Exploring Westward Expansion for 4th Graders

This screencast is designed for fourth-grade social studies teachers to aid in teaching the Georgia Standards of Excellence. It covers the Westward Expansion, focusing on the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Texas' independence and annexation, and the Oregon Trail. The video explains how these events contributed to the concept of Manifest Destiny and the expansion of the United States from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.

Which region is the focus of the Westward Expansion standard?

• East of the Mississippi River

• The Atlantic Coast

• West of the Mississippi River

• The Great Lakes region

What was the primary reason for the United States to purchase the Louisiana Territory?

• To expand to the Pacific Ocean

• To gain control of the port of New Orleans

• To settle disputes with Spain

• To find a water route to the Atlantic

Who led the expedition to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory?

• Thomas Jefferson and James Madison

• Lewis and Clark

• John Tyler and James Bowie

• Napoleon and Sacagawea

What role did Sacagawea play in the Lewis and Clark expedition?

• She was the main leader

• She funded the expedition

• She acted as a guide and interpreter

• She opposed the expedition

In what year did Texas gain its independence from Mexico?

• 1812

• 1836

• 1849

• 1845

What was the rallying cry for the Texas Rebels after the Battle of the Alamo?

• Victory or Death

• Defeat Santa Ana

• For Texas Independence

• Remember the Alamo

What was the main cause of the Mexican-American War?

• The annexation of Texas

• Dispute over the boundary between the United States and Mexico

• The discovery of gold in California

• The Louisiana Purchase

What concept suggested that it was America's destiny to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific?

• The Gold Rush

• The Monroe Doctrine

• Manifest Destiny

• The American Dream

What was the primary purpose of the Oregon Trail?

• To move settlers to the rich farmlands and goldfields of the West

• To find a water route to the Pacific

• To transport gold from California

• To establish trade with Native American tribes

What significant event in 1849 increased travel on the Oregon Trail?

• The signing of the Louisiana Purchase

• The end of the Mexican-American War

• The annexation of Texas

• The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill