Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny: Understanding Through Simulation

Objective: The student will be able to actively participate in a simulation to show the conflict involved in territorial disputes.

Grade level and Subject Area:

7-9/ English, Social Studies

Activities and Strategies:

Many groups of people throughout U.S. History (Mexican Americans, Native Americans, Mormons, and others) have lost their homelands due to the encroachment of others. This simulation is based on how the concept of Manifest Destiny affected the conflict between Mexican Americans and European Americans living in Texas in t he 1820s and 1830s. It involves two classes: a visiting class and a host class. Each class begins in its own classroom.

The visiting teacher announces that their classroom must be evacuated and they will have to share another classroom. The students are asked to go to the other classroom and find an open seat. If all the seats are taken, they must ask to share one or sit on the floor.
The host teacher simultaneously explains that there has been a problem and asks if it would be all right if the students host some displaced students for an indefinite period of time. The teacher emphasizes that it would be an admirable gesture to invite them over.
The visiting teacher begins to send students over, with the entire room eventually being filled. Students end up sharing desks or sitting on the floor. It may become noisy.
Both teachers explain to their students that the class will proceed. As the lesson begins, students may complain that they cannot hear or learn under such crowded conditions.
After a few minutes, the teachers stop to hear specific complaints from the students.
Typically the host group voices the loudest objections over losing their seats, privacy and freedom, despite having inviting their guests to come. The visiting group is usually content with the situation.
The teachers then explain the experiment, drawing parallels between the situation in their classroom and the situation in Texas in the early 1800s.
To conclude, teachers ask the students to write an essay describing their feelings during the experience and compare them to the Mexican-Texas conflict from the perspective of either the Mexicans or the Europeans.

Michael D. Evans teaches Social Studies at H ammond Middle School, 4646 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA 22311.

Adapted with permission from the author from Social Education, February 1993, 89-90.