1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question: What impact did American Westward Expansion have on Native Americans and the environment?
2. Read and Discuss
Have students read the article, marking key ideas and questions.
- Which central ideas of the article are introduced in the first section? (The first section introduces these central ideas: Bison were on the brink of extinction because of White settlers’ expansion west; Native Americans, working with the National Park Service, have led the efforts to save the bison and reintroduce them to the wild; and the bison is important to Native American culture.)
- Why did U.S. policy makers encourage the hunting of bison in the 1800s? (U.S. policy makers encouraged the hunting of bison as a way of weakening Native Americans—who relied on bison for food, clothing, and their livelihood—making them more likely to give up their land and move to reservations. This would allow the U.S. to more easily expand westward.)