Teaching The American West for gcse history
As you may know, the emphasis of this topic changed recently to include more on the pre-1840 period, the Civil War and period of Reconstruction. Probably one of the most innovative features of this section on teaching American West history is the use of US sources and teaching materials. Close co-operation with academic institutions in the USA has enabled unfamiliar sources to be used in imaginative ways. You will find lessons using de Bono’s Thinking Hats on the coming of the railroad, detailed analysis of one painting on manifest destiny and a kinaesthetic approach to Moving West – all with planning and the resources you need.
Outstanding Lessons
Teaching American West at Key Stage 4
Schools have been teaching the American West as part of the SHP course for over 30 years. I introduced it…
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SMART TASK: A history puzzle – Opening up of the Western frontier by the railroads. A history mystery
This history puzzle focuses on a well-known painting, Across the Continent, but one which is actually more puzzling than might at…
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SMART TASK: Why were mining towns such lawless places?
This is a very straightforward, yet highly effective task which asks students to distinguish between the generic and the specific,…
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The likely impact of the Railroad: time for de Bono’s thinking hats and some creative products
Students are taken back to the year 1860 before there was a transcontinental railway. They are asked to speculate about…
Read MoreWas the life of a cowboy really so adventurous?
This lesson draws heavily on the ideas of Sarah Herrity, Advanced Skills Teacher, Wyvern Technology College, near Winchester. It moves…
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Who went west and why?
This lesson worked really well with lower attaining Y10 students who had already studied the Plains Indians and the contact between…
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What was the impact of the Californian Gold Rush 1848-9? GCSE SMART TASK
In this series of short tasks GCSE students predict, infer, gather information and then improve existing explanations of the impact…
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Attitudes of the US government to the native Americans: milking an image for meaning
The simple PowerPoint presents students with an image which has six separate panels for them to investigate. Only by exploring…
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Why did the Indians lose control of the Great Plains? I want that for my essay SMART TASK KS4
Students work in pairs to answer a GCSE question. They have cards of relevant information to sort through to help…
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Mountain Men – Myth and Reality SMART TASK KS4
Having looked at the role of Indian trappers who had been supplying skins to British, French and Spanish traders on…
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Phases of Native American life on the Plains 1840-1890: What patterns can YOU see?
This lesson comes at the end of work the students have done on the Native Americans and their interaction with…
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Manifest destiny: beat the textbook/expert caption
Students find this a fun lesson in which they not only consolidate their knowledge of the people who crossed the…
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How can we explain the rise and boom in the cattle industry?
This enquiry starts with students posing 7 expert historical questions, stimulated by a graph. They then set about investigating their…
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