American Westward Expansion Middle School Video

Guiding Question:

How did the drive for territorial expansion shape the nation’s identity and create new challenges for the United States? 

About the Video Series:

Our video resources in the Building a Self-Governing People middle school curriculum integrate primary source analysis with Document-Based Question (DBQ) skills to deepen student learning. Use them to launch your assessment lesson or to support students who need a refresher on DBQ strategies. 

Each video features two young professionals: a museum curator leading a gallery tour and an educator accompanying students on a field trip. The curator models how to analyze primary sources such as historical documents and artwork. Then, the educator demonstrates how to use that analysis to answer a compelling historical question. 

For guidance on how to use the videos within your lessons, refer to the unit’s Deconstructed DBQ Lesson Plan.