Curated OER
Westward Expansion and the Frontier
Young scholars explore U.S. history by researching a historic map. In this westward expansion lesson plan, students discuss the mystery of the western U.S. in the early 1800's and the impact expansion had on Native Americans and...
Curated OER
How the West was Won? Conflict and Change on the Western Frontier
Seventh graders assess the conflict and change that occurred in the westward expansion following the Civil War. They list specific reasons why different groups moved west and the interaction between the "white" European civilization and...
US National Archives
National Archives: Exploring the Western Frontier With the Records of Congress
Students will analyze the impact of the frontier on American life and the role Congress played in settling the frontier. Included are worksheets, Turner's Thesis, and reflection questions. Primary sources provided are petitions for...
OpenStax
Open Stax: u.s. History: The Westward Spirit
From a chapter on America's expansion westward in a history textbook. This section looks at how Americans felt about westward expansion in the mid-1800s, and ways that the federal government promoted migration. Includes review questions.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Utah History Encyclopedia: Statehood for Utah
This site provides discussion of Utah statehood from the Encyclopedia of Utah History.
George Eastman Museum
Photographers of the American West
Original pictures of Westward expansion. Great activities and discussion questions for cross-curricular learning.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: The Last Frontier
Describes the various forces and events that shaped the expansion of the western frontier in the mid- to late 1800s.
PBS
Pbs: The West Benjamin "Pap" Singleton
From the critically acclaimed PBS series, "The West," this site provides a brief biography of Benjamin "Pap" Singleton, a leader of the "Great Exodus" which brought thousands of African Americans west from the post-Reconstruction South.
US National Archives
Docsteach: Reasons for Westward Expansion
Learners will examine a variety of documents that reference reasons why Americans living in the East migrated west of the Mississippi immediately before, during, and right after the Civil War. Documents cover the mining industry, new...
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: Arizona Became a New Territory
This 2-page article provides information about how Arizona became a new territory on February 24, 1863, and the corresponding silver and gold rush that encompassed the area.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Transportation to the Western Frontier
There were several modes of transportation for early settlers to use when they moved to the west. Middle schoolers will research and document four modes of transportation using the Internet and print resources in the library.
NSTATE
Washington: The Great Seal of Washington
Contains information on the Great Seal of Washington as well as information on the statehood of Washington.
Siteseen
Siteseen: American Historama: Homestead Act
The purpose of the Homestead Act of 1862 was to shape the future of the Western regions of the United States by taming the region by populating the area with farmers. This article provides an overview of this important political incident...