Westward Expansion: Supplemental Guide CA | Culminating Activities 215- The Pony Express was an overland route created to help deliver
mail faster from the East Coast to the West Coast. The starting
point was St. Joseph, Missouri, and the ending point was
Sacramento, California. Who can locate the states of Missouri
and California on the map? - The Lakota Sioux once lived on the North American plains where
many bison roamed, an area that included the states of South
Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. Who can fi nd the states of
South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana on the map?
The Golden Spike: The Utah State Quarter
Materials: Utah state quarter(s); drawing paper, drawing tools
Show students the Utah state quarter with the image of the two
locomotives and the Golden Spike between them. Remind students
that the joining of the Union Pacifi c and Central Pacifi c railroads
occurred at Promontory Point in Utah. You may also wish to discuss
the inscription on the quarter: “Crossroads of the West.”
If you brought in enough quarters for each student, or for a
few groups of students to share, have them use a pencil to do
a rubbing of the quarter’s image onto a piece of paper. Have
students draw a border around the image and add any other
details they have learned about westward expansion. Have
students write at least one complete sentence about the Golden
Spike or the completion of the transcontinental railroad. As
students share their drawings and sentences, remember to repeat
and expand upon their vocabulary, using richer and more complex
language, including, if possible, any read-aloud vocabulary.Researching Westward Expansion
Materials: Chart paper, chalkboard, or whiteboard
Ask students if there are any topics they learned about in
Westward Expansion that they would like to learn more about. You
may want to reread the titles of the read-alouds to give students
an idea of what they’d like to research.
Talk with students about the various resources you are making
available to them. [See the list of Recommended Resources at the
front of the Anthology.]