Students analyze a political cartoon about the transcontinental railroad. Then they learn about ways that westward expansion modified the environment, focusing on the negative impact. Next they examine how settlers adapted their homes to the new environments. Finally, students reflect on their own interactions with the environment.

Objectives:

• Describe the settlers’ use of natural resources.
• Evaluate the environmental effects of expansion.

Scene 1 — Engage

Student Activity

Students are introduced to key vocabulary and lesson objectives, then examine a political cartoon about the completion of the transcontinental railroad. Using a two-column table, they identify one positive and one negative effect of the railroad as suggested by the cartoon.

Teacher Moves

Present the lesson overview and objectives, clarifying key vocabulary as needed. Support students in interpreting the political cartoon, encouraging partner discussion if they struggle. Use sample ideas to highlight how technological “progress” can harm the natural environment, and connect this concept to relevant local examples of environmental modification.

Scene 2 — Explore

Student Activity

Students read explanatory text about how westward expansion modified the environment, including the near extinction of the bison, loss of Plains Indian hunting grounds, and environmental damage from mining activities such as siltation, air and water pollution, erosion, and desertification. They then answer multiple-choice questions to identify ways settlers modified the environment, how Plains Indians were affected, and the meaning of “boomtown.”

Teacher Moves

Optionally direct interested students to the article Mining Our Earth in the Student Pack for additional information about mining’s environmental impact. After students respond to the questions, summarize the main ways settlers altered the environment and reinforce the connections between economic growth, habitat loss, and negative environmental consequences.

Scene 3 — Explain

Student Activity

Students read about how housing during westward expansion reflected adaptation to available resources and climate, including sod houses on the prairie and dog-trot houses in hotter regions. After viewing images and captions, they post a written response explaining how people must adapt their housing to the environment, drawing on examples from the text and any additional examples they know.

Teacher Moves

Clarify how resource availability and climate shape housing design, using the sod house and dog-trot house as key examples. Review student responses, share strong or interesting examples with the class, and extend thinking by adding other global housing adaptations (such as igloos, adobe homes, teepees, A-frame roofs, and grass huts).

Scene 4 — Elaborate

Student Activity

Students read a brief prompt connecting historical and contemporary human–environment interactions, then complete a two-column graphic organizer titled “How I Modify” and “How I Adapt.” They list personal examples of how they modify the environment and how they adapt to it in their daily lives.

Teacher Moves

Model how to complete the organizer if needed, then prompt students to generate their own examples. Use sample responses to guide discussion about conclusions they can draw regarding human dependence on the environment for basic needs and the importance of both modifying and adapting to it. Introduce early conservation-minded figures such as John James Audubon and George Washington Carver to connect historical and modern perspectives on environmental stewardship.

Scene 5 — Evaluate

Student Activity

Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.

Teacher Moves

Facilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.

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