The Impact of the Louisiana Purchase
Activity Description
Students will examine population density maps of the United States during the 1800s. They will learn about the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 to make and evaluate predictions about the changes in population density that resulted from this event, identifying shifts in boundaries and in areas of population density, and drawing conclusions. Students will then write a paragraph summarizing the impact of the Louisiana Purchase on the United States.
Suggested Grade Level
6–8
Approximate Time Required
45 minutes
Learning Objectives
- Students will be able to interpret population density maps to assess the effect of the Louisiana Purchase on the United States.
Materials Required
- The student version of this activity, 9 pages
- Teacher computer with Internet access and a projector to display web sites
A computer with Internet access for small groups of students is optional.
Activity Items
The following items are part of this activity. Items, their sources, and any relevant instructions for viewing them
online appear at the end of this teacher version.
- U.S. Population Density Map, 1800
- U.S. Population Density Map, 1820
- U.S. Population Density Map, 1840
- U.S. Population Density Map, 1860
- U.S. Population Density Map, 1880
Teacher Notes
Blooms Taxonomy
Students will analyze population density maps of the United States to evaluate the impact of the Louisiana Purchase.
Subject
Middle School History
Topics
- Louisiana Purchase
- Westward expansion
Skills Taught
- Analyzing change over time
- Analyzing population density maps
- Making predictions