Rational+for+Unit

//Rationale for the Unit / Statement of Philosophy//
Western expansion of the United States shaped the United States into a modern nation. Throughout the process, the United States doubled in size. All of this newly acquired land was a great unknown. The mass population movement of settling the vast American West led to numerous myths and romantic tales, but the people settling in these areas quickly realized the harsh reality of their situation. Much of American history focuses on the hardships of white settlers traveling west and the romantic lifestyle of cowboys, but one area of westward expansion that is overlooked is the Native American situation relating to westward expansion. The Native American situation is perhaps one of the most biased histories in American textbooks and classrooms up until the last ten years. Dakota Territory exemplifies all that is said, and unsaid, relating to western expansion and therefore is an excellent tool to teach western expansion. The purpose for teaching this unit is to not only teach the history of western expansion, but to also dispel the myths surrounding western expansion. Teaching the Native American experience in an unbiased way is a major proponent of my goals for teaching western expansion. As many of these aspects of western expansion are represented in the sequence of expansion in Dakota Territory, using Dakota Territory as a guideline is sufficient as a means to teach western expansion. In terms of instruction, I will use several different instructional techniques to teach this unit. I will deliver much of the content through PowerPoint presentations and lecture. Along with direct content delivery, I will incorporate projects and media into my lessons to better engage the students. To check how my students are mastering the knowledge, I will implement "bell-ringer" questions, assign related homework, and assess the students through quizzes and a test.