Florida SS.5.A.6.2

Social Studies5th GradeGrowth and Westward Expansion

The Standard

Identify roles and contributions of significant people during the period of westward expansion.

Florida Next Generation Sunshine State Standards for Social Studies

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students connect people such as Thomas Jefferson, Lewis, Clark, Sacagawea, York, Pike, and Boone to specific actions. They explain how those actions affected exploration, settlement, or Native nations.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can name a person's role, describe a specific contribution, and explain its result. The student can also compare the contributions of two people using accurate details.
Common Misconceptions: Students may treat Lewis and Clark as one person or give them identical roles. They may call Sacagawea only a guide, missing her work as an interpreter and sign of peaceful intent. They may assume western lands were empty, ignoring Native nations already living there.
How to Assess It: Give students three names: Thomas Jefferson, Sacagawea, and York. Ask them to write each person's role, one contribution, and one effect of that contribution.

Lesson moves

Place person cards on a floor map of expedition routes, then attach action and impact cards beside each name.
Write: Which person changed an expedition's outcome most, and what two facts support your choice?
Play Who Am I with clue cards for Jefferson, Lewis, Clark, Sacagawea, York, Pike, and Boone.
Overlay Lewis and Clark's route on a current U.S. map and list the modern states and tribal lands it crosses.

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