Basic Project Sketch

As we begin to get closer and closer to finalizing our projects, it would probably be a good time for my to start getting some specific ideas down so I can begin whittling away some of the garbage in order to get a solid idea of where i want to go. The basis for my project looks like this:


Driving question: How did westward expansion of the United States affect those areas that were being settled and what challenges/benefits did settlers experience as they traveled to west? Who were important figures that were involved in settling western regions?


Content standards:

8.1.  Evaluate continuity and change over the course of United States history by analyzing examples of conflict, cooperation, and interdependence among groups, societies, or nations.


8.2.  Evaluate continuity and change over the course of Unites States history, by analyzing key people and constitutional convention, age of Jefferson, industrial revolution, westward expansion, Civil War. 


8.3.  Examine social, political and economic factors that caused westward expansion from American Revolution through reconstruction. 


8.6.  Use and interpret documents and other relevant primary and secondary sources pertaining to U.S. History from multiple perspectives. 


8.10.  Interpret maps to identify growth and development of the United States.


NETS Standards:


1a. Students apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, and processes.


1b. Students create original works as a means of individual and group expression.


2a. Students interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.


2d. Students contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.


3b. Students locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.


4b. Students plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.


5b. Students exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.


6d. Students transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.


Student Knowledge and Skills:


     Students will be able to...


… explain which areas of the United States were settled during westward expansion and by which groups.


… compare reasons for moving west by various groups.


… analyze the impacts of westward expansion on groups migrating to and existing groups in a particular area.


… decide whether the risks and rewards of the trip made the journey worth the risk of traveling and settling the given territory.


Elements of Project-Based Learning:


Students work collaboratively with other students and teachers.


Builds on prior knowledge and creates new knowledge via problem solving.


Fosters persistence, adaptability and mindful inquiry to bring about a more sophisticated understanding.


Student centered - student focused.


Enriched by technology.

. . .

This is just a rough sketch of the project but it will give me (and you) a better idea of where I am headed.