Grade 8 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 8, Lesson 3

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
A More Perfect Union

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 8, Lesson 3: Settling the West (pp. 236-240)

The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Diversity People from Mexico and the United States settled the West because of land and trade opportunities, and the possibility of religious freedom.

Review the Spanish settlement of California, and the changes the Mexican leaders caused after Mexican independence. Talk about the missions and ranchos, and point out the ways these settlements differed from others in the East. Remind students that trade linked the rancheros and the East Coast of the United States.

Discuss why some settlers from the United States chose to move to Oregon, others to the Great Basin, and a few to California. Be sure students understand the difference between each choice.

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

Ask students to write a paragraph explaining the differences and similarities between the missionaries who moved to Oregon and the Mormons who moved to Utah. Ask students to share their ideas and discuss.
Have students draw a birds'-eye (aerial) view of a rancho. Encourage them to indicate the size of a rancho and to include as many examples of different buildings and kinds of work as possible. When they finish, ask who would have worked in each part of the rancho.

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