Transcontinental Railroad Stations Activity (Print and Digital Formats)

The intent of this NO PREP lesson is to expose students to a variety of topics in a short amount of time using fun and engaging methods. The resource is available in both print and Google Docs formats! After completing this lesson, students will have an understanding of the transformative impact of the transcontinental railroad, including its acceleration of westward expansion and the ending of Native American’s traditional way of life. Students will examine each of the following topics:

1. Overview

2. Demand for the Railroad

3. Two Competing Companies

4. Dangerous Work

5. The Golden Spike

6. Impact on the United States

Each station contains a brief description and historic photosets. The lesson is easily adaptable to fit your teaching style. The following methods have proven to be the most successful in my classroom:

1. Go Virtual! Included directions for teachers make implementing the digital activity a breeze.

- Students individually examine all station passages and complete the corresponding Google Docs worksheet (with pre-inserted text answer boxes for increased ease of use) and submit through Google Classroom. You can also assign the worksheet to a group of students and allow them to work together virtually to complete the assignment.

2. Hang the information sheets around the class and have students rotate to each sheet.

- This is my favorite because it gets students up and moving. You can assign the worksheet that accompanies this activity, or simply have them summarize each topic as they rotate.

3. Split the students into groups and assign one sheet per group. Have the students read the information sheet and prepare to present the information to the rest of the class.

- I assign a number to each group member (number the first group, then start back at 1 for the next group, so that you have multiple 1’s, 2’s, etc. throughout the class) and after students have had adequate time to prepare I tell them all the 2’s are presenting. This method motivates students because they don’t know which group member is presenting until it is time to present.

4. Form groups of 6 and have the students pass around the information sheets.

- I’ve found the best approach for this method is to give students a set amount of time and then have all students pass their sheets to the right when told.

The versatility of this activity allows for several culminating assessments. Typically, once students have completed one of the methods above, I have them write a journal entry from the point of view of a railroad worker during the building of the transcontinental railroad. I encourage them to include as much information from the stations as possible. Also, I have the students respond to the following prompt: “Do you believe the government acted correctly by paying the companies for the number of miles they built? Why or why not?” Then, we have a class debate to determine what factors were most influential in the responses of the students.

I hope you and your students enjoy this activity. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!