Christine Valvo

Expansion and Reform

Lesson Title: Westward Movement

Lesson Components Description
Virginia Standards of USI.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis and
Learning (VSOL)
responsible citizenship, including the ability to:
a) identify and interpret primary and secondary source documents to increase
understanding of events and life in United States history to 1865;
f) analyze and interpret maps to explain relationships among landforms, water
features, climatic characteristics, and historical events;
USI.8 The student will demonstrate knowledge of westward expansion and reform in
America from 1801 to 1861 by:
b) identifying the geographic and economic factors that influenced the westward
movement of settlers;

Objective
Students will be able to complete an interactive notes foldable that identifies and
summarizes the influences of westward expansion.

Essential Questions
What factors influenced westward migration?
How did the Erie Canal improve shipping and transportation?
Materials/Equipment/ Computer and projector
Elmo/Ziggy
Preparation
Google images: American Progress John Gast, 1872
Bulletin board and craft paper (printout of new attachments)
Copies of the attached notes sheet (Westward Movement)
Colored Pencils
Computer Paper
Art activity
1. Students will begin westward expansion accordion foldable that includes
illustrations and short statements.
2. As a class we will add onto our graphic organizer bulletin board. (Geographic and
economic factors that influenced westward migration, increase in population, new
forms of transportation).
Procedures
Hook and Review:
1. Show the image of: American Progress John Gast, 1872
2. What did we discuss this image illustrates? (Manifest Destiny, the belief that moving
west was good for the country)
3. What way are the figures facing? Left
4. What cardinal direction are they moving? Westward
5. Lets discuss factors that influenced westward expansion.
Interactive Notes and Discussion
Introduction: Where/What is the Erie Canal
1. https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/a/a8/Erie_Canal.jpg
2. http://www.eriecanal.org/maps/canal_system-1903.jpg
-The Erie Canal connected the Great Lakes to the Hudson River and the Atlantic
Ocean.
3. http://www.eriecanal.org/Harvey-Pittsford.jpg

Christine Valvo
Expansion and Reform

Procedures continued -If we know that people are moving westward, why do you think the Americans would
want to build the Erie Canal?
-Before the canal was built it took 20 days to ship a ton of goods from Buffalo to
NYC. After it took just 8 days.
-Main idea: The Erie Canal made it so goods could be shipped to and from western
lands faster and at a lower cost.
-Complete notes page

New Vocabulary for

Foldable
ELL front loaded
vocabulary

Assessment/
Monitoring
Homework
Assignment

Label accordion foldable, complete illustrations after next lesson

1. Complete the first two rows of the accordion foldable.
-Westward migration was influenced by geography and economic opportunity
-Population growth in eastern states
-These people believed in Manifest Destiny. They felt it was good for the country to
expand westward.
-cheap and fertile land in the west, logging opportunities
2. Label faster transportation section
3. Allow students to use the remaining time to illustrate.
n/A
Front load and discuss the following vocabulary using the provided visual vocabulary
glossary.
-Economic
-Migration
-Expansion
Informal observation during classroom activities and discussion
Exit slip:
____ and ____ influenced westward expansion.
Finish any illustrations for accordion foldable

Christine Valvo
Expansion and Reform

Lesson Title: Steam Power

Lesson Components Description
Virginia Standards of USI.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis and
Learning (VSOL)
responsible citizenship, including the ability to:
a) identify and interpret primary and secondary source documents to increase
understanding of events and life in United States history to 1865;
USI.8 The student will demonstrate knowledge of westward expansion and reform in
America from 1801 to 1861 by:
b) identifying the geographic and economic factors that influenced the westward
movement of settlers;

Objective
Students will be able to complete an interactive notes foldable that identifies and
summarizes the influences of Robert Fulton and the steamboat.
Students will be able to order events in history pertaining to improved
transportation.
Who was Robert Fulton?
Essential Questions
How did the steam engine improve shipping and transportation?
Materials/Equipment/ Computer and projector
Elmo/Ziggy
Preparation
Bulletin board and craft paper (printout of new images)
Copies of the attached notes sheet (Westward Movement)
Colored Markers
Ongoing vocabulary foldable
Art activity
1. Students will continue and complete westward expansion accordion foldable that
includes illustrations and short statements.
2. As a class we will add onto our graphic organizer bulletin board. (Robert Fulton,
Steam engine, Steamboat, Steam railway, faster and cheaper transportation).
Procedures continued Introduction: The Power of Steam
1. Show image of Robert Fulton
2. Show image of Steamboat The Clermont.
Main Idea: The steam engine made inland travel easier
-Steamboats provided faster and easier transportation between the Southern
plantations and the Northern industries.
How does this effect the economy during this time?
-An entrepreneur, Robert Fulton, used a steam engine to power his boat. This allowed
his boat to travel easily upstream.
As a class, discuss the new term entrepreneur: someone who organizes resources to
bring a new/better good or service to market in hopes of earning a profit.

Christine Valvo
Expansion and Reform

Discuss and complete Interactive Notes

-Later, steamboats were used in railroad engines. Rail travel was faster and less
expensive. The railway system began to increase and expand across the nation.
-Many new cities grew near railroad stations. (Review at images on page 329)
p329 TextWork

New Vocabulary for

Foldable
ELL front loaded
vocabulary

Assessment/
Monitoring
Homework
Assignment

Continue filling in accordion foldable:

2. Discuss what each section should include
3. Allow students to use the remaining time to illustrate.
entrepreneur
Front load and discuss the following vocabulary using the provided visual vocabulary
glossary.
-Canal
-Profit
-Transportation
-Steam engine
Informal observation during classroom activities and discussion.
Continue illustrations on accordion foldable.

Christine Valvo
Expansion and Reform

Lesson Title: Opportunities Farther West

Lesson Components Description
Virginia Standards of USI.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis and
Learning (VSOL)
responsible citizenship, including the ability to:
a) identify and interpret primary and secondary source documents to increase
understanding of events and life in United States history to 1865;
f) analyze and interpret maps to explain relationships among landforms, water
features, climatic characteristics, and historical events;
USI.8 The student will demonstrate knowledge of westward expansion and reform in
America from 1801 to 1861 by:
b) identifying the geographic and economic factors that influenced the westward
movement of settlers;

Objective
Students will complete and illustrate an accordion foldable summarizing and
identifying the factors that influenced westward expansion.
Students will be able to identify specific economic opportunities that influenced
westward expansion.
Students will be able to apply their knowledge of westward expansion to create a
persuasive poster encouraging pioneers to move west.

Essential Questions
What factors influenced westward migration?
Materials/Equipment/ Computer and projector
Elmo/Ziggy
Preparation
Google images: Gold rush propaganda
Bulletin board and craft paper (printout of new attachments)
Copies of the attached notes sheet (Westward Movement)
Colored Pencils
Card Stock
Art activity
1. As a class, we will view persuasive posters and advertisements created during the
1840s.
2. Students will create a persuasive poster that encourages pioneers to move west.
3. Students will complete westward expansion accordion foldable that includes
illustrations and short statements.
4. As a class we will add onto our graphic organizer bulletin board. (Cheap and fertile
land, pioneer, trails, gold rush, forty-niners, California).
5. For a review activity, students will sort, add, and illustrate vocabulary terms to
foldable (pioneer, gold rush, entrepreneur)
Procedures
Introduction: Opportunities Farther West
-Why was the west seen as a land of economic opportunity? Why did the growing
population want to move west?(Land was cheap and fertile, there was plenty of forests
for logging.)
-A pioneer is a person who is one of the first to settle in a place.
-Before we expanded railroads, how did pioneers move west? (They followed overland
trails).

Christine Valvo
Expansion and Reform

Procedures continued -Review map on page 330 and complete TextWork activity and discuss map
Complete fill in the blank notes page
Complete Accordion foldable
The Gold Rush: Create a list of all background knowledge students have about the
gold rush. During the lesson refer back to the list and clarify any misconceptions.
Main ideas: Complete Interactive Notes
-California gold rush increased westward movement.
-forty-niners: people traveling to CA to seek fortune. (add to foldable)
-People traveling included: women, African Americans, both enslaved and free. Some
were running from slavery.
-not everyone was from US, immigrants from China, Mexico, Europe, Asia, and South
America.
-Those who didnt find gold started businesses/ranches/farming
Closing activity
-Vocabulary sort and discuss terms. Glue vocabulary to foldable and illustrate.

New Vocabulary for

Foldable
ELL front loaded
vocabulary

Assessment/
Monitoring
Homework
Assignment

Introduce gold rush persuasive poster

-Each student will create a post card (card stock)
-These advertisements will promote westward expansion.
-Students must include at least 2 opportunities farther west in their post card.
-Students may use short, quick, statements.
-pioneer
-gold rush
Front load and discuss the following vocabulary using the provided visual vocabulary
glossary.
-Persuade
-Fortune
Students persuasive posters will be assessed using the attached rubric.
Informal assessment will take place during classroom discussion.
Work on persuasive poster due 3/22.
Complete illustrations for foldable

Christine Valvo
Expansion and Reform

Name: ___________________________ # ______

Create a poster to persuade settlers to move west
You may use any materials you would like.
Rubric: 10 points
____ Necessary Components (3 pts)
__ Title
__ Hook (statement or phrase)
__ Illustrations
____ Illustrates at least two of the following (4 pts)
__ gold rush (forty-niners)
__ fertile land for farming
__ forests for logging
__ faster/cheaper transportation
____ Appearance (3 pts)
__ clean/neat
__use of color
__correct grammar and spelling