MPS/MOEC Teaching American History Grant Lesson Plan Template
Teacher’s Name: Susie Sullivan
District: Millard Public Schools
Date Submitted: 5/15/07
Lesson Title: Transcontinental Railroad Web Quest
NE Standards
Overview
8.4.2
Students will demonstrate skills for historical analysis.
8.1.5
Students will describe growth and change in the United States.
Age Level
Established Goals (Learning Objectives)
1. Students will understand the impact of the transcontinental
railroad on American society and the West.
2. Students will visit
http://www.uprr.com and complete a Web Quest.
3. Students will analyze primary sources.
6-8
Duration
4 Days
Materials
-Web Quest
Handout
-Poster Board
-Construction
paper
-glue
Understandings (Background Knowledge)
1. Students will have some understanding of the emerging Industrial
Society and social and economic change in the United States from
1860-1937.
2. Students will use textbook Creating America, chapter 20 for
background information on the Railroads and changes caused by
building a transcontinental railroad during this time period.
Essential Questions (Engaging Question)
1. How did the Railroad change the American West both socially
and economically?
Learning Activities (Procedure)
Day 1
Anticipatory Set:
Teacher preparation: Go the www.uprr.com and click on General public,
then go to history/photos, click on photo gallery and finally click on
advertising. Choose one advertising poster used by the railroad. On
overhead when students enter classroom, instruct students to write down
10 items of interest on the Railroad advertisement. What is the
advertisement trying to get people to do or buy? What is the tone and
mood of the advertisement? Why or why is it not effective?
Activity:
Hand out Web Quest sheet and go over instructions in class room.
Take class to Computer Lab to work through self-guided Web Quest.
Day 2 Finish web quest. Begin newspaper design and writing articles
with partner. Print photographs to be used.
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Day 3 Write newspaper article and choose photographs for newspaper.
Design logo and layout of page.
Day 4 Complete final page. Check for historical accuracy. Include photo
captions and works cited list for primary source documents.
Technology Links:
http://www.uprr.com
Differentiated Instructional Strategies (Learning Advice)
For more advanced classes using more primary sources and more critical
thinking questions.
Assessment Evidence:
Performance Tasks:
Task 1: Complete Web Quest.
Task 2: Students will create and complete a newspaper page on the
building of the transcontinental railroad. Students will work with a
partner.
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Transcontinental Railroad Web Quest
Transcontinental Railroad ______/40
1. Go to the following website: http://www.uprr.com
2. Click on General public and then choose history and photos. You will
need to navigate back and forth through the sub-headings to answer all of
the questions.
If you get lost or need assistance please ask for help! Good Luck!
Go to General Public
Choose History and photos
Click on Historical Overview- Read The Iron Road and answer the following:
What were some of the hardships when building a transcontinental railroad?
Click on Build a Road and answer:
What are some of the advantages to a transcontinental railroad?
What did the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 do?
Hit the back arrow.
Click on Financing and answer:
How was the Union Pacific transcontinental railroad financed?
How did Theodore Judah negotiate a route over the Sierra Nevada Mountains?
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How did he finance it? (Include the names of the Big 4)
How did he get the heavy equipment to this part of the country?
Hit the back arrow
Click on Construction – answer the following”
Who led the Union Pacific Construction?
By the end of 1865 how much money had Union Pacific spent and how many
miles of track were laid?
Who took over as chief engineer?
What was one of the Union Pacific’s worst problems?
Why was it more difficult to build the Railroad the further west it went?
Who is Samuel Reed and what was his job?
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What was one problem faced by those building East from California? How did
they solve this problem?
What was a problem faced by those building from Omaha? How did they solve
this problem?
What immigrant groups made up the workers on the railroad?
What was their average pay?
Where did the work crews live?
What were some of the jobs they performed?
What were the hours they worked?
Describe the atmosphere when the workers got time off?
What were some of nature’s hardships they faced?
In the winter of 1866 what were some of the challenges and how did they solve
these problems?
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Why did each company want to reach Salt Lake City first?
What happened on May 10, 1869?
Click on back arrow
Click on Post Construction and answer:
What was the Impact of the Transcontinental Railroad on the following:
The West:
Industry:
Cattle:
Families:
Click on back arrow
Click on Photo Gallery
Click on Railroad construction: Gallery three
Look at the pictures – enlarge the picture if necessary
Choose 1 picture, print it and list 3 unusual artifacts in each picture.
Click on back arrow
Click on celebrities
Who were two of the celebrities photographed?
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Why would it be important to have photos of celebrities on the train?
Click on back arrow
Click on Presidents
Which Presidents were photographed on a train?
Click on back arrow
Click on significant individuals
List three individuals and their involvement with the Transcontinental Railroad.
1.
2.
3.
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After completing this web quest please answer the following questions in
complete sentences.
1. What was the social and economic impact of the transcontinental railroad
on American History?
2. Explain or describe one interesting fact you learned from this Web Quest.
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Transcontinental Railroad Newspaper Assignment
Create a front page of a newspaper for the building of the transcontinental railroad.
Requirements:
1. A minimum of two news articles about events during the building of the
transcontinental railroad. Be creative! There are several issues going on at this time.
For example your article could be about the weather difficulties, one of the key leaders,
or problems with immigrants. You decide! Make sure your article mentions a city along
the route of the transcontinental railroad. Use your web quest information as a guide and
to research your article.
2. One picture for each of the news articles. Use the Union Pacific Railroad web site
and print two photographs. Be sure to include a caption and a source citation as
to where you got the photograph.
3. Your newspaper must have a title and a date with both of your names and period
number listed under the title.
4. Assignment must be put in the format of a newspaper. You can use Microsoft
publisher or type articles in columns and glue them onto 11.x 17 poster board.
5. Articles must be historically accurate.
6. Articles must be at least three paragraphs and no longer then five.
7. Each article must have a headline.
8. Newspaper must be typed using 12 or 14 point font.
9. Must be grammatically correct with no spelling errors.
10. Your work must show that you put time and effort into it.
11. Your newspaper must be glued onto an 11 x 17 poster board which I will provide.
12. See rubric below
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Railroad Newspaper Page Rubric
Your Name __________________________________________
Partner Name_________________________________________
______/5
Name and period under title
______/5
Title and date of newspaper
______/10
One photograph for each news article with caption and source citation
______/20
Two articles which are historically relevant to the building of the
transcontinental railroad.
______/5
Each article has a headline
______/10
Neatness, correct grammar and spelling, glued to poster board.
_________/55 Total
points
Comments:
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