Curated OER
I Hear the Locomotives: The Impact of the Transcontinental Railroad
Students examine the effects the Transcontinental Railroad had on the regions through which it passed. They analyze and discuss maps, view and describe online images, and use photos and documents to develop a cause-and-effect ladder.
Curated OER
Rendezvous at Promontory: A New Look at the Golden Spike Ceremony
Students complete a variety of activities as they examine the historical significance of the Transcontinental Railroad and the Golden Spike Ceremony in Promontory, Utah, which honored its completion. In one activity they plan and...
Curated OER
The Canadian Ribbon of Steel
Students research the building of the Canadian Railroad and discuss the impact it has on Canada today.
Oklahoma State Department of Education
Narrative Prompt
Reading about history is nothing like experiencing it firsthand. Encourage your eighth graders to do the next best thing with a historical narrative prompt, in which they describe the experience of a first-time traveler on the...
Curated OER
The Building of the Transcontinental Railroad#140
Students participation in a simulation of laying the track of Transcontinental Railroad starting from three different locations. They use toothpicks and coffee stirrers to build the rails. They evaluate which group laid the most track...
Curated OER
American West: Railroads
In these American West worksheets, students cut out the cards related to the American West and the railroads. Students match the cards together.
Curated OER
The Transcontinental Railroad
Students investigate the impact of the Transcontinental Railroad. In this Transcontinental Railroad lesson, students research Internet and print sources regarding the effect of the railroad on Chinese immigrants and American...
Curated OER
Goldentail's Rounding Railroad
In this number puzzle instructional activity, students solve 24 equations in each of two sets of multiplication and division problems. They circle each answer and round them to the nearest whole number. They use the secret code that is...
Stanford University
Chinese Immigration and Exclusion
The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first race-based restriction on immigration in American history. Why was the act passed after Chinese immigrants helped build the Transcontinental Railroad? A series of documents, including speeches and...
Curated OER
From Salt Lake City toSingapore... Products of UtahTravel Worldwide
Seventh graders examine the products of Utah. In this economics lesson, 7th graders investigate the products grown and processed in Utah today and historically. Students explore the impact of the railroad on Utah's economy.
Education World
Every Day Edit - The Golden Spike
In this everyday editing worksheet, learners correct grammatical mistakes in a short paragraph about the "golden spike." The errors range from punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and spelling.
Curated OER
You be the Tour Guide
Students research the natural features and wildlife of Arizona and Utah. They draw a map of the region that includes rivers, towns, mountains and roads. They work together to create a travel brochure of the area.
Curated OER
Sing Away Songs
Learners research the history of Bryce Canyon National Park. They identify geological features of the Park while examining its recreational activities. They work together to write lyrics to a song about the Park.
Curated OER
Train Problem
For this algebra worksheet, students are given a word problem and asked to use algebra to solve it. They have to calculate the speed of a train and a car if they are both moving at a constant rate. There is an answer key.
Curated OER
Types of Trains
Third graders explore different types of trains. For this science lesson, 3rd graders study the "Orphan Train" and write a paragraph about what it would feel like to be riding a train during this time period.
Curated OER
Capitalization and Punctuation Worksheet 2
In this grammar worksheet, students correct the punctuation and capitalization errors in fifteen sentences. Students check their answers when their done.
Curated OER
All Aboard The Campaign Train!
Students explore campaign politics. In this political campaign instructional activity, students investigate multimedia sources in order to examine the structure of political parties and platforms from previous presidential elections....
Curated OER
Gold Rush
In this gold rush worksheet, students utilize a word bank of 10 terms or phrases to answer 10 fill in the blank questions about the nation during the time period. A short answer question is included as well.
Curated OER
California-Becoming an Agricultural and Insustrial Power
Fourth graders explain how California became an agricultural and industrial power. They trace the transformation of the California economy in its political and cultural development since the 1850's.
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Carbutt and the Union Pacific's Grand Excursion
Provides information on the Union Pacific Railroad's grand excursion to the 100th Meridian.
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr Photographic History Museum: Tunnels of the Pacific Railroad
This site offers an abstract from Van Nostrand's Eclectic Engineering Magazine from 1870 from a paper by John R. Gilliss. A comprehensive look at the tunnels built along the route of the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific...
Other
Union Pacific: Historical Overview
Provides a historical overview of the Union Pacific Railroad under the following sections: building a road, financing, construction, and post-construction.
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum: Building of the Iron Road
From an article by B.P. Avery printed in the May, 1869, issue of "Overland Monthly" is this description of the building of the transcontinental railroad including information about the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific...
University of Groningen
American History: Essays: The Iron Horse: Central Pacific and Union Pacific
From a lengthy essay on the history of the railroad in the United States. This section describes the competition between Union Pacific and Central Pacific to complete the transcontinental railroad. Workmanship was often shoddy and...