Did the Transcontinental Railroad connect the nation or divide it? Learners demonstrate their knowledge of the impact of the Transcontinental Railroad in a written assessment. The assessment also uses an original photo as a prompt for...

The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first race-based restriction on immigration in American history. Why was the act passed after Chinese immigrants helped build the Transcontinental Railroad? A series of documents, including speeches and...

It's time to hear about some adventures in travel! The Transcontinental Railroad changed life and travel in the United States during the 1800s. Practicing online research skills, pupils discover the features they would like to visit on...

Based on an examination of Florida's railroad system, this multi-step lesson addresses FCAT requirements specific to Florida. After reading a passage, scholars use a map of the state to label railroad systems. They describe the goods...

Third graders describe some of the factors that brought early settlers to Ann Arbor. They read Narrative-A Trip from Utica, New York, to Ingham County, Michigan in 1838. As an added challenge, 3rd graders can use maps to track Silas...

Contrasting between the "Haves" and the "Have-Nots" of 18th-19th century Europe, this presentation explores the social and technological implications of the Industrial Revolution. Inventions, social trends, and scientific breakthroughs...

Connect the geography and history of Illinois using an art-centered lesson on the railroads. The railroad connected once-distant places, particularly in the Midwest. Using research, class members create postcards of fictional cross-state...

Railways not only cross the US, but they are also intertwined with the history of America. Using a timeline format, individuals explore the connections between major events in American history—such as the Civil War—and the rise of the...

Railways are an integral part of the history of California. Using a timeline format, class members connect major historical events to the rise of the railroads and their impact on the state. Activities include a mix of independent and...

The move West was greatly effected by the first transcontinental railroad. Present your class with well-organized information regarding major causes, players, and effects the railroad had on the face of an expanding America. Note: A...

Students investigate primary documents to summarize the causes and effects of the Industrial Revolution, along with new inventions and industrial production methods.

Students plan a route across Donner Summit using topographical maps in order to understand the challenges involved in constructing the railroad in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In this history lesson plan, students first discover how to...

Fourth graders work through a series of lessons to study the state of California. They participate in a geography journey activity, poetry activity, a research activity, and examine the rise of railroads in California. For each activity,...

Students use a topographical map to plan a route from Doknner Summit to Truckee, then compare it to the route selected by Theodore Judah.

This brief history recounts the construction in 1899 of the the Edmonton and Slave Lake Railway by a group of businessmen with an interest in exploiting the mineral deposits in the Athabasca Landing and Lesser Slave Lake area.

The Edmonton, Yukon and Pacific Railway was incorporated in 1896 to provide a rail connection between two political and economic rivals, Strathcona in the south and Edmonton in the north. This is a brief history of its evolution.

This collection of maps details the railway system in Western Canada in 1916. Viewer can zoom in on the maps for added detail.

This is a brief history of of the development the Canadian Northern Railway that was built in western Canada, and completed in 1915. The site also provides primary source resources in the the form of photographs, excerpts, figures and maps.

The early railways depended on coal to fire their locomotives. Vast deposits of coal were located along the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies. One of the richest mining areas on the main line of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway,...

This is a history of the construction and significance of a railway through the Crowsnest Pass that connected a part of British Columbia that was cut off from the rest of Canada. Included are maps, photographs and primary source documents.

This history of The Calgary and Edmonton Railway is an account of the necessity to build branch lines in order for the Canadian Pacific Railway to develop its vast land holdings on the prairies. Included are maps, photographs and primary...

This brief history describes the evolution of the Canadian Northern Western Railway. German entrepreneur, Martin Nordegg was unable to convince The Canadian Pacific or Grand Trunk Pacific to build a line so he turned to the Canadian...

This is a brief history that describes the establishment of the Alberta Railway by Alexander Tilloch Galt. It would be a means of moving coal from his companies coal properties to Medicine Hat. Included are maps, photographs and primary...

This brief history relates the construction in 1909 of what was to be an extensive network of lines, of which only two were built. An engineering challenge was faced during the construction due to a deeply incised, old glacial meltwater...