Lesson Planet
Search educational resources
  • Sign In Try It Free
  • AI Teacher Tools
    • Discover Resources Search reviewed educational resources by keyword, subject, grade, type, and more
    • Curriculum Manager (My Content) Manage saved and uploaded resources and folders To Access the Curriculum Manager Sign In or Join Now
    • Browse Resource Directory Browse educational resources by subject and topic
    • Curriculum Calendar Explore curriculum resources by date
    • Lesson Planning Articles Timely and inspiring teaching ideas that you can apply in your classroom
    • Our Story
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
  • Pricing
  • School Access
    • Your school or district can sign up for Lesson Planet — with no cost to teachers
      Learn More
  • Sign In
  • Try It Free
The Settlement of the American West InteractiveThe Settlement of the American West Interactive
Publisher
DocsTeach
Resource Details
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Grade
6th - 8th
Subjects
Social Studies & History
2 more...
Resource Types
Activities & Projects
1 more...
Audience
For Teacher Use
Duration
1 hr 30 mins
Instructional Strategies
Discussion
2 more...
Technology
Internet Access
Usage Permissions
Public Domain
Interactive

The Settlement of the American West

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This The Settlement of the American West interactive also includes:
  • Student Activity
  • Abraham Lincoln, President, U.S
  • Pacific Railroad Act
  • Homestead Act
  • Directors of the Union Pacific Railroad
  • Family with Their Covered Wagon During the Great Western Migration
  • First Report of the Battle of the Little Bighorn
  • Fort Laramie Treaty
  • Homestead Certificate for Daniel Freeman
  • Joining the Tracks for the First Transcontinental Railroad
  • Map of Nebraska and Kansas Territories
  • Join to access all included materials

What do Abraham Lincoln and the Transcontinental Railroad have in common? Using a set of primary source documents, including pictures, maps, and treaties, class members link together the common themes of expansion into the American West. The activity includes a step-by-step scaffolding approach to unpacking the main ideas of small sets of documents.

6 Views 2 Downloads
CCSS: Adaptable

Concepts

westward expansion, native americans, abraham lincoln, the kansas-nebraska act, railroads, primary source analysis, primary source images, primary sources

Additional Tags

social studies

Instructional Ideas

  • Use the document set to review key themes of a unit on the American West
  • Offer the activity to stimulate interest before starting a unit on the American West

Classroom Considerations

  • Activity requires that each learner have access to a computer and Internet

Pros

  • Scaffolded approach builds primary source skills
  • Images are stimulating and intriguing

Cons

  • None

Common Core

RH.6-8.1 RH.6-8.2 RH.6-8.3 RH.6-8.10

View 30,412 other resources for 6th - 8th Grade Social Studies & History

© 1999-2026 Learning Explorer, Inc.
Teacher Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Resources

Sign up for the Lesson Planet Monthly Newsletter

Open Educational Resources (OER)

  • Health
  • Language Arts
  • Languages
  • Math
  • Physical Education
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Visual and Performing Arts
View All Lesson Plans

Discover Resources

  • Our Review Process
  • How it Works
  • How to Search
  • Create a Collection

Manage Curriculum

  • Edit a Collection
  • Assign to Students
  • Manage My Content
Contact Us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Use