Going West Project Walkthrough

Stories of the

American

West

Early travel and
exploration across the
continent was
lengthy and
dangerous.

So, why did people
continue to migrate
west?

Open Ended

Why do you think people started traveling west?

What drew settlers to the American West?

➔ The Louisiana Purchase of 1803

opened up vast regions in the West
for exploration and settlement.

➔ Americans sought greater

opportunities for land resources and
wealth. Starting in the 1810s people began to move west.

➔ Later, the Homestead Act of 1862

encouraged more Americans to
settle western lands.

Multiple Choice

When did people start moving west?

• 1803

• 1810

• 1863

• 2023

Multiple Select

Why did people move west?

• New opportunities

• Find wealth/fortune

• For land resources

• For vacations

What was life like in the Old West?

Open Ended

What did you see in those pictures?

The Project: Stories of the American West

California

New Orleans

New York

Kansas City

Imagine the life of an American settler in the
West:

➔ Where would he or she explore and settle?

➔ Why did he or she migrate west?

➔ How does he or she make a living?

➔ What challenges would he or she face?

Draw

Draw your idea of a western settler using the question from the last slide.

Write a short story--in the form of a graphic novel--about a
character’s life in the American West.

Your Task

Guiding Questions

How did daily life in the West shape

its culture?

How does a story’s structure shape
the story and influence its meaning?

Your Assignment

Familiarize

yourself with

the reasons that
people decided
to move west.

1

Examine the lives
of famous events

and historical
figures of the
American West

2

Create your

story! Why are
they out west?
What is their
daily life like?

4

3

Develop a fictional

character who

could have lived in
the American West!

Imagine their
responsibilities

Multiple Choice

What is your final product?

• A video

• A graphic novel

• an essay

• nothing

The Checkpoints

Why Move West - Due 1/18

Learn about why people choose to move west.

1

2

Portrait of a Pioneer - Due 1/27

Study the character traits of people who
moved west. What traits do you want?

Story Outline - Due 2/9

Outline your story using the information
you learned about Westward Expansion

Storyboard Outline - 2/16

Sketch out your graphic novel.

​3

​4

​Final Product due 3/1

Assessed Cognitive Skills

1

Theme/ Central Idea

Identify the central idea of why
people move out west. Use key
details from your reading to
support your central idea.

Making Connections
& Inferences

Make connections on character
traits those who move west
possess.

3 & 4

Narrative

Outline and sketch your story

based on your new

knowledge of Westward

Expansion.

2

Multiple Select

What are the Cog Skills you are being assessed on?

• Theme/Central Idea

• Narrative

• Making Connections/Inferences

• Multimedia Presentation

Fill in the Blanks

The best score you can get for a cog skill is...