Tell It Again! Read-Aloud Anthology - EngageNY

You Were There: Pony Express; Transcontinental Railroad
Have students pretend that they were at one of the important
events during the westward expansion of the United States. Ask
students to describe what they saw and heard. For example, for
the “Pony Express,” students may talk about seeing a buffalo
stampede or a landmark such as Chimney Rock, which helped
guide Pony Express riders on their journeys. They may talk about
hearing the beat of the horse’s hooves, the crack of lightning on
the plains, etc. Consider also extending this activity by adding
group or independent writing opportunities associated with the
“You Were There” concept. For example, ask students to pretend
they are newspaper reporters describing the last spike being
driven into the rails of the transcontinental railroad and write a
group news article describing the event.
Class Book: Westward Expansion
Materials: Drawing paper, drawing tools
Tell the class or a group of students that they are going to make a
class book to help them remember what they have learned in this
domain. Have students brainstorm important information about
the Oregon Trail, the Pony Express, the Lakota Sioux, and the
transcontinental railroad. Have each student choose one idea to
draw a picture of and then write a caption for the picture. Bind the
pages to make a book to put in the class library for students to
read again and again.
Another option is to create an ABC book where students
brainstorm domain-related words for each letter of the alphabet.
Using a Map
Materials: U.S. map
Use a map of the United States to review various locations from
the read-alouds. Ask questions such as the following:
• The Oregon Trail was a route used by settlers traveling west,
which began in the state of Missouri and ended in the Oregon
Territory. Who can find the present-day states of Missouri and
Oregon on the map?
152 Westward Expansion CA | Culminating Activities
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