Summary: In this interactive lesson, students will learn about the Homestead Act. Through an analysis of photographs, maps, videos, and graphs, they discover how the act and recently introduced technologies, helped different communities establish a new life on the Great Plains. Students will also explore the obstacles that homesteaders faced while living on the Great Plains and how they survived. At the end of the lesson, students will answer the essential question: What obstacles did homesteaders face on the Great Plains, and what did they do to try to survive and prosper?
Overarching Questions:
- ECONOMICS: How has technology (e.g., ships, canals, railroads, newspapers, telegraphs, radio, television, the internet and social media) spread ideas and influenced public opinion, the economy and/or the government? Did the changes strengthen or weaken democratic institutions?
- ECONOMICS: What is the proper role of government in the economy? (Especially with regard to economic crises, national defense/security, health and safety of the people, and economic development and practices.)
NJ Student Learning Standards for Social Studies:
- 6.1.12.EconNE.4.a: Compare and contrast the immediate and long-term effects of the Civil War on the economies of the North and South
- 6.1.12.GeoPP.5.a: Explain how the Homestead Act, the availability of land and natural resources, and the development of transcontinental railroads and waterways promoted the growth of a nationwide economy and the movement of populations
Link to Lesson: Homesteader Opportunities and Obstacles | Interactive Lesson | PBS LearningMedia