Texas TEKS 8.6

8.6 is a TEKS knowledge and skills statement. These are the student expectations under it.

• 8.6.A

  explain how the Northwest Ordinance established principles and procedures for orderly expansion of the United States

• 8.6.B

  analyze the westward growth of the nation, including the Louisiana Purchase and Manifest Destiny

• 8.6.C

  explain the causes and effects of the U.S.-Mexican War and their impact on the United States.

01

What Students Need to Do

Students explain how western territories gained governments and eventually applied for statehood under the Northwest Ordinance. They trace how the Louisiana Purchase and Manifest Destiny pushed U.S. settlement and claims westward. They connect the U.S.-Mexican War to its causes, land gains, and political, economic, and social effects.

02

What Mastery Looks Like

Students can sequence major land changes and use a map to show where growth occurred. They distinguish a governing policy, an expansionist belief, a land purchase, and a war. They explain effects such as new trade, slavery debates, and the displacement of Indigenous peoples and Mexican communities.

03

Common Misconceptions

Students may think the Northwest Ordinance added states immediately, rather than creating territorial governments and a path to statehood. They often treat Manifest Destiny as a law instead of an idea used to justify expansion. They may confuse the Texas Revolution with the U.S.-Mexican War or miss the roles of Texas annexation and the border dispute.

04

How to Assess It

Exit ticket: Complete four boxes with one territory-to-statehood step, one Louisiana Purchase effect, one role of Manifest Destiny, and one U.S.-Mexican War cause-effect link.

1. 01

   Give groups blank U.S. maps and event cards, then have them place each acquisition and add one political, economic, or social effect.

2. 02

   Write a claim answering: Was westward growth driven more by opportunity or power? Support it with two named events.

3. 03

   Run a card sort matching causes, events, and effects for the Louisiana Purchase, Manifest Destiny, and the U.S.-Mexican War.

4. 04

   Read a fact sheet on Puerto Rico, then compare its current status with the Northwest Ordinance path from territory to statehood.

• 8.9

  History. The student understands the effects of Reconstruction on the political, economic, and social life of the nation. The student is expected to:

• 8.7

  History. The student understands how political, economic, and social factors led to the growth of sectionalism and the Civil War. The student is expected to:

• 1.2

  History. The student understands how historical figures helped shape the state and nation. The student is expected to:

• 5.4

  History. The student understands political, economic, and social changes that occurred in the United States during the 19th century. The student is expected to: