Name: ______
Miss Springborn – Social Studies 8
Westward Expansion- Video Clips and Questions
The Story of Us: Heartland (Part 2)
Question #1- Explain what starts to happen to the buffalo herds as the settlers move west:
Question #2- What types of skills where needed to be a cowboy? Where did the new settlers out west learn these skills from?
Question #3- Why was barbed wire invented and how did it help?
Question #4- Describe the impact of westward expansion on the natives.
Question #5- What was Custards last stand?
Name: ______
Miss Springborn – Social Studies 8
Westward Expansion- Video Clips and Questions
Dances with Wolves: Movie Clip
Background information: John Dubar was a veteran of the Civil War and a hero of the Union Army. He requests a transfer to the frontier to “Go West”. He is sent out to a place called Fort Segwick and finds it totally abandoned. He decided to rebuild it himself and continue on with his mission. He tries to make contact with the Sioux tribe which are his neighbors at the fort but it proves to be difficult. He has many failed attempts due to language barrier and the tribes distrust of the “white man”. He eventually makes contact with a native named “Stands with Fist” who is an adopted white child of the Sioux nation. Her family was killed by the Pawnee tribe and she was rescued by the Sioux tribe.
NOTE: Translation between Officer Dunbar and the tribe is very difficult. He tries very hard to overcome these barriers though and is very persistent in his attempts to understand their culture.
Question #1- Describe John Dunbar’s attempts at meeting and talking with the Natives. What are some of the problems you see?
Question #2- What does long hair mean to the natives?
Question #3- Describe what happened to the native woman, Stands with fist.
Question #4- Describe the buffalo hunt John Dunbar goes on with the natives.
Question #5- What does the word tonto mean for the natives?