Lesson Plan

What Brought Settlers to the Midwest?

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Drawn by promises of fertile land, thousands of settlers poured West because of the Homestead Act of 1862. By examining images of the ads that drew them westward, learners consider the motivations for movement. They also consider how the ads are similar and different from each other as they consider their audiences.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Ideas
  • Use primary source images to analyze motives for white settlers to head West in the 1860s
  • Create discussion questions to compare the experiences of white settlers with the Native American peoples they encountered
Classroom Considerations
  • Easy to adapt to a variety of age groups
Pros
  • Images are engaging
  • Pre-made question set makes the resource easy to use in the classroom
Cons
  • Lesson does not include resources that reflect the experiences of indigenous peoples
  • Some links no longer work
Common Core