The gold rush is a memorable and fun place to start. Ulyssus s grant was president by the time it was finished. This study guide includes spelling, vocabulary, glossary and comprehension activities. Use this on its own or as support for the lesson connecting the coasts. Nea transcontinental telegraph and railroad, grades k5. Each reacts to the advent of the transcontinental railroad from a different perspective. Clipper ships and the pony express were a beginning. Students will follow a rubric to ensure accuracy of their projects.
They may need a lesson in skimming documents of length, and selecting proper information to include. Louis, missouri, in search of a route to the pacific coast. Excellent written history, photographs, and maps of the building of the union pacific railroad. The westward expansion covers such a broad expanse of time there are many opportunities for teaching. Primary education child teachers free third grade fourth grade fifth grade sixth grade social studies curriculum lesson plan worksheet project. This lesson is one of a group of lessons created to teach about the transcontinental railroad through the arts.
The transcontinental railroad of 1862 for kids and teachers. Take a look at our fourth grade social studies worksheets, tailor made for several states. Lastly, pbs has a lesson plan that examines two of the landmark documents regarding westward expansion. Two reenactment scripts grades 46 and grades 79 for the golden spike ceremony.
The lesson includes a comprehensive background essay, a list of additional resources. The railroad act 1862 the transcontinental railroad. Transcontinental telegraph and railroad, grades k5 nea. Fourth grade social studies focuses on the local states history. Who built the transcontinental railroad and why was it important. In his hand was a bottle of water from the atlantic ocean that he had brought from the east coast.
On may 10, 1869, governor leland stanford of california drove the final spike into the countrys first transcontinental railroad. Nea transcontinental telegraph and railroad, grades 68. Westward expansion lessons, worksheets and activities. Worksheets are the first transcontinental railroad, transcontinental railroad fact, lesson plan for teaching american history westward, transcontinental railroads the west, grade 4 social studies instructional task the, full steam ahead the transcontinental railroad, the transcontinental.
These resources for teaching the transcontinental railroad explore this rich history and the many ways the railroad transformed life in utah. The building of the transcontinental railroad lesson plans from. Of course it also provides an opportunity to discuss native americans and their role in. Study the building of the american transcontinental railroad using a set of black and white photographs from the era. This subject comes from the book fourth grade social science for home school or extra practice. Students explore different accounts of what happened as the railroad neared completion and. Scholastic teachablesworksheets, lesson plans, learning games, and more. The impact of the transcontinental railroad nehedsitement. The transcontinental telegraph 1861 and transcontinental railroad 1869 provided faster overland service. If you purchased that book, or plan to purchase that book, do not purchase this, as the problems are the same. Overview using a variety of maps, students assess the need for a transcontinental railroad in the 1860s.
Taskstream california state university, sacramento. Connecting the united states from east to west, the transcontinental railroad was completed in strasburg formerly comanche, colorado on august 15, 1870. The transcontinental railroad fourth grade social science. Displaying all worksheets related to transcontinental railroad activities. My students especially enjoy the transcontinental webquest and writing activity. The transcontinental telegraph 1861 and transcontinental railroad 1869. Students in grades 612 assess the need for a transcontinental railroad in the 1860s. Abraham lincoln signed the pacific railroad bill in 1862. The transcontinental railroad of 1862 for kids and. The joining of the rails at promontory summit on may 10, 1869, marked the beginning of a new era for the nation, the west, and for utah. Examine the short and long term effects of the transcontinental railroad on the regions through which it passed. Transcontinental railroad activities worksheets lesson. The transcontinental railroad on july 4, 1870, a boston trade official named alex h. Display the instructions throughout this history lesson plan for students to refer to.
Browse our lessons, printables, references, and articles below for ideas on how to enhance your curriculum in this area. Westward expansion during the 19th century required speedier ways to communicate and transport people and goods between the east and west coasts. Help your class make connections between the arrival of the railroads and many of the. This lesson plan has students assess the need for a transcontinental railroad in the 1860s. Find transcontinental railroad lesson plans and worksheets.
Fourth graders examine the challenges faced by the work crews that constructed the first transcontinental railroad. Because of the train acomin after the students have created their. Browse transcontinental railroad activity 4th grade resources on teachers pay teachers, a marketplace trusted by millions of teachers for original educational resources. History buffs and railroad enthusiasts alike will enjoy learning about the transcontinental railroad with this wild west worksheet. A powerpoint document is available in the equipment and materials section and can be altered to meet the needs of your students. Depending on how you use the lesson plans you will have activities for 3 to 5 class periods.
Transcontinental telegraph and railroad, grades 68 nea. The transcontinental railroad students in grades 612 assess the need for a transcontinental railroad in the. Use this lesson plan to teach students about the history and impact of the transcontinental railroad. Students will be able to describe the development of the first transcontinental railroad. Students create their representation of john henrys rainbow based on their reading experience of julius lesters caldecott honored book, john henry. The transcontinental railroad wellwritten lesson plan for middle and highschool age students analyzing primary source material, the need for the railroad, and the effect the railroad had on america. In this lesson, guide students through an exploration of the context, causes, and effects of the transcontinental railroad, and help them. The pioneers and their journey to find homes and settle in the west can also be a fun classroom unit.
Titles of the lessons can be found in the additional resources section below. More social studies lesson plans, lessons, and worksheets. How to build simple telegraph sets students in grades 612 build simple telegraph sets. Students will relate the hardships faced by pioneers through a web quest and group projects. Pupils then respond to five questions related to the text.
Explain how the gold rush transformed the economy of california, including the types of. Transcontinental railroad uen utah education network. They read and discuss text and illustrations, roleplay jobs and the difficulties faced by the railroad workers, write. On may 14, 1804, meriwether lewis, william clark, and a small team of explorers left st. Students at this grade level have been exposed to computer technology so they will most likely not need a lot of assistance with this aspect of the lesson. Outlinetiming for transcontinental railroad lesson plan. With this lesson, students will determine how popular novels, short stories, and other works of fiction came to typify a western mythic image, and contrast these versions of the west with the. Team projects that view the railway from four different perspectives. Yin author chris soentpiet illustrator coolies philomel, 2001 yin tells the story of the building of the transcontinental railroad thro. Underground railroad lesson plan ms word document heroes of the underground railroad ms word document conductor groups 3rd 4th grade ms word document freedom quilts 3rd 4th grade ms word document freedom quilts 3rd6th grade harriet tubman ms word document primary sources ms word document secret signs ms word document. There are 468 search results remove lesson plans filter lesson plans. This transcontinental railroad worksheet is suitable for 4th 5th grade. Where the railroad ends by oakridge elementary 4th grade class.
This bill allowed congress to hire two private companies to build a transcontinental railroad that would connect travel by rail from coast to coast. The following lessons, activities, and resources will help put both engineering triumphs into perspective. This video was created by jenny jarvis and nikki mecham. In spite of this fact, the golden spike ceremony celebrating the railroad s completion took place months earlier in a different location. Studying immigration brings to light the many interesting and diverse cultures in the world. The ceremony for the driving of the golden spike at promontory summit, utah on may 10, 1869. Transcontinental railroad transcontinental railroad united states growing theme unit. Make a daily wild, wild west activity lesson plan book daily wild, wild west activity lesson plan book. A short passage about the history of the transcontinental railroad. Activity three in the lesson asks students to compare the construction of the transcontinental railroad from a variety of perspectives, including those of chinese laborers. Teacher resource detroit and the underground railroad lesson plan introduction this lesson helps fourth grade students understand the social, cultural and economic changes that occurred in detroit in the second quarter of the 19th century. Transportation in america lesson plan, activity teaching.
Your class can learn about the laying down of these tracks by reading a short passage. Have students continue researching the topic of this history lesson plan on their own, and have them write a newspaper article set in 186970 related to the transcontinental railroad. It is a digital story that was created mainly for the fourth grade. Montague, central pacific railroad, shakes hands with grenville m. Exploring the underground railroad using childrens literature. Teachers created these fourth grade reading lesson plans to focus on key skills, such as making inferences, identifying details, and understanding complex text. With the ending of the civil war in the 1860s, the united states went through a longlasting period of growth and success, which caused a growth in industry, political power. Second grade third grade fourth grade fifth grade sixth grade. This great lesson plan collection includes 6 lesson plans that cover the importance of the transcontinental railroad. This worksheet is in line with common core standards for 3rd and 4th grade key ideas and details, but may also be used for other grades.