The Homestead Act of 1862
Finding a Sequence
About this Activity
- Created by:Tina Miller, Homestead NM of America, National Park Service
- Historical Era:Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
- Thinking Skill:Chronological Thinking
- Bloom's Taxonomy:Analyzing
Students will examine congressional laws and homesteading records while searching for clues as to what order to put them in. The documents used in the activity should be examined carefully as to their correct order. The names and dates are of no significance. It is the type of document that is significant and what order they would have been done to claim land under the Homestead Act of 1862.
This activity can be used at the conclusion of a unit of study on the Homestead Act of 1862. The activity can be completed in class, in pairs, or individually. This activity is appropriate for grades 5-12.
For grades 9-12 there are additional activities that can be used before this activity.
They are Beginning of a Dream, Homestead Act Made Law Part I located at http://docsteach.org/activities/9260.
Beginning of a Dream, Homestead Act Made Law Part II located at http://docsteach.org/activities/9269.
Additionally, Homestead National Monument of America has produced a video that will help with much of this background information that is available on You Tube at: http://youtu.be/1Ht3b1m2m20.
https://docsteach.org/activities/student/5-the-homestead-act-of-1862