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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

All Aboard- Central Pacific Railroad

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders explore the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad. In this U.S. history lesson, 2nd graders discuss vocabulary and events that occurred in the 1860s pertaining to the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I Hear the Locomotives: The Impact of the Transcontinental Railroad

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine the effects the Transcontinental Railroad had on the regions through which it passed. They analyze and discuss maps, view and describe online images, and use photos and documents to develop a cause-and-effect ladder.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planning A Railroad Online Lesson

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students plan a route across Donner Summit using topographical maps in order to understand the challenges involved in constructing the railroad in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In this history lesson, students first discover how to read...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

American West: Railroads

For Students 5th - 6th
In these American West worksheets, students cut out the cards related to the American West and the railroads. Students match the cards together.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planning A Railroad

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students use topographical maps students explain the challenges involved in building the railroad in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
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Lesson Plan
Stanford University

Chinese Immigration and Exclusion

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first race-based restriction on immigration in American history. Why was the act passed after Chinese immigrants helped build the Transcontinental Railroad? A series of documents, including speeches and...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Goldentail's Rounding Railroad

For Students 5th - 6th
In this number puzzle activity, students solve 24 equations in each of two sets of multiplication and division problems. They circle each answer and round them to the nearest whole number. They use the secret code that is shown in a box...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dragon's Gate

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Young scholars read Dragon's Gate as a shared literature book. This lesson provides excellent extension activities students can engage in while they are reading, and after they have finished the book.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Austin & Texas Central Railroad

For Students 6th - 8th
In this word search worksheet, students search and find vocabulary words as they relate to the Austin & Texas Central Railroad. Words may be located forward, backward, up, down, and diagonally.
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Activity
Education World

Every Day Edit - The Golden Spike

For Students 3rd - 8th
In this everyday editing worksheet, students correct grammatical mistakes in a short paragraph about the "golden spike." The errors range from punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and spelling.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gold Rush -- Lesson 4

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students continue their examination of the Gold Rush in California. In groups, they use a map to examine the original sites of the towns and what happened to them. They work together to create a brochure for one of the towns and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

All Aboard The Campaign Train!

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore campaign politics. For this political campaign lesson, students investigate multimedia sources in order to examine the structure of political parties and platforms from previous presidential elections. Students then...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Types of Trains

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore different types of trains. In this science lesson, 3rd graders study the "Orphan Train" and write a paragraph about what it would feel like to be riding a train during this time period.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Read All About It

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students investigate the concept of conducting research to create a newspaper. They use tools of research to gather information. The information is interpreted while working in small groups. Then the groups write articles that can be put...
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Handout
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Cprr Photographic History Museum: Constructing the Central Pacific Railroad

For Students 9th - 10th
From a book written by a civil engineer, John Debo Galloway, this article discusses the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad including construction methods, problems, and the eventual meeting of the rails at Promontory Point.
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Article
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Cprr History Museum: Nelsons' Pictorial Guide Books: Central Pacific Railroad

For Students 9th - 10th
Contains Nelson's pictorial guide-books, a fascinating look at the journey on the Central Pacific Railroad from Utah to California, including time schedules and descriptions of scenery.
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Handout
Other

California State Railroad Museum: Central Pacific Railroad No. 1: Gov. Stanford

For Students 9th - 10th
Use this resource to learn about the steam engine, Gov. Stanford, which was used in many roles on the Central Pacific Railroad line.
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Primary
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Cprr Photographic History Museum: The Pacific Railroad Unopen

For Students 9th - 10th
From the September, 1869, magazine, "Overland Monthly", is this article by Robert L. Harris who traveled the route of the Central Pacific Railroad before it was officially opened, and wrote a description of the scenery along the route.
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Handout
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Cprr Photographic History Museum: Locating the Central Pacific Railroad

For Students 9th - 10th
From a book "The First Transcontinental Railroad" by John Debo Galloway, a civil engineer, comes this comprehensive description of the topography of the route of the Central Pacific Railroad.
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Handout
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum: Building of the Iron Road

For Students 9th - 10th
From an article by B.P. Avery printed in the May, 1869, issue of "Overland Monthly" is this description of the building of the transcontinental railroad including information about the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific...
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Website
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Cprr: Lewis Metzler Clement: A Pioneer of the Central Pacific Railroad

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides biographical information on Lewis Metzler Clement, the chief engineer for the Central Pacific Railroad, who both designed much of the route and supervised construction of the railroad. Includes several primary sources ranging...
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Website
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

The Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

For Students 9th - 10th
If you are researching the Central Pacific Railroad or the importance of photography in the recording of our social and technological history, this site is for you. You will find plenty of topic photos and good information about the...
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Handout
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Cprr Photographic History Museum: Builders of the Central Pacific Railroad

For Students 9th - 10th
This chapter from "The First Transcontinental Railroad" by John Debo Galloway contains biographies of the important men who conceived of the railroad, found funds for the line, and engineered the construction.
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Handout
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Cprr History Museum: Chinese Laborers and Construction of the Central Pacific

For Students 9th - 10th
An article from the Utah Quarterly, Vol. 37, No. 1, by George Kraus, recounts the decision to use Chinese laborers in building the Central Pacific Railroad. Many primary source documents included as well as supplemental direct quotes in...