Grade 2 Read-Aloud

114 Westward Expansion: Supplemental Guide PP|Pausing Point

Note to Teacher

You should pause here and spend one day reviewing, reinforcing,

or extending the material taught thus far.

You may have students do any combination of the activities listed

below, but it is highly recommended you use the Mid-Domain

Student Performance Task Assessment to assess students’

knowledge of westward expansion. The other activities may be

done in any order. You may also choose to do an activity with the

whole class or with a small group of students who would benefi t

from the particular activity.

Core Content Objectives Up to This Pausing Point

Students will:

 Describe a pioneer family’s journey westward

 Describe family life on the frontier

 Explain the signifi cance of the steamboat

 Identify Robert Fulton as the developer of the steamboat

 Identify steamboats, canals, and trains as new means of travel

that increased the movement of people west

 Describe the importance of canals

 Identify the Erie Canal as the most famous canal built during the

Canal Era

 Demonstrate familiarity with the song “The Erie Canal”

 Explain the signifi cance of Sequoyah’s invention of the Cherokee

writing system

 Explain why writing was important to Sequoyah and the

Cherokee

 Describe the Cherokee writing system in basic terms

PPausing Pointausing Point

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