Student Resources

Teacher Resources


Turnpike
to
Golden Spike:

19th Century Transportation


Research Scenario

 
During the 19th century, as the United States spread westward across the North American continent, transportation systems helped connect the expanding nation. First rivers and roads, and then canals and railroads moved travelers and agricultural and manufactured goods between farms, towns, and cities. The development of new modes of transportation contributed immensely to economic growth and was a significant factor in westward expansion. Click on the links below to view a video introduction to 19th century transportation.

Transportation History 1800-1900
Transportation Infrastructure 1800-1900
Transportation Technology 1800-1900

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is revising the Kids' Page on their Website. They want to include a section about the history of transportation in the United States. They have asked your class to help gather information about the development and impact of transportation systems during the 19th century.

Your class will research information about changes in road, water, and rail transportation during the 1800's, and how these changes affected westward expansion. The DOT will include your most informative text and images in the new Transportation History section of their Website.

How did the development of systems of transportation during the 19th century impact westward expansion?

Task and Product

 

You will form a research group with two other students in your class. Each member of your group will choose one form of transportation to research:
  • Railroads
  • Waterways
  • Trails and Roads
Each member of your group will research the development of this form of transportation in the 19th century, and its impact on westward expansion. Use a note taking sheet to organize your information. As a group, you will combine your information to create a poster, Power Point presentation, or Website storyboard which you will present to the Department of Transportation (your class).

Assessments


 The following scoring tools may be used or adapted by your teacher to evaluate your research process and your final product and presentation:

Research Process Assessments:

Final Product Assessments: 

 

Questions

 

 

Essential Question:

How did the development of systems of transportation during the 19th century impact westward expansion?

Subsidiary Questions: Use these questions to jump start your research. Click on the form of transportation you are researching to access a specific work sheet for generating your own questions.

Railroads

  • What were the significant developments in rail transportation during the 19th century?
  • What were conditions like for people traveling by railroad during the 19th century?
  • How did rail transportation impact westward expansion?
  • What groups of people of people were affected and why?

Trails and Roads

  • How did the U.S. improve its roads during the 19th century?
  • How was the Federal Government involved in helping to improve the road system during the 19th century?
  • How did those improvements impact westward expansion?

Waterways

  • What were the improvements in water transportation during the 19th century?
  • How did these improvements impact westward expansion?
  • How did technology affect the progress of water transportation systems?

Gather and Sort

Use a variety of resources for gathering information about how changes in transportation affected westward expansion.

Use this graphic organizer to help you organize and record information you gather about your subsidiary questions.

Be sure to avoid plagiarism and remember to cite your references. For details and examples of the proper citation of sources, click here.

Organize

 

Analyze your research notes to determine if you have enough information to answer your subsidiary questions.

  • Do you have enough details to explain how changes in road, rail or water transportation affected westward expansion?
  • Is there a subsidiary question for which you did not find enough information? If so, decide whether to continue searching for information for this question, or eliminate it.
  • Did you find interesting information which does not apply to any of your subsidiary questions? If so, decide if this information would be useful and interesting to your audience.

Synthesize your findings. Synthesis is the act of pulling your research and ideas together to form new meaning.

  • What new insights emerged during your research?
  • Which facts are the most compelling and would be most useful to people visiting the Department of Transportation Website?
  • What facts did you find surprising about the type of transportation you researched?
  • What facts are unnecessary or repetitive and could be left out?
  • Prepare a first draft of your research project.

Evaluate the effectiveness of your research for the task.

  • Is it clear, from your details, how changes in transportation affected westward expansion?
  • Revise or edit your draft materials as needed based on the assessment for your product.
  • Create your product and plan your presentation with your team members.

Conclusion

 

Presentation:

Using a gallery walk, members of your class will exhibit their findings about the development of 19th century transportation and its impact on westward expansion. As you view all of the presentations from your class, use this note taking sheet to identify and record the most important developments and their impact.

Reflection:

Using the notes from your gallery walk, complete a Brief Constructed Response to the essential question:

How did the development of systems of transportation during the 19th century impact westward expansion?