A complete time line of the key events and changes in the American West 1835-1895

Buffalo Hunting and the Destruction of the Plains Indians way of life Task: Study the information on the graph below and plot a line graph using the information and your own knowledge to show the decline of the Buffalo by 1883.........................

The year is 1850! You are railway company competing with other railway companies to build Norfolk's railway tracks. Only one company can win the contract to build Norfolk's railway tracks. Your task......... You must use the information contained in this pack to create the most persuasive presentation and speech to persuade the people of Norfolk to choose you to build their railways!

You are going to play in pairs. You are slaves who are about to escape from your plantation. You must try to navigate your way round the board and escape along the underground railroad. Beware! The Slave catchers are after you! Heads= move forward 1 Tails= move forward 2

You are going to be placed into groups. Each group will be given part of the story of the life of Olaudah Equiano. In your group you must read the story and think about what it teaches you about the life of a slave. You will then present your part of the story to the rest of the class You have 18 minutes to read your story and create a short presentation

In your groups study and analyse 8 different historical sources to explore and investigate what life was like for ex-slaves You will complete a ‘living graph to show what life was like for slaves after the end of slavery

Billy the Kidd became of the most notorious criminals of the American West. His life and story has been told many times. In 2013 a new film was released called Billy the Kidd, Below is the Film script explaining the life of Billy the Kidd............. Your Task is to use the script on the previous page to write the script for the 2013 movie trailer of Billy the Kidd ( overview- key events in this dramatic life)

The creation of the Goodnight-loving trail saw cattle being driven directly to the west. John Illif set up a cattle ranch in Colorado and soon other ranchers saw the Great plains as the perfect place to ranch. The huge areas of land, good grazing grass was ideal to create large cattle ranches. This would lead to tension between the Indians but also the homesteaders who moved west................................ Analysis activity of the rivalry between Homesteaders and Ranchers

A scripted walk through of the Battle of Hastings- great to get students to explore the key moments of the battle! Can be done indoors or outdoors

A fully scripted role play where students take part in the peace discussions at Versailles- questions for discussion follow the role play

Students read the different Indian tribal leaders views and complete the thought bubble sheet explaining the various beliefs of the plains Indians

Activity where students explore the life and beliefs of the various tribes on the Great Plains

A chain of reaction activity getting students to explore events and consequences that led to the Battle of Little Big Horn

Students use the information to create a movie trailer exploring and explaining the Sand Creek massacre and Red Clouds war

worksheet exploring Government policy towards the Plains Indians and the problems Indians faced on reservations

Worksheet, sources and tasks exploring President Grants peace policy and the 2nd Fort Laramie Treaty

Task: In your pairs study the images on the time line and work out the key changes and events that have taken place in the American West

Time line and analysis activity exploring the changing life of the plains Indians between 1835-1895

Sources that students could use individually or on their own to explore life in a workhouse

Students use the research booklet to find out and research the life of a slave on a plantation

select 9 students and sell them in a highest bidder auction- the remaining students are plantation owners who use the descriptions to bid on the slaves. Comes with an accompanying power point and instructions