Social Studies Unit 5: Westward Expansion

This unit focuses mainly on the Western Frontier, the journey out West, and the challenges/dangers faced by the pioneers. In my classroom, it's usually one of the shorter units (time is always an issue, as all teachers know).

This unit, like the majority of my Social Studies units, is highlighted by the end of unit project. This particular project has students working in small groups to make a presentation poster about a major topic, and then working on an individual portion where students participate in a Pioneer Simulation (a Scholastic Resource book).

The student information document, which includes all information, requirements, and scoring for this project can be downloaded in either Word format or pdf format.

Also, if you're just looking for a place for your students to come to and find sites and facts, I have taken this same page and removed all the teacher resources from it. My own students will use this as well. You can go to that page, Social Studies Unit 5: Westward Expansion Student Links Only.

With that information out of the way, I'm going to present some resources that can be used in the classroom, but first, some student ready links to research the topic of their choice. I didn't include any links to videos, those are provided at the bottom of this page. The choices given in the requirements document are (with helpful links listed after each, THE LINKS IN ALL CAPS ARE TEACHER RESOURCES):

• Oregon Trail
• Play the original Oregon Trail computer game here: Students love playing this old school game, they actually play it over and over again. Many students have said it's their favorite all time video game. Not bad for a game I used to play when I was in elementary school.
• Oregon Trail Interactive Map: A good map with clickable information.
• Oregon Trail Facts for Kids
• Mormon Trail
• Simple Information on the Mormon Trail
• The Mormon Trail: A Photographic Exhibit
• A SMALL READING IN PDF FORMAT ON THE MORMON TRAIL
• A BIG PDF DOCUMENT PROVIDED BY THE NPS ON THE MORMON TRAIL
• California Trail
• The California Trail at legendsofamerica.com: Good information about the trail with a map.
• Basic information about the California Trail: A pdf document that is kid friendly, with a timeline.
• Santa Fe Trail
• A Large, Detailed Map of the Santa Fe Trail (jpeg format)
• santafetrailresearch.com: The name says it all.
• AN ADAPTED PDF DOCUMENT WITH SOME DECENT ACTIVITIES
• Butterfield Overland Trail
• Butterfield Overland Trail Historical Marker in Mesilla: This has special significance to my classroom because this marker is located less than a mile from our school.
• Butterfield Stage Information: Some basic facts.
• Butterfield Overland Trail Map: A very detailed and high quality map provide by the National Park Service. I've linked to it from my Google Drive so that it can be opened up in the web browser, the original can be downloaded at the PEPC website HERE.
• Pony Express
• Pony Express Interactive Timeline: This was created with a younger audience in mind, but provides good, beginner level information in an interactive slideshow.
• FOR TEACHERS: I'm going to provide 5 links, they're to 5 lessons in pdf format provided by the BLM, with explanations of each:
• DAY 1: INTRO TO THE PONY EXPRESS: This lesson has an activity where students will view an advertisement that enticed people to deliver mail for the Pony Express and make their own.
• DAY 2: INFO ON THE EXPRESS AND RIDERS: This lesson has some information about what the riders wore, and the saddles on the horse. The activity itself involves coloring some images.
• DAY 3: LIFE STYLE OF THE RIDERS AND THE STATIONS: This lesson gives information about how the riders lived, and the design of their stations, with some images of artwork based on the riders and stations for analysis.
• DAY 4: END OF THE PONY EXPRESS: Challenges and failures. The activity is probably the best of the bunch. Students must use a map to show what they've learned about the Pony Express. If I can only use one lesson from the 5, it will be this one.
• DAY 5: REVIEW: Some end of lesson activities. 
• Fur Trade
• Fur Trade Facts: Some basic facts about the trade.
• Mountain Men and the Fur Trade: Includes an interactive museum tour, and a gallery of image links. Lots of good information here. 
• Empire of the Bay: A high quality, interactive presentation with information about the Hudson Fur Traders of the Atlantic North East.
• Map of Fur Trade Routes From Canada: A jpeg image.
• PEOPLE OF THE FUR TRADE: A pdf document with good readings on people involved in the fur trades of the 1600-1850's period.
• POWERPOINT WITH INFORMATION ON THE FUR TRADE: The thing I like about this presentation is it's converted to a pdf document (my favorite for easy access and printing). There is some very good information and visuals here.
• California Gold Rush
• PBSkids Interactive Information on the Gold Rush: A neat presentation of many facts about the gold rush.
• The California Gold Rush at Kidport: The site has a good timeline and kid friendly information.
• Major Strikes of the California Gold Rush: At PBS.org, a good map with clickable information about each strike location. 
• HUNTINGTON.ORG LAND OF GOLDEN DREAMS: This site provides five lessons in pdf format. There really is a ton of information given in these five lessons, with a little bit for everyone. For me personally, I prefer sections of lessons 1, 4, and 5. 
• READING COMPREHENSION, HISTORY OF SUTTER'S MILL: A decent pdf document with a one page comprehension passage and questions, with an answer key.
• GOLD RUSH PRICES WORKSHEET: I like this simple pdf, it has students compare prices of items bought at the general stores in gold rush towns to the prices of those same items today.
• Transcontinental Railroad
• A One Page Overview: Provided by the BLM, in pdf format. A second page lists lesson vocabulary.
• An Overview of the History
• Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum: Some good photos are here, if you can get past the red background that gives me a headache.
• Some maps: An interactive Flash map provided by PBS, a page with many maps provided by the Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum.
• A READING WITH QUESTIONS ON THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD: Good for 5th grade and up mostly. Pdf format.
• ONE PAGE READING WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD AND PONY EXPRESS: Pdf format, there's an answer key too.
• ANALYZE AN ORIGINAL MAP OF THE RAILROAD: A good pdf document that asks students to analyze a map of the railroad, with its warnings and suggestions.
• AN INTERESTING SIMULATION ACTIVITY: Pdf of course, provided by the Union Pacific Railroad Museum.
• Trail of Tears
• Trail of Tears Fast Facts: A fact sheet provided by kidskonnect.com.
• The Indian Removal Act: Very kid friendly information about this act that led to the Trail of Tears.
• Information at NativeIndianTribes.com: Some good information, it's also kid friendly.
• The Trail of Tears, by Robert Lindeaux: A short description of a very good painting depicting the Trail of Tears.
• Interactive Map: A high quality presentation by PBS, has lots of maps and information.
• THE TRAIL OF TEARS AND THE FORCED RELOCATION OF THE CHEROKEE NATION: A collection of resources, including a good lesson plan, provided by the National Park Service. I linked to the whole set of documents as opposed to just one or two because there's some good stuff here.
• CHEROKEE TRAIL OF TEARS READING: A one page pdf provided by the Shawnee National Forest. 
• GEORGIA TRAIL OF TEARS MAP ACTIVITY: A one page map activity with questions in pdf format.
• TRAIL OF TEARS INFORMATION IN POWER POINT FORMAT: Presented as a pdf, full of kid friendly information.
• Homestead Act
• The Homestead Act Facts: Some basics for kids to get started on some research.
• Short Reading of Homestead Act Information: There are some good facts here.
• A 3 PAGE PDF ON THE HOMESTEAD ACT: Good, print friendly information.
• LESSON ON THE HOMESTEAD ACT: Provided by the National Park Service. It also includes some good maps and facts that can be printed or made into their own document. High quality images and some good lessons if you have time.
• Lewis & Clark
• Lewis & Clark Facts in Timeline Form: Good starter information.
• Lewis & Clark Game: A Choose Your Own Adventure style game, provided by National Geographic.
• Lewis & Clark Timeline: Includes biographies on both men as well.
• Smithsonian Education Presentation on Lewis & Clark: TONS of information available here, including the history surrounding the expedition.
• Lewis & Clark Maps: Some good maps: LewisandClark.com, LewiClark.net, a very nice pdf printable map, and a Google Maps interactive map.
• LEWIS & CLARK INFORMATION AT SCHOLASTIC TEACHERS: An excellent site with great information that's friendly for teachers (with some lesson ideas) and ready for kids to utilize as well.
• LEWIS & CLARK CLASSROOM RESOURCES: A page of links provided by PBS.
• LEWIS & CLARK TIMELINE: In pdf format, very comprehensive.
• INSTRUCTIONAL UNIT: There are some very interesting activities included in this pdf, it's worth a look if you're planning an instructional unit on Lewis & Clark.
• LEWIS & CLARK PEARSON LEVELED READER: Awesome! If you don't have the set in your class, here is a great, reading class friendly read on the expedition.

Teacher Resources:

• Historical Map and Crossword Puzzle: A short pdf document provided by Scholastic.
• Trail Maps: A 2 page pdf document with a highly detailed map of many of the trails mentioned above, and a second, high detail map of the Oregon Trail.

Videos:

I'm not going to get too crazy with videos. Simply put, these are the two I show in my classroom every year:

• The American Experience: The Donner Party: This eerie documentary was shown on PBS awhile back, and is still prominently displayed on their website. This is the story of the Donner Party, the infamous group that was stranded in the Sierra Nevada Mountains for a nightmarish winter. This link will take you to part one of the documentary on Youtube, you can just go through all 9 parts there. The whole thing is 90 minutes long.
• America: The Story of Us, Westward Episodes: The first of two 10 minute portions from the America: The Story of Us documentaries, some of the most high quality films ever made about the time period.