The Pack contains associated resources for the learning experience, typically in the form of articles and videos. There is a teacher Pack (with only teacher information) and a student Pack (which contains only student information). As a teacher, you can toggle between both to see everything.
Here are the teacher pack items for Expansion’s Impact on the Environment:
Overview In this experience, 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. If you have access to leveled readers that include stories about the California Gold Rush, assign them to the students in parallel to this experience. Estimated duration: 35-45 minutes Vocabulary words: Objectives
As people moved westward, they turned to the environment to meet their basic needs—shelter, food, and energy sources. They used natural resources such as gold, wood, and grazing land for economic development. In this experience, you will learn some of the ways that the settlers adapted to the environment and modified it as they settled the frontier.
ObjectivesCartoon Caption: Does not SUCH a meeting make amends? (1869)
Look at the political cartoon above, published in 1869 after the completion of the transcontinental railroad. The cartoonist is using a picture to express an opinion about the benefits and costs of the railroad.
Identify one positive effect and one negative effect of the railroad, according to the cartoon.
If students struggle to answer the question, have them turn to elbow partners to discuss the cartoon. Sample answers: