Land Grabbing

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Land Grabbing

• Westward expansion after the Civil War
• Sarah Brynaert
• October 2008

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Land Grabbing

• Grade Level 9-12
• Content Western American History
• Unit The American West after the Civil War

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Land Grabbing

• Objectives
• Identify reasons for westward expansion
• Analyze the concepts of assimilation and
  stereotypes in relation to the American West
• Explain reasons for near destruction of Native
  American societies in the American West

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Land Grabbing

• CIVIL WAR
• Fought between the North and South
• After the Civil War was a period known as
  Reconstruction
• Many people were displaced or in poverty as a
  result of the conflict
• As industrialism and big business expanded, so
  did US territory
• US Government encouraged citizens to move west

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Land Grabbing Engage

• You will receive a card which has a symbol on one
  side and a list of words on the back
• Please find people with the same symbol as you.
• This will be your group

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Land Grabbing Engage

• On the back of each of your cards, there is a
  list of words
• The list of words will be used to complete the
  graphic organizer
• Each student should read the word out loud in
  their groups and discuss where the word belongs
  in the chart.
• After categorizing the words on the back of the
  card add other words which relate to the graphic
  organizer

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Land Grabbing Graphic Organizer
On the back of each of your cards is a list of
words. Please categorize and write each word
where you think it should belong in the chart
below. When you are finished categorizing the
words on the back of your cards, please discuss
and list other words which relate to the chart
below.
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Land Grabbing Purpose

• The purpose of this lesson is to evaluate reasons
  for westward expansion.
• This lesson will also show you the near
  destruction of Native Americans and their culture
  during this time.

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Land Grabbing Purpose

• Can anyone tell me what they know about the
  American West after the Civil War?
• Why did Americans move westward? What natural
  resources were available?
• What is going on in the west at this time?

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Land Grabbing Explore

• This next portion of the lesson will be used to
  play a game
• Split your group into 3 teams
• You will work together to make decisions people
  of the time period made

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Land Grabbing Explore

• Background Information
• Many people in the country were displaced as a
  result of the Civil War
• Some people sought alternative options for their
  lifestyles, some chose to move west
• Your team will start with 20 token
• You will have to make decisions and purchases
  using your tokens

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Land Grabbing Explore

• Situation Card
• You will play this game by picking Situation
  Cards
• Each situation you will have to make a decision

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Land Grabbing Explore

• Play Land Grabbing

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Land Grabbing Explain

• Return to your Graphic Organizer from the explore
  portion of the lesson
• Revisit the terms, would you change anything?

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Land Grabbing Explain
On the back of each of your cards is a list of
words. Please categorize and write each word
where you think it should belong in the chart
below. When you are finished categorizing the
words on the back of your cards, please discuss
and list other words which relate to the chart
below.
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Land Grabbing Explain

• Reaction to the game Land Grabbing?

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Land Grabbing Explain

• Draw a picture of what you thought your character
  looked like, what they wore and list their
  behaviors

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Land Grabbing Explain

• Turn to neighbor who has a different character
  than you
• Give your neighbor a brief summary of their
  character situations and explain the drawing.
• Raise you hand if you drew a
• Woman
• Native American
• Mexican
• African American
• Child
• Chinese
• Japanese
• Immigrant

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Land Grabbing Explain

• Most stories from the West supported stereotypes
  about men
• Young men could find freedom and opportunity
• Resist the forces of civilization that had made
  easterners soft
• Toughened the bodies and souls of young men
• Stereotype is a fixed conception held by people
  about others.

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Land Grabbing Explain

• However, there were more than just white men in
  the west
• Women also traveled west
• Chinese, African American, Japanese and other
  immigrants moved west
• There were many African American and Mexican
  cowhands

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Land Grabbing Explain

• The move west nearly destroyed Native Americans
  and their cultures

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Land Grabbing Explain

• The United States tried to assimilate Native
  Americans into the American culture through
  Native American Boarding Schools
• Assimilation is the process by which people of
  one culture merge into and become part of another
  culture
• Share some accounts with students

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Land Grabbing Elaborate Please react to the
following
The common schools are the stomachs of the
country in which all people that come to us are
assimilated within a generation. When a lion
eats an ox, the lion does not become an ox but
the ox becomes a lion." Henry Ward Beecher
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Land Grabbing Elaborate

• Write a journal entry as if you were a Native
  American student in a boarding school.

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Land Grabbing Closure

• You should draw conclusions about the American
  westward expansion after the Civil War.
• Why did people move west after the Civil War?
• What resources were available and what
  occupations did people choose?
• Describe the concepts of stereotype and
  assimilation?
• What were the population dynamics of the American
  West?
• How did Americans attempt to assimilate Native
  Americans into their culture?
• Can you see assimilation in other parts of
  history or in current events today?

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Land Grabbing Evaluate

• You will make a flip book including key words,
  ideas and examples.
• Pg 1 The American West after the Civil War
• Pg 2 Native Americans
• Pg 3 Miners
• Pg 4 Ranchers
• Pg 5 Farmers
• Pg 6 Assimilation and Stereotypes
• Use information from the entire lesson to finish
  this flipbook