Name: Beth Bates
Grade Level: 8th, U.S. History
Lesson Title: Impact of the Railroad
NV Standard H2.(6-8).4: Identify and explain the importance of immigrant and native groups to mining, ranching, railroads, and commerce in Nevada and the United States
EQ: How does transportation facilitate or hinder change in the West?
HQ: How did the construction of the railroad provide opportunities for people in the West?
I will help my students learn this by:
- Showing picture of Union Pacific Railroad @ 1ooth Meridien while reading the opening page of The U.P. Trail (1918) by Zane Grey along with author’s dedication to Robert Louis Stevenson’s excerpt from Across the Plains, (published 1892).
- Use ELMO to show National Geographic map of “Major Railroads before 1900” found on p. 558 in textbook. Students answer #1 & 2 and partner check.
- Provide two excerpts from The U.P. Trail and have students partner-read and write down 3 descriptions of railroad activities:
- Engineering aspects & immigrant workers
- Town life during construction
- Show photographs of “Joining the tracks of the transcontinental railroad” and “End of the Track” near Humboldt River Canyon, Nevada.
- Show map on p. 169 of Railroad of Nevada and Eastern California
What my students will do:
- Listen attentively and write a one – two sentence summary of opening pages of U.P. Trail.
- Answer map questions on p.558 and partner-check.
- Have students stand and play Summary Ball Toss after reading brief excerpts from The U.P. Trail
- Fill out Photo Analysis Worksheet of “Joining the Tracks” and “End of the Track.”
- Look at map on p. 169 in the book Railroads of Nevada and Eastern California and identify towns that developed along the railroad.
Assessment: Evidence of my students’ learning looks like this:
- Completion of photo analysis worksheet – U.P. Railroad at 100th meridian.
- Completion of map questions 1 and 2.
- Written description of railroad construction activities with oral summary.
- Completion of photo analysis worksheets: “Joining the Tracks” & “End of the Track.”
- SmartBoard presentation:
- Look at photograph of Minden, Nevada circa 1906 and read the brief article from a special edition of the Record-Courier in 1909.
- Write a summary of the newspaper article with your impressions of the impact of the Virginia & Truckee Railway upon the development of Minden. Answer the historical question!
- Alternative for diverse learners: On map of western United States, draw the Union Pacific railroad route and identify Promontory Point where the U.P. met the Central Pacific. Identify the state capitals and place a dot on map where major railroad towns grew up. Explain how time zones developed as a result of railroads and show where they are.
Bibliography of Teacher Resources:
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