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Grade Level: 7
Targeted Content: Westward Movement
Targeted Objectives: Students will be able to
 Demonstrate knowledge of how life changed after the Civil War by identifying the reasons for westward expansion

Demonstrate knowledge of the changing role of the United States during the late nineteenth century.
Students will also demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis including:

Using map, globes, photographs, pictures or tables to explain how physical features and climate influenced the movement of people westward

Analyzing and evaluating motivations for human migration

Interpreting ideas and events from different historical perspectives
 Evaluating and discussing issues orally and in writing.
Brief Summary of Performance Assessment Task:
Students will have the opportunity to respond to the following scenario in a variety of ways:
It is July 1, 1880. You are President Rutherford B. Hayes's chief of staff. The President is considering new programs to encourage people to move west. To help him make his decision he is requesting a report from you as to whether or not continued settlement in the West will be good for the United States.
Teacher Notes: A rubric and student response sheet are attached. Classroom teachers can decide how and if to count this as a grade. This can be attached to a current assessment or given as a stand-alone assessment. It can also be given over several days and multiple attempts may be made to ensure mastery.

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Scenario:
It is July 1, 1880. You are President Rutherford B. Hayes's chief of staff. The President is considering new programs to encourage people to move west. To help him make his decision he is requesting a report from you as to whether or not continued settlement in the West will be good for the United States.
Task:
1.
Look over the documents that you have uncovered in your research. Decide whether or not western expansion was good for the United States.
2.
Create a brief presentation using one of the presentation options below. Your argument needs to be supported by using at least 2 sources. You must show or refer to the sources you are using to support your argument during your presentation.
Presentation Options
Persuasive Speech/Essay – Write down the argument you will give to President Hayes as you try to convince him whether or not continuing to expand west is good for the U.S.
PowerPoint Presentation – Create a 5-slide
PowerPoint presentation highlighting the key points in your position on this issue. (If you don’t have access to a computer, you could sketch this out on a piece of paper.)
Tri-fold Brochure -
Create a brochure that President Hayes could refer to in making his decision of whether or not continuing western expansion will be good for the
U.S.
Infographic – Create a poster that President Hayes could use to refer to while deciding whether or not continuing western expansion will be good or bad for the country.

TASK
Use of sources
Explanations of how source supports your point of view
Ability to evaluate, illustrate or describe issues
Understanding of significant content
MASTERY (5 points)
I used multiple sources to support my point of view.
I explained how each source supported my point of view.
My ideas are organized and expressed clearly and there are multiple details and historic references.
My product demonstrates an understanding of the
factors (challenges) that the President(s) had to consider when deciding if the country should continue moving westward in the late 1800s.
PROGRESSING (3-4 points) BEGINNING (1-2 points)
I used a source to support my point of view.
I did not use sources to support my point of view.
I explained how some sources supported my point of view.
My ideas are expressed clearly, but have few details or historic references to support my position.
My product demonstrates an understanding that the
President(s) had to make decisions in the late 1800s about whether or not the country should continue its movement westward.
I did not explain how the sources I chose supported my point of view.
My ideas are unorganized, and are not supported with details, historical references or examples.
My product demonstrates an understanding that people were moving westward in the late
1800s.

Figure 1 -Growth of plants and grasses, U.S. Great Plains

What group of people in the western United States will feel the greatest impact from the loss of Buffalo as a resource? Was this good or bad for the United States?

What might people find in mountain areas of the western states such as Colorado? Was that good or bad for the United States?

What two groups of people in the United States were fighting over ownership of land in the
West? Was this good or bad for the U.S.?

How did the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad affect the settlement and development of the West? How was that good or bad for the U.S.?