Website
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: Freedom: A History of Us: Liberty for All? Webisode 3

For Students 9th - 10th
Webisode 3 - Liberty for All? The history of the United States is presented in a series of webisodes, within each are a number of segments.Included are links to lesson plans, teacher guides, resources, activities, and tools.
Unit Plan
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: Freedom: A History of Us: Whose Land Is This? Webisode 8

For Students 9th - 10th
From Joy Hakim's marvelous set of books, A History of US, this webisode offers narrative, pictures, and teaching guides for the settling of the West after the Civil War.
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: The Importance of the West

For Students 5th - 8th
Westward migration, west of the Appalachians, resulted in a rapid population growth. Read about where the population exploded, and why the inland rivers were so important to the growth.
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Us History: 1865 1898: Westward Expansion: Economic Development

For Students 9th - 10th
In the late nineteenth century, the West developed into a modern agricultural machine- at the expense of farmers.
Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Crossword Puzzle Print Out for Kids: Westward Expansion

For Students 9th - 10th
Print out a crossword puzzle game about the Westward Expansion of the US. Learn about history and have fun at the same time.
Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Crossword Puzzle Game for Kids: Westward Expansion

For Students 9th - 10th
An interactive and fun crossword puzzle game about the Westward Expansion of the US.
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Westward Expansion: The Louisiana Purchase

For Students 5th - 8th
Read about the fortuitous purchase made that doubled the size of the United States. See why Napoleon was willing to sell the land, and find out about the quandary Thomas Jefferson was in as he had to go against his strict construction...
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Manifest Destiny

For Students 5th - 8th
A look at the reasons for westward expansion, known as Manifest Destiny. Economic, religious, and cultural reasons pushed Americans from sea to shining sea.
Website
Agriculture in the Classroom

U.s. Department of Agriculture: Agriculture in the Classroom

For Students 9th - 10th
Information about agriculture and agricultural practice in America. You can explore specific states or issues that are national in scope. The "Growing a Nation" page helps you understand the role of the American farm in westward expansion.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: Whose Land Is This? Conflict Between Native Americans & Settlers [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A lesson plan from the producers of the 16-episode PBS series "Freedom: A History of US" designed to provide insights into the causes of the conflict between Native Americans and new settlers pushing west. Students will examine official...
Website
Other

At Home in the Heartland: At Home on the Fringes of the Prairie (1800 1850)

For Students 3rd - 5th
Interactive site offers information and pictures pertaining to early pioneer life. See advertisements in the paper, furniture, glassware, and food preparation tools. Read stories of individuals who lived during that time and make...
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Gold in California

For Students 5th - 8th
The gold rush in California accelerated the western migration of thousands of young American men, who streamed into California to find riches. See who else arrived in California and find out what they did. In addition, there is a map...
Lesson Plan
Louisiana Department of Education

Louisiana Doe: Louisiana Believes: English Language Arts, Grade 12: Undaunted Courage

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Students explore ideas prominent throughout westward expansion and American literature: myth versus reality. The texts present various perspectives of the West. Students consider the idealism and romance of the American spirit versus the...
Lesson Plan
US Mint

U.s. Mint: Let's Build a Map [Pdf]

For Teachers K - 1st
In this four-part instructional activity, students study the map of the Louisiana Purchase and the trail of Lewis and Clark's Expedition. Then, build a classroom map displaying the events of the Westward Expansion.
Interactive
Other

Mission Us: Mission 3: A Cheyenne Odyssey

For Students 3rd - 8th
[Free Registration/Login Required] Online game where players become Little Fox, a Northern Cheyenne boy whose life is changed by the encroachment of white settlers, railroads, and U.S. military expeditions. As buffalo diminish and the...
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: The Expanding Republic and the War of 1812

For Students 5th - 8th
A brief overview of the Jeffersonian Era up through the War of 1812.
Unit Plan
Nebraska Studies

Nebraska Studies: High Falutin' Beef

For Students 9th - 10th
This is an impressive history of the introduction of beef to the Great Plains region complete with videos, photos, and lesson plans.
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Us History: 1865 1898: The Homestead Act and the Exodusters

For Students 9th - 10th
The Homestead Act of 1862 gave free land to Americans willing to improve it, regardless of race, sex, or nation of origin.
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Us History: 1865 1898: Indian Wars/ Battle of the Little Big Horn

For Students 9th - 10th
In the late nineteenth century, the US Army clashed with Native Americans, and General Custer took his last stand.
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Us History: 1865 1898: The Dawes Act

For Students 9th - 10th
The 1887 law intended to assimilate Native Americans led to the loss of millions of acres of land.
Graphic
Curated OER

Etc: Center of Population, 1790 1900

For Students 9th - 10th
A map from 1919 showing the mean center of population of the United States, calculated at each census from 1790 to 1900. The map illustrates the westward expansion of territory and migration during the period. "The center of population...
Graphic
Curated OER

Etc: Maps Etc: Distribution of Population , 1850

For Students 9th - 10th
A map of the United States showing the population distribution in 1850. The map is coded to show population densities ranging from under 2 inhabitants per square mile to over 90 inhabitants per square mile. The map illustrates the...
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Diplomatic Challenges in an Age of European War

For Students 5th - 8th
Both the British and French challenged American sovereignty and neutrality on the high seas. Read about the solution favored by Thomas Jefferson, but despised by the American shippers. See why this a cause of the War of 1812, along with...
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: The Missouri Compromise

For Students 5th - 8th
A good look at the issues debated about the admission of new states, particularly those that would be made from the Louisiana Purchase. Read about why the issue of allowing slavery in the new states was such a hard decision for Congress....