Western Expansion: Manifest Destiny Research Project

Manifest Destiny is often taught as the unstoppable force of American expansion, however, the story is much deeper and far more impactful than that. Through this research project, students will assess the idea of Manifest Destiny and the impact it had on the American continent and the people who inhabited it. They will be responsible for weighing the benefits and detriments of Manifest Destiny and creating a claim on the merits of the idea. Students will conduct research, write a research paper, and create a presentation to display their knowledge.

Research papers should include both pros and cons of Manifest Destiny with an overall claim on the merits of the idea. Throughout the writing process, students should submit a rough draft and peer review a partner's paper. Following the paper, students will create a presentation to display their knowledge.

Resource includes:

- Research Guide with Timeline

- Research Note-taking Guide

- Paper Outline

- Paper Rubric

- Peer Review Guide

- Presentation Guidelines

- Presentation Rubric

- Student Checklist

- Scoring Guide

This project is used as a wrap-up of my Western Expansion unit. Students should have a background knowledge of Western Expansion and the idea of Manifest Destiny. It is helpful if students are familiar with each of the topic options for the research project.

The following topics are included as options in the research project:

- US Relationship with Native Americans

- Oregon Trail

- Texas Independence

- Mexican-American War

- Gold Rush

- Religious Freedom (Mormons)

- Homesteads

- Transcontinental Railroad

The project is estimated to take approximately fourteen 50-minute class periods or roughly three weeks.