Introduction-
          Teacher begins class by reading the fun story.  Teacher tells students that this story relates to manifest destiny.  Have students form in groups of 2 to 3 and come up with their own definition of manifest destiny.  One suggestion could be that manifest destiny is the belief that the United States domination was inevitable.
          Students will read their ideas of manifest destiny to the rest of the class. 

Lesson Steps-

1.      Students will stay in the same groups as the introduction and will be read the explanation of manifest destiny out loud.  Notes should be taken at this time.  

2.      Students will be given a the introduction to manifest destiny and will all have their own copy of the story.  At this time they will read the introduction to manifest destiny and will take their own notes on them. 

3.      Now the students will be given appendix 3 and will have to either be for manifest destiny or against manifest destiny.  Each group of two will have to split up (One member of the group of two needs to be either for or against manifest destiny) and will form into the group for manifest destiny or against manifest destiny.  They will come up with their own arguments and will have a debate in class. 

Closure-

At the end of class, students will take out their notebooks and start a journal in the back five pages of the notebook.  They will write about their feelings of manifest destiny and will say if they agree with it or disagree with it.  Some questions that need to be answered in the journal will be written on the board.  They are the following:

--Define manifest destiny by stating three main attributes of the concept. Ex.  Americans trying to gain more land.  Wanted to be light to rest of world

--Explain what the consequences of an absolute belief in manifest destiny might be. Americans would become too proud because they thought they were superior.

--Explain how manifest destiny affected Native Americans and  Mexicans who inhabited the lands west of the Mississippi River. Americans did not feel they were taking over someone else’s land and they did not respect native peoples of the land.

                                          --Explain one way the concept of Manifest Destiny has affected
                                                you personally. As an American, I feel that we are arrogant
                                                to many other nations.