Tell It Again! Read-Aloud Anthology - EngageNY

Give students time to read and discuss their findings in small
groups, and then come back together as a class to share answers
and information students found. Students may also use Internet
resources or the local library to conduct research.
Tell students that many companies that we are still familiar with
today were started during the time of westward expansion. You
might suggest students visit the “history” or “about” section of
one or more of these companies’ websites either individually or in
a small group:
• Ghirardelli Chocolate
www.ghirardelli.com/about-ghirardelli/ghirardellis-heritage-160-years
• Boudin Bakery
www.boudinbakery.com/meetboudin/since1849
• Levi Strauss
www.us.levi.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=18816896
Advertising Posters
Materials: Drawing paper, drawing tools
Have students pretend that they work in advertising and need to
create marketing posters that will encourage people to take a ride
on the first transcontinental railroad. Have students brainstorm
important information regarding the sights people may have seen
and the experiences they may have had if they traveled from San
Francisco to New York, or vice versa, in 1869.
Posters could also be made advertising the Pony Express.
Song: “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”
Materials: Recording of the song, “I’ve Been Working on the
Railroad”
Have students listen to the recording of “I’ve Been Working on the
Railroad” again. Students may talk about the content of the song or
how the song makes them feel. Encourage students to use domain
vocabulary they have learned thus far when sharing their ideas.
Students may also draw a pictorial representation of the song.
154 Westward Expansion CA | Culminating Activities
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