Life on the Great Plains
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=265
A lesson plan for grade 11 Social Studies
In this four-part lesson, students examine the concept of geographic region by exploring the history of the Great Plains.
In Part I, students gather information about the location and environment of the Great Plains in order to produce a map outlining the region in formal terms.
In Part II, students examine how the region has been mapped at different stages in U. S. history and create informational brochures which reflect the changes the maps mark in the functional definitions of the Great Plains.
In Part III, students compare descriptions of the region, from the time of the Spanish conquistadors to the early 20th century, and write their own descriptions based on these models in order to gauge how changing perceptual definitions of a region reshape its identity and its relationship to human life.
Finally, in Part IV, students compare images of two cultures that made their homes on the Great Plains, Native Americans and ’sodbusters,’ and summarize their distinct ways of life and the distinctive regional identity each brought to the Great Plains by writing imaginary letters from a Native American and a sodbuster homesick for the land they have left behind.
The goals of this four-part lesson plan are:
- to explore the concept of region and learn how culture and experience influence the perception of regions
- to investigate the relationships between physical geography and human systems of culture and settlement
- to trace the history and character of a region as reflected in literature and art
- to examine factors that influenced westward expansion in the United States
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
Social Studies (2003)
Grade 11–12 — Advanced Placement United States History
- Goal 7: The Great West, the New South, and the Rise of the Debtor (1862-1896): The learner will evaluate the great westward movement, the emergence of the New South, and the impact of the agricultural revolution on the nation.
- Objective 7.02: Evaluate the impact of westward expansion on American Indians, the environment, and the American economy.
Grade 11–12 — United States History
- Goal 4: The Great West and the Rise of the Debtor (1860s-1896) - The learner will evaluate the great westward movement and assess the impact of the agricultural revolution on the nation.
- Objective 4.01: Compare and contrast the different groups of people who migrated to the West and describe the problems they experienced.
- Objective 4.02: Evaluate the impact that settlement in the West had upon different groups of people and the environment.
