How Does Land Become Part of the United States?

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This inquiry explores civics and citizenship through the compelling question, “how does land become part of the United States?” The importance of understanding how complex government entities are created in this inquiry is twofold: (1) students should be able to understand how governments claim land and organize a system of managing it, and (2) students will benefit from understanding how the territorial government functioned. While progressing through the inquiry, students will analyze issues and changes occurring in contemporary state politics and speculate future scenarios.

This inquiry is expected to take two class periods; however, teachers are encouraged to adapt the inquiry to meet the needs and interests of their students and the amount of time they have available.

Inquiry Design Model (IDM) Blueprint™
Compelling Question
How does land become part of the United States?
Standards and Practices
ND.6_12.2.2 Describe the formation, structure, and modern role of the territorial, state, county, and local government of North Dakota.
Staging the Question
What was Dakota Territory?
Supporting Question 1
Supporting Question 2
Supporting Question 3
What are the conditions required for land to become an organized territory?
How was Dakota Territory created?
How and why was the territorial capital relocated?
Formative Performance Task
Formative Performance Task
Formative Performance Task
Using the internet and library resources, students will conduct research and write a summary of the process followed in the United States to create new territories.
Analyze the featured sources and write a short summary about them.
Analyze the featured sources and write a short summary about them.
Featured Sources
Featured Sources
Featured Sources
  • Internet and library resources
  • Creating Dakota Territory Document Set
  • Internet and library resources
Summative Performance Task
Argument
How did the European and the United States government make land claims in North America? How did Native Americans fit into this process? Now that you understand historically, how land became part of the United States, make an argument about whether or not statehood requirements should change or if there should be reparations for land taken from Native American groups.  Create a poster and present your argument to your class with evidence to support your claims.
Extension
Create a timeline of your state’s history from the first contacts between Native Americans and Europeans and Americans to the formation of the Dakota Territory government.
Taking Informed Action

Understand: How is the legacy of U.S. land acquisition visible today?

Assess: Have the class deliberate on what are the advantages and disadvantages of becoming a territory of the United States. Does this have contemporary parallels they can find?

Act: Take the research summaries you created to present to your class and use them to create a poster to present to your community during a history fair.