University of Richmond
The Overland Trails 1840-1860
What led Americans to head west in the 1800s? Using an interactive map and journals from those who traveled, pupils explore the stories of those who migrated. In addition, they see how the numbers fluctuated in response to the push-pull...
New York State Education Department
US History and Government Examination: August 2011
Using primary source documents, pupils consider how the United States' democratic story has evolved over time. A second essay question examines the role of geography in history, and multiple-choice questions sharpen test-taking skills.
DocsTeach
Reasons for Westward Expansion
"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...
Curated OER
A Dollar Goes A Long Way
Investigate life along the Old Spanish Trail! They visit websites and identify the history and environment. They create journals, dramatic enactments, and maps to discover the role individuals played in society. They also explore the...
Curated OER
The California Gold Rush:
Students complete an Internet treasure hunt designed to give them practice in using Internet resources.
Curated OER
Values and Beliefs of Manifest Destiny
Fourth graders examine the beliefs of Manifest Destiny and its role in the California Gold Rush. They analyze a painting to gather information about Manifest Destiny.
Curated OER
The Road to California - A Journey to Freedom
Students complete a Web quest about Biddy Mason's journey Westward to California as a slave and her ultimate rise to one of the wealthiest and generous woman of the Westward Movement. They present an exhibit of their research.
Teachnology
Westward Expansion Vocabulary
Here is a nice set of worksheets that your kids can use while studying the fascinating period of Westward Expansion in the United States. Types of worksheets include a vocabulary quiz, acrostic poem handout, reading comprehension, word...
Curated OER
Debate: Whose Land Is It?
Students identify the main factors involved in determining who was able to claim the land of California as their own. They determine the factors of unjustness in the Gold Rush times. Students reflect on what they learned from the debate...
Curated OER
We Accuse Colored Peoples of California V. State of California
Students participate in a WebQuest to investigate discrimination of African Americans, Chinese and Californio/Latino during the Gold Rush era. They act as law clerks to write a letter to their clients about a potential trial.
Curated OER
Opportunity and Discrimination, A Dream of Gold
Students focus on what it means to be a citizen of the United States and why the Chinese Exclusion Act is important when considering the concept of racism.
Curated OER
Geography: Why Is the Sacremento Valley a Good Place to Grow Rice?
Third graders locate the Sacramento Valley in California where rice is grown. In this rice growing location lesson, 3rd graders locate the Sacremento Valley, California on a map, and color the mountain ranges and terrain that is around...
Curated OER
Savvy in Sacramento
Students take a field trip to the state capital, Sacramento. Using the Internet, they explain the physical and human geographic features of the area and discuss interactions between the people of California between the time of explorers...
Curated OER
Links to the Past
Learners use documents from California As I Saw It: First Person Narratives, 1849-1900 , in American Memory to create a script depicting the motivations, expectations, fears, and realizations of immigrants who settled California between...
Curated OER
Gold Mountain
Students read primary and secondary sources to find jobs as a Chinese immigrant. In groups they create a chart listing jobs for Chinese and write a letter about employment and living conditions to a Chinese friend.
Curated OER
Pushing the Boundaries: The Pioneer Spirit
Eleventh graders recognize how social reform occurred at the turn of the century. Through a debate, 11th graders determine advantages and drawbacks of traveling west using original sources and descriptions of the attitudes, beliefs, and...
Curated OER
Oh My Darling
Pupils discuss human interaction with the environment and sing "Clementine" with historical fiction lyrics. They create a map or model of a mining camp in which Clementine may have lived. They discuss what might happen to their mining...
Curated OER
Rincon History Museum
Students visit the Rincon History Museum in California. They discover different periods in the state's history and discuss. They view the art and explain what can be learned from it.
Missouri University of science & Technology
General Overview History of the Panama Canal
Called the Eight Wonder of the World by some and the Big Ditch by others, the Panama Canal is indeed an engineering marvel. The long, complicated, and sometimes controversial history of the canal is captured in a presentation loaded with...
K12 Reader
Traveling to the Distant West
If you build it they can come. After reading a short article about the impact of western expansion, middle schoolers cite evidence from the article to explain how this expansion forced changes in transportation.
Central Bucks School District
Making Generalizations
Being able to recognize patterns, craft generalizations, and draw conclusions based on information in a text passage are essential critical thinking skills. Encourage learners to hone these skills with a worksheet that asks them to read...
Curated OER
Reading: Blue Jeans
In this reading for information worksheet, learners read a passage about the origin of blue jeans. Students answer 9 multiple choice questions about the text.
Curated OER
BEGINNER LEVEL LESSON PLAN
Students are be able to analyze primary sources (photographs) for evidence of Native American culture and construct a cultural symbol. They are explained what the stars and stripes stand for on the American flag. Students work as...
Curated OER
Intermediate Level Lesson Plan THEMATIC ESSAY
Students identify three reasons why conflict arose in the Western United States during the late 1800s. Using specific examples, discuss how the United States government attempted to resolve these conflicts. Evaluate whether these...