Students learn about the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad and analyze the effect it had on the American West and the entire country’s economy. Then they describe some of the negative results of the railway system construction in the United States.
Students read background text about how the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad dramatically reduced cross-country travel time and transformed life in the United States. After viewing an image of the celebration at Promontory Summit, Utah, they predict ways the railroad may have changed life and impacted the development of the United States by posting ideas to a class wall.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the experience and review the objectives, highlighting that students will examine both economic and environmental impacts of the Transcontinental Railroad. Use sample ideas (e.g., easier travel and migration, movement of goods and raw materials, effects on American Indians and the environment) to prompt or extend student predictions, and prepare the class to continue once most students have contributed to the wall.
Students examine an image of a tunnel on the Transcontinental Railroad and read about how the railroad opened trade between the East and West and connected factories to western resources. They watch The Railroad: An Introduction and read The Impact of the Transcontinental Railroad to learn specific ways the railroad transformed America, then complete a graphic organizer identifying four major effects of the Transcontinental Railroad.
Teacher MovesClarify how the railroad linked regions, expanded markets, and supported industrial growth. Guide students as they complete the organizer, prompting them to include ideas such as unifying the country, improving transportation, fostering city growth along rail lines, and expanding the economy through improved communication and commerce. Offer additional examples like the spread of industrialization and culture and the relocation of American Indians to deepen understanding before moving on.
Students read explanatory text about how expanding rail lines increased demand for goods, labor, and raw materials and strengthened the U.S. economy. They read Building the Transcontinental Railroad and 10 Ways the Transcontinental Railroad Changed America to explore how railroads encouraged economic growth, then read the opening paragraphs of The Interstate Commerce Act Is Passed to see how the federal government began regulating railroad practices. Students synthesize this information by posting a written explanation to a class wall that connects the railroad to U.S. economic development, citing evidence from the readings.
Teacher MovesDiscuss how efficient transportation supports production and trade by moving raw materials, finished goods, and workers, and how unfair railroad practices led to federal regulation. Highlight strong student responses from the wall to model effective use of evidence. Emphasize that the railroad industry became the first to be federally regulated to promote fair competition, and prompt students to consider how the railroad strengthened free enterprise and shaped American beliefs about what could be achieved through money, determination, and organization.
Students analyze an 1869 political cartoon titled “Does not SUCH a meeting make amends?” and respond to a word cloud prompt identifying who the cartoonist suggests did not benefit from the Transcontinental Railroad. They then read Economic, Environmental, and Social Impacts of the Transcontinental Railroad to learn about specific effects in Utah and across the West. Using a graphic organizer, students outline multiple positive aspects of the railroad alongside their negative results, building on a completed example about employment and poor labor conditions.
Teacher MovesGuide students in interpreting the political cartoon, drawing attention to Native Americans and buffalo being pushed off the land. Support students as they identify and record pairs of positive and negative impacts in the organizer, such as new management methods and corporate abuses, western settlement and displacement of Native Americans, government support and the need for regulation, and environmental damage from track construction. Use sample answer pairs to prompt deeper thinking about how technological progress can have both benefits and costs.
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.
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