Alief ISD
Social Studies Lesson Plans
5th Grade Unit 4
Displacement of Native Americans
Date: _______________
Desired Results: (Unit
Understanding)
Manifest Destiny benefited the new
American nation while destroying
Native American societies.
Time Allotted: 1 week
Unit Question:
Was Manifest Destiny fair
for everyone? Why or why
not?
Objective/TEKS:
I can compare and contrast how the
Native Americans and the settlers felt
about Manifest Destiny. (5.25B)
Assessment:
Class poll: “Was Manifest
Destiny fair to everyone?
Why or Why not?”
Anticipatory Set: (Universal Generalization) (Hook)
concepts:
economic growth, frontier
Greed often causes people to ignore the needs of others.
Teacher sets up a simulation in which one group of student takes over the supplies and
table of another group, displacing them to the floor (reservation). This is repeated until
all but the take-over table have been displaced to the floor. Students then write a
reflection about the simulation.
Instructional Input: (Line) Modeled/Guided Practice
 Text, Ch. 11, pp. 404-407
 History Alive! America’s Past, Lesson 16 – Manifest Destiny
 History Alive! America’s Past, Lesson 17 – The Diverse Peoples of the West.
 United Streaming:
- Native America: Expansion
-Native America: Removal
-America’s Era of Expansion and Reform , 1817-1860 (The Indian Removal Act 1830)
1. Students read textbook material in small group and record important data on a class
anchor chart.
2. Students rotate through computer workstations to complete “Displacement of Native
Americans” (trackstar.4teachers.org - track #340079)
3. Large group view United Streaming videos.
Independent Practice: (Sinker)
Students complete selected activities from Westward Expansion menu—see below
Modifications/Extensions:
Teachers adapt menu as needed
Topics:
Impact of Westward
Expansion

Native American
Removal

Economic Growth

Railroads
Vocabulary:
reservation, removal, Trail of
Tears
Materials/Resources:

Text, Ch. 11, pp. 404407

History Alive!
America’s Past,
Lesson 16 – Manifest
Destiny

History Alive!
America’s Past, Lesson
17 – The Diverse
Peoples of the West.

United Streaming:
- Native America: Expansion
-Native America: Removal
-America’s Era of Expansion
and Reform , 1817-1860 (The
Indian Removal Act 1830)
How will you check
for understanding?
Daily exit slip—writer’s
notebook
Closure:
Students present products from menu
Grade 5 Unit 4
1
Alief ISD
Westward Expansion Extension Menu
Write 10 poems from the
point of view of pioneers
and Native Americans,
alternating perspective
about 5 different events.
Make a game using the
Westward Expansion
vocabulary in both social
studies books. Get your idea
approved.
Write a journal from the point
of view of a pioneer moving
west or from the point of view
of a Native American being
displaced by Manifest Destiny.
Use the Mata
Intermediate Library
resources web-link to
find out more about kids
living on the prairies
during Westward
Expansion. Use what
you learn to write your
feature article.
Read silently for 20 min. each
day in your teacher approved
library book.
(Required square)
Read about the life of pioneer
kids using books or magazines
available in the classroom. Use
what you lean to write your
feature article.
Create a wildlife journal
describing and picturing
20 plants and animals
found in the American
West.
Make a map of the common
trails followed by pioneers as
they moved West. Include at
least 10 landmarks and/or
landforms.
Come up with your own idea
and get it pre-approved by
your teacher.
Grade 5 Unit 4
2