Teacher's Notes

Theme:
Up until the end of the 19th century, the majority of the population of the United States resided on the frontier and rural areas.

Sub-theme:
Frederick Turner, historian, attributed America's democratic way of life to the existence of the frontier.

Concepts:

• frontier
• individualism
• Turner thesis
• westward movement
• economic equality
• concentration

Performance objectives -- this lesson focuses on developing skills at:

• Analyzing an interpretation concerning the growth of the United States
• Writing an essay on the pros and cons of individualism
• Evaluating information in a folk song
• Judging fact or fiction

---

| Reading | Activities | Further Investigations | Back to US history lessons |