immigrants
5) CHILDREN
Schooling Outside the 13 Colonies
What Kids Did on the Western Frontier
6) A MEXICAN NATIVE
History Guy: Mexican- American War
Life in California Before the Gold Discover
Chinese and Mexican Immigrants
7) A YOUNG, SINGLE, MALE
It Was Hard Work and Hard Play
Moving West: Men lived on Boiled Badger
More Disease than Riches
8) A FREED SLAVE
Prezi- African Americans in the Old West
9) NATIVE AMERICANS
Prezi- Impact of Native Americans
Indians of the Midwest- Westward Expansion
It is now time to write your journal. Remember, you are writing as the individual so use first person (I, me, we. etc). In addition, keep in mind that this is an activity that requires both creativity and research. While your details are based on fact, you can elaborate on them to create a story about the person with your imagination (within believable boundaries). If you have any questions about what is appropriate, please ask the teacher.
Assignments 1: Fill out the "Get to Know Me!" worksheet. Within that worksheet you will be...
1) Introducing your assigned individual by telling your reader who you are, where you come from, and why you are in the west.
2) Describing your experiences living in the west. What is your job? What hardships do you encounter? Are you poor, wealthy, or somewhere in between?
ASSESSMENT:
Your assessment will be writing a paragraph CITING evidence from the websites while answer the following question, by using inferring skills
How did Manifest Destiny shaped your character's life in the United States?
You must provide at least 4 textual based pieces of evidence.
Evaluation
EVALUATION:
You will be scored according to the criteria of the following rubric. In order to earn a passing grade you must achieve at least a 3 or a 4 in each of the categories.
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CCSS Reading for Information 8.1- Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the test says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. |
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4- A (93%) |
3- B (83%) |
2-C (73%) |
1- D (60%) |
I-Incomplete |
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Excels at Standard |
Meets Standard |
Approaching Standard |
Below Standard |
No Evidence |
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Student goes above and beyond grade level standards by including 4 or more CITED text based evidence that support their inference on how Manifest Destiny shaped their character's life in the United States. |
Student has met grade level standards by including at least 4 CITED text based evidence that support their inference on how Manifest Destiny shaped their character's life in the United States. |
Student is making progress towards grade level standard by including some CITED text based evidence that loosely supports their inference on how Manifest Destiny shaped their character's life in the United States. |
Student has provided text based evidence that was not cited that loosely supports their inference on how Manifest Destiny shaped their character's life in the United States. |
Assignment is lacking most of the requirements and is unable to receive a grade OR the assignment is missing. |
Credits
Credits
Permissions
We all benefit by being generous with our work. Permission is granted for others to use and modify this WebQuest for educational, non-commercial purposes as long as the original authorship is credited. The modified WebQuest may be shared only under the same conditions. See the Creative Commons Attribution • Non-Commercial • Share-Alike license for details
by
- Amy Echols Starkey, SDSU-TEP
- Cynthia Lewis, Scripps Ranch High School
- Lorena Lucero, SDSU
modified by
- Daisy Lemus, East Valley Central Middle School-EVSD90
- Kerri Vanicek, East Valley Central Middle School-EVSD90