I Hear the Locomotives: The Impact of the Transcontinental Railroad
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=253
A lesson plan for grades 3–5 English Language Arts and Social Studies
In this lesson, found on the EDSITEment website, students analyze archival material in order to make connections between the arrival of the railroads and many of the changes that occurred subsequently in the United States and its territories. They learn how the development of the Transcontinental Railroad brought about an increase in hide hunting and so the demise of the Native American tribes dependent on the buffalo herds and they examine documents relating to other economic and social upheavals brought about by this revolution in travel. From this introductory page teachers can access archival materials needed to complete the lesson.
This page forms part of the EDSITEment website, created by the National Endowment for the Humanities in collaboration with the Council of the Great City Schools and the WorldCom Foundation.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
English Language Arts (2004)
Grade 3
- Goal 2: The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
- Objective 2.06: Summarize main idea(s) from written or spoken texts using succinct language.
Grade 4
- Goal 2: The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
- Objective 2.06: Summarize major points from fiction and nonfiction text(s) to clarify and retain information and ideas.
Grade 5
- Goal 2: The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
- Objective 2.08: Explain and evaluate relationships that are:
- causal.
- hierarchical.
- temporal.
- problem-solution.
- Objective 2.08: Explain and evaluate relationships that are:
Social Studies (2003)
Grade 5
- Goal 6: The learner will recognize how technology has influenced change within the United States and other countries in North America.
- Objective 6.02: Relate how certain technological discoveries have changed the course of history and reflect on the broader social and environmental changes that can occur from the discovery of such technologies.
