Northwest Ordinance mini-unit, including text and game

Even before the Constitution had been ratified and the new nation created, the question had already been raised: how would new territories be included in the budding nation? It was Thomas Jefferson who provided the answer in the waning days of the Continental Congress: the Northwest Ordinance. This law provided the framework for the governance of new territories and the legal addition of new states to the Union for years to come.

In this mini-unit, students will learn about how the Northwest Ordinance operated to provide a mechanism for the addition of new states to the union, and the promises that it made to settlers in new territories. Students will read an informative and interesting chapter from my textbook “We Take Nothing by Conquest”, answer an inquiry based study guide to focus their attention on the main points and supporting details, and finish the unit by playing a fun and competitive game that will reinforce their learning.

Materials include:
* 3 pages of informative and interesting text (the chapter The Northwest Ordinance from my textbook (“We Take Nothing by Conquest”);
* an inquiry based study guide for the chapter to focus students on the main points and supporting details;
* an 11 slide PowerPoint with answers to the study guide for review, and including pictures and maps to stimulate discussion and enhance understanding;
* a 7 page Teacher’s Guide which provides day-by-day and step-by-step instructions how to use all of the materials;
* a fun and educational game complete with game boards, playing cards, and instructions;
* a 5 multiple choice question unit quiz to assess student learning.

Answer keys for the study guide and unit quiz are included in the Teacher’s Guide. Materials are provided as word documents and PDFs in one zip file.

You will need to provide a die for each group playing the game, and there is a little setup time in preparing the map game boards and the play cards for each group.

Created by Cliff Baker - Ye Olde History Emporium