Manifest Destiny Sample Lesson

Name: Joseph Smith

 Formal Lesson Plan Structure

Teacher Name: Mr. Joseph Smith

School: Windsor Public School- Sage Park Middle School
Course: US History: Beginnings to 1877
Grade(s): 8
Period: 3, 4, 5, 7
Date: 04/18/17
Number of students: Approx: 13 students

1. Content Standards used in this lesson (from the CT Common Core):

INQ 6–8.6 Gather relevant information from multiple sources while using the
origin, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources to
guide the selection.

HIST 8.7 Use questions generated about multiple historical sources to identify
further areas of inquiry and additional sources.

GEO 8.3 Explain how changes in transportation and communication technology

influence the spatial connections among human settlements and affect the
diffusion of ideas and cultural practices.

2. Learner Background (students’ prior knowledge or skills related to the

learning objectives):

Student have some prior knowledge of Westward Expansion in the United

States, in particular with events such as the Trail of Tears as well as the Lewis
and Clark Expedition. My previous lessons on Westward Expansion had to do
mainly with looking at both the Native American experience as well as the
American experience, however the focus was truly on how the Native Americans
were treated when the United States was moving west. This will allow students to
see the American viewpoints of moving west and start to get an idea of the
United States feelings about the move west.

Students also have plenty of prior knowledge pertaining to reading primary

source documents, as well as some knowledge with being able to analyze
paintings. These skills will be vital when completing the day’s assignments.

3. Learning Objectives (specific and measurable):

Content

1) Students will be able to identify what Manifest Destiny is and how it relates
 to the expansion of the United States.

2) SWBAT explain how the citizens of the United States were starting to feel
about the United States expansion.

Skill

1) SWBAT analyze primary sources in order to identify how American’s were

feeling about Western movement.

4. Assessment (how students will demonstrate mastery of the student

learning objectives)

Students will demonstrate the mastery of their learning objectives by turning in

the Primary Source Document questions.

We will also be having some informal assessment through discussion about

paintings and the maps.

5. Materials and Resources:

● Powerpoint Presentation on Smartboard (Maps of the US in 1872 and

1816, Vocab, Quote of the day, Painting)
● Whiteboard
● American Progress Painting
● Primary Document and Questions

6. Learning Activities (instructional grouping used in each lesson segment

and approximate time frames for each)

Initiation (set expectations for learning, how it will be

demonstrated):

Class will begin with the normal routine consisting of quotes, daily business
(where I go over objectives and homework), and finally the daily vocab. They are
accustomed to this routine and are well versed in their expectations at the
initiation of class. This also sets students up so they are aware of their objective
and what they will be expected to begin to understand during the day. Students
will have previous knowledge from their homework the night before.

Lesson Development (what you will do to model or guide

practice, and learning activities students will engage in to gain the
knowledge and skills identified in the Learning Objectives)

I will then transition to the next PowerPoint slide that will include a the Painting
“American Progress”, while students are viewing the image, I will ask them to
answer a couple of questions that I have included on the Whiteboard. They will
answer these questions on a loose leaf sheet of paper or somewhere in their
notebook. The questions will include, “ What do you see in this painting”, as well
as “What the woman in the photograph represents?” We will go over these
questions together so students can share their responses.

The next part of the lesson will be where we go over the different maps of the
United States in the 1800s. The first map will be of the year 1816, the second will
be of the year 1872. I will show students the difference in America and how much
it grew in less than 60 years.

I will then show them a second map of 1816 that is a map depiction by John
Melish. In his map he shows the United States as it would be depicted. This will
start a small discussion about reasons why they believe that Melish might have
depicted the United States as a whole, even though the US did not own these
new and different areas. I will also supplement them with a slide that shows the
quote by John Melish in which he talks about the actual reasons for why he
wanted to depict the US in this way.

Finally, I will hand out the John O’Sullivan documents in which go over the
coining of the term Manifest Destiny, and the ways in which it relates to
Westward Expansion. There are also supplemental questions that will go with the
documents to help student understanding, which will be collected.

Closure (how you will help students understand the purpose of the
lesson, and interact with students to elicit evidence of student
understanding of the purposes of learning and the mastery of
objectives):

Students will close the lesson by handing in their assignments. This will allow to
elicit evidence of student understanding of the purpose of the learning. I will also
remind students of their homework which is a good extension of the lesson.

7. Individuals Needing Differentiated Instruction (evidence for this, and

how that need will be met in this lesson)

Period 3 does not necessarily have individual students who need differentiated
instruction, however I am going to include different styles of learning. Students
will be reading, writing and volunteering in order to give students various
opportunities to succeed in understanding this lesson.
Sources

“Manifest Destiny” and the Writing of John O’Sullivan (Modified)

John O’Sullivan, "The Great Nation of Futurity," 1839.

Our national birth (and the Declaration of Independence) was the beginning of a new
history, which separates us from the past and connects us only with the future.

We are the nation of progress, of individual freedom, of universal enfranchisement. Our

future history will be to establish on earth the moral dignity and salvation of man -- the
undeniable truth and goodness of God. America has been chosen for this mission among
all the nations of the world, which are shut out from the life-giving light of truth. Her
high example shall put an end to the tyranny of kings, and carry the happy news of peace
and good will to millions who now endure an existence hardly better than that of beasts
of the field. Who, then, can doubt that our country is destined to be the great nation of the
future?

John O’Sullivan, “Annexation,” 1845.

It is time now for all opposition to annexation of Texas to stop. . . Texas is now ours. She
is no longer to us a mere geographical space. She is no longer to us a mere country on the
map....

The time has come for everyone to stop treating Texas as an alien, and to stop thwarting
our policy and hampering our power, limiting our greatness and checking the fulfillment
of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free
development of our yearly multiplying millions.

Vocabulary

Enfranchisement: the right to vote

Tyranny: cruel and oppressive government
Endure: suffer
Thwarting: opposing
Hampering: slowing down
Allotted: given
Providence: God

Source: John O’Sullivan was a writer and editor of a well-known newspaper around the
time of the Mexican-American war. Most people give him the credit for coining the term
“Manifest Destiny.”
Worksheets for Analysis

Name: _________________________________________

Guiding Questions for John O’Sullivan Documents

John O’Sullivan, "The Great Nation of Futurity," 1839.

1. What does John O’Sullivan think America stands for?

2. What, according to John O’Sullivan, is America’s mission?

John O’Sullivan, “Annexation,” July 1845.

1. What do you think John O’Sullivan means by “our manifest destiny to overspread the
continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying
millions”?

2. Based on these two documents, how did Americans feel about expanding westward?