Get your class working on the railroad with this detailed and interactive instructional activity. After reading and discussing Ten Mile Day, learners explore division of labor, human capital, and productivity with a hands-on group...

Examine a time of political division and upheaval— not unlike our own—using firsthand accounts. While study of the Civil War often takes center stage in the classroom, the 1850s and 1860s were a period of profound change in other areas...

What do Abraham Lincoln and the Transcontinental Railroad have in common? Using a set of primary source documents, including pictures, maps, and treaties, class members link together the common themes of expansion into the American West....

"Go West, young man!" is a familiar refrain in American history. But why did people leave their homes in the East to travel westward and what impact did that movement have on people already living in the American West? By examining...

Although popular culture tells the story of the American West simplistically, its reality is far more complex. Native American tribes—while already on the land—didn't have the same interests, and conflicts between white settlers and...

The legacies of the Mexican Revolution are visible today—even if some history classes don't cover them. Using primary sources from leaders in Mexico at the time of the popular uprising and other evidence, such as railroad maps, young...

Did the Transcontinental Railroad connect the nation or divide it? Learners demonstrate their knowledge of the impact of the Transcontinental Railroad in a written assessment. The assessment also uses an original photo as a prompt for...

The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first race-based restriction on immigration in American history. Why was the act passed after Chinese immigrants helped build the Transcontinental Railroad? A series of documents, including speeches and...

"Westward, ho!" may have been their cry in spite of the hardships. Using a series of photographs by Solomon D. Butcher of those who ventured west, class members consider what life was like in the 1800s for those who embarked on the...

It's time to hear about some adventures in travel! The Transcontinental Railroad changed life and travel in the United States during the 1800s. Practicing online research skills, pupils discover the features they would like to visit on...

Fence cutters, lost land, and cattle ranchers. The video explains the plight of Hispanic Americans when New Mexico became a state. The video also shows young historians why New Mexico's statehood was less violent than that of Texas.

What did railroads, iron, and industry contributed to Birmingham's successful growth? The lesson explains how the iron industry worked. It also describes how the location of Birmingham and its proximity to railroads. played a key role in...

How were the development of railroads critical to the rise of empires? Scholars delve into the relationship between the two using a documents-based question from College Board. Other prompts explore ideas such as nomadic and sedentary...

How have railroads influenced urban growth? What are the consequences of population booms? What has led to the growth of tech centers like Silicon Valley? A series of short-answer questions from the College Board explores the dynamics in...

Why was the Scientific Revolution so significant? What led to Dutch prosperity during the 1600s? To what extent have employment patterns changed in France in the last 100 years? Young historians consider these questions and get solid...

Can a railroad win a war? Scholars use a short video clip to analyze the impact the railway system had on the outcome of the First World War. The 27th lesson of a 32-part unit on the Great War investigates the use of trains to move...

Have you ever wondered how your town was placed where it is? Scholars research the impact the advancement of the railroad due to the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act had on the formation of civilization in the Great Plains. Map...

Reluctance to accept new technology is not a unique attribute to the 21st century. An informative video from Crash Course World History covers the rollout of the transcontinental railroad during the Industrial Revolution, and whether or...

America was built on the ingenuity, work ethic, and foresight of our ancestors. Sixth graders learn about the complex Gilded Age in American history, including the prominent inventors and captains of industry, and how they all connect...

How did the emergence of the Gold Rush in California lead to the development of an urban society, largely connected to a wider world of trade? Young historians review and analyze eight primary source documents to discover the cultural...

Three activities allow young flight engineers to understand the 4 principles of flight (weight, lift, thrust, and drag), to construct a glider, and to create a propeller. Multicultural history and literature are integrated by reading...

Based on an examination of Florida's railroad system, this multi-step lesson addresses FCAT requirements specific to Florida. After reading a passage, scholars use a map of the state to label railroad systems. They describe the goods...

Students examine the effects the Transcontinental Railroad had on the regions through which it passed. They analyze and discuss maps, view and describe online images, and use photos and documents to develop a cause-and-effect ladder.

Third graders describe some of the factors that brought early settlers to Ann Arbor. They read Narrative-A Trip from Utica, New York, to Ingham County, Michigan in 1838. As an added challenge, 3rd graders can use maps to track Silas...