Students learn about the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad and the effect it had on the American West and the entire country's economy. Students also learn about some of the negative results of the building of the railway system in the western United States.
Students are introduced to the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad and how it dramatically reduced travel time between the East and West, transforming life and the economy across the United States. After viewing an image of the railroad’s completion and reading about the Union Pacific and Central Pacific meeting at Promontory Summit, Utah, students respond to a collaborative wall prompt explaining how they think the railroad impacted the development of the United States.
Teacher MovesPresent the overview and objectives of the experience, then prompt students to share ideas about how the railroad changed life in America. Use their wall responses to highlight themes such as easier travel, increased westward migration, and movement of supplies and goods. Ask students if they have ever ridden a train and invite them to describe their experiences to connect prior knowledge to the historical content.
Students examine an image of a tunnel on the Transcontinental Railroad and read about how thousands of workers labored to complete the line and open trade between the coasts. They watch The Railroad: An Introduction and read The Impact of the Transcontinental Railroad to learn specific ways the railroad transformed America. Using information from these resources, students complete a graphic organizer by identifying four distinct effects of the Transcontinental Railroad.
Teacher MovesGuide students to focus on concrete economic and social changes as they view the video and article, such as national unification, transportation improvements, city growth, expanded communication and commerce, and the spread of industrialization to the West. Use student entries in the graphic organizer to surface these ideas and clarify or expand on them as needed.
Students read Building the Transcontinental Railroad and Effect of Railroads on the United States to investigate how railroad construction increased demand for goods, labor, and raw materials and helped expand trade. Drawing on details from the readings, they post to a class wall explaining the connection between the railroad and economic growth in the United States, supporting their explanation with evidence from the articles.
Teacher MovesPrompt students to use specific examples from the texts to link railroad development to economic growth. After reviewing their wall posts, select and share an interesting or exemplary response with the class to anchor a brief discussion about how railroads strengthened the national economy.
Students study an 1869 political cartoon titled “Does not SUCH a meeting make amends?” and respond to a word cloud prompt identifying, in words or short phrases, which groups the cartoonist suggests did not benefit from the Transcontinental Railroad. They then read What Was the Impact of the Railroads? to learn more about both the positive and negative consequences of railroad expansion. Using this information, they complete a graphic organizer that pairs positive aspects of the railroad (such as employment, settlement, new management methods, government support, and coast-to-coast connections) with corresponding negative results (such as poor labor conditions, corporate corruption, displacement of Native Americans, need for regulation, and environmental damage).
Teacher MovesDraw students’ attention to details in the political cartoon, such as Native Americans and buffalo fleeing the tracks, to help them infer who was harmed by railroad expansion. As students complete the positive/negative organizer, use their examples to emphasize trade-offs of railroad development, including labor exploitation, displacement of Native Americans, corporate power, and environmental damage.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
©2026 Exploros. All rights reserved.