Standard 4: Demonstrate an understanding of the domestic and international causes, course, and consequences of westward expansion.

General Information
Number: SS.8.A.4
Title: Demonstrate an understanding of the domestic and international causes, course, and consequences of westward expansion.
Type: Standard
Subject: Social Studies
Grade: 8
Strand: American History

Related Benchmarks

This cluster includes the following benchmarks.

Related Access Points

This cluster includes the following access points.

Access Points

SS.8.A.4.AP.1
Identify the causes, events, and consequences of United States westward expansion.
SS.8.A.4.AP.2
Identify the debate, legislation, and events surrounding the spread of slavery into western territories and Florida.
SS.8.A.4.AP.3
Identify the experiences and perspectives of significant individuals and groups during this era of American History.
SS.8.A.4.AP.4
Identify the impacts of westward expansion on cultural practices and migration patterns of Native American and African slave populations.
SS.8.A.4.AP.5
Identify the causes, events, and consequences of the 19th century transportation revolution on the growth of the nation’s economy.
SS.8.A.4.AP.6
Identify the inventions and inventors that contributed to industrial growth.
SS.8.A.4.AP.7
Identify the causes, events, and consequences of New England’s textile industry on children, women, and industrial growth.
SS.8.A.4.AP.8
Identify the influence of individuals on social and political developments of this era in American History.
SS.8.A.4.AP.9
Identify the causes, events, and consequences of the Second Great Awakening on social reform movements.
SS.8.A.4.AP.10
Identify the impact of technological advancements on the agricultural economy and slave labor.
SS.8.A.4.AP.11
Identify the aspects of slave culture including plantation life, resistance efforts, and the role of the slaves’ spiritual system.
SS.8.A.4.AP.12
Identify the effects of the 1804 Haitian Revolution on the United States acquisition of the Louisiana Territory.
SS.8.A.4.AP.13
Identify the consequences of early landmark Supreme Court decisions, including but not limited to, McCulloch v. Maryland [1819], Gibbons v. Odgen [1824], Cherokee Nation v. Georgia [1831], and Worcester v. Georgia [1832].
SS.8.A.4.AP.14
Identify the causes, events, and consequences of the women’s suffrage movement.
SS.8.A.4.AP.15
Identify the causes, events, and consequences of the Transcendentalism movement.
SS.8.A.4.AP.16
Identify key ideas and influences of Jacksonian democracy.
SS.8.A.4.AP.17
Identify the impact of key events and peoples in Florida during this era of American history.
SS.8.A.4.AP.18
Identify the experiences, perspectives, and contributions of key groups in Florida during the Territorial Period.

Related Resources

Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this topic.

Lesson Plans

Native American Relocation:

This lesson will examine the reasons and consequences of Native American populations west of the Mississippi River. A guided presentation will be used to introduce students to the growing population and size of the United States, legal attempts of Native Americans to protect their land, and the consequences of relocation. While going through the guided presentation, students will complete guided notes, formative assessment questions, and key vocabulary terms. After the lesson a guided practice is included for students to complete that includes primary source language from two major Supreme Court cases.

 

Type: Lesson Plan

All Men (and Women) Are Created Equal :

In this lesson plan, students will use primary sources to identify the constitutional principles of individual rights and the social contract within the Declaration of Sentiments. 

Type: Lesson Plan

Westward Expansion Gallery Walk:

In this lesson, students will review influential individuals and groups, and evaluate their influence on social and political developments during Westward Expansion in early America.   

Type: Lesson Plan

Women's Suffrage and Abolition Gallery Walk:

In this lesson, students will review influential individuals and their influence on social and political developments during the Women’s Suffrage and abolitionist movements in America.

Type: Lesson Plan

Civic Virtue in Their Own Words: Interviewing Leading Americans of the Antebellum Period:

In this lesson plan, students will explore the lives of citizens and leaders from the Colonial period through Reconstruction in order to analyze the role of civic virtue in broader American society during the antebellum period.

Type: Lesson Plan

The Lewis and Clark Expedition:

In this lesson, students will analyze the challenges faced by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, and the effect the journey had on American history and Native American cultures.

Type: Lesson Plan

Close Reading Exemplar: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass:

The goal of this two to three day exemplar is to give students the opportunity to explore the point of view of a man who survived slavery. By reading and rereading the passage closely, combined with classroom discussion about it, students will explore the various beliefs and points of view Douglass experienced as he became increasingly aware of the unfairness of his life. Students will need to consider the emotional context of words and how diction (word choice) affects an author's message. When combined with writing about the passage and teacher feedback, students will form a deeper understanding of how slavery affected those involved.

Type: Lesson Plan

Student Resources

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Parent Resources

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