The document discusses the motives and groups of people who settled the American West in the 1840s. It focuses on explaining the roles of mountain men in pioneering the frontier. Mountain men were early explorers and fur traders who helped open up the West and played an important role in the settlement of the region. Their daily lives were difficult but they blazed trails and traded with Native Americans, influencing the development of the West.

1. WALT (What am I Learning Today?): Who went west? WILF (What am I Looking for?): Reach conclusions about motives for going west the role of mountain men in the settlement of the West A Few Might To explain why people went to the west Most Could To understand who went to the west All Should

2. Recall What do we mean by a frontier? Where was the frontier in 1840? What are push/pulls? Example of push/pulls?

3. Starter How would you define a pioneer? How would you explain a ‘trail blazer’?

4. The early settlers were… (Map page 9) Mountain Men Mormons – a religious group Miners Later on Homesteaders - farmers Cattlemen (Copy this into your exercise books)

5. Task Use the yellow books to complete the worksheet ‘Who went west’ You will have 30 minutes

6. What impressions do you get of Mountain Men?

7. Task Complete the questions on Mountain Men from the worksheet

8. Homework Complete any remaining questions on Mountain Men Design an job advert to attract men to come to the west to become Mountain Men. Include what qualities the applicants should have and what a typical day would be like

9. Plenary Why did people ‘go west’? Were their reasons the same? How would you assess the life of a Mountain man? Why were they important in the settlement of the West? What effect did they have on the lives of Indians?