Ask the Expert: Westward Expansion & the Donner Party
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Westward Expansion & The Donner Party
Our panel of experts will share how the settlement of the Nevada Territory was impacted by Westward Expansion. Watch for a lively discussion about this unique time in the history of our state.
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Michael Green is an associate professor of history at UNLV. He specializes in 19th Century America, Nevada and Las Vegas history, and Political History. He is the author of several books ranging from Lincoln and the Election of 1860 to Nevada: A History of the Silver State. He writes "Nevada Yesterdays" for Nevada Public Radio. He is the executive director of Preserve Nevada, the state's first statewide historic preservation organization, and executive director of the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association. He is president of the board of directors for the Nevada Center for Civic Engagement. He grew up in Las Vegas (Go, Walter Bracken Elementary, Roy Martin Junior High, and Rancho High!), and graduated with a B.A. and M.A. from UNLV and a Ph.D. from Columbia University.
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Elementary:
SS.4.13. Analyze the diverse population of Nevada’s Native Americans and settlers of this state and discuss their unique experiences and contributions.
Middle School
SS.6-8.EUSH.18. Explain how individuals and events in Nevada’s history both influence and are influenced by the larger national context.
High School
SS.6-8.EUSH.18. Explain how individuals and events in Nevada’s history both influence and are influenced by the larger national context
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Educational Resources
Donner Party lesson from ProjectTahoe for elementary school is available here.
C3 lesson about Westward Migration is available here for middle school.
The Tragic Fate of the Donner Party, 1846-1847
