Utah War Lesson Suggestions
Essential Questions: What factors led to the outbreak of the Utah War? How did these factors play into each other to start the Utah War? What was the relationship like between Mormon and Federal officials? Why was this incident called the Utah War, although it was not really a war?
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Essential Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to recall and explain the relationship between Mormons and Federal officials. Students will be able to understand the connection between their relationship and the start of the Utah War.
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To understand the difference between primary and secondary sources, the attached pdf/powerpoint presentation can be used. Students will read the summary of the Utah War on the website. They will compare and contrast the summary with the information found in their textbook and on other websites.
Suggested website: https://historytogo.utah.gov/utah-war/
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What differences and similarities do the two accounts share?
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Why would the two accounts be different?
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What primary sources were used in both accounts?
After reading several secondary accounts of the Utah War, students should be able to answer the following questions:
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What factors led to the outbreak of the Utah War?
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How did these factors play into each other to start the Utah War?
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What was the relationship like between Mormon and Federal officials?
Students then should use https://digitalnewspapers.org/ and https://history.utah.gov/ushs-research-resources/ to find additional primary sources on the Utah War.
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What primary sources can’t be found? Why not?
For the main primary sources students find, they should use a primary source analysis tool like the one attached.
Utah Core Standards for Social Studies:
UT Standard 2.1: Students will explain the causes and lasting effects of the Mormon migration to Utah.
UT Standard 2.4: Students will research multiple perspectives to explain one or more of the political, social, cultural, religious conflicts of this period, including the U.S. Civil War and more localized conflicts such as the Utah War, the Mountain Meadows Massacre, the Bear River Massacre, the Black Hawk War, or other Federal-Mormon conflicts.
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Reading for Literacy in Social Studies Grades 6-8:
Reading for Literacy Standard 1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
Reading for Literacy Standard 2: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
Reading for Literacy Standard 6: Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
Reading for Literacy Standard 8: Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
C3 Inquiry Arc History:
D2.His.10.6-8. Detect possible limitations in the historical record based on evidence collected from different kinds of historical sources
D2.His.12.6-8. Use questions generated about multiple historical sources to identify further areas of inquiry and additional sources.
D2.His.14.6-8. Explain multiple causes and effects of events and developments in the past
D2.His.16.6-8. Organize applicable evidence into a coherent argument about the past.