Westward Expansion Research Report
Lesson 1 - Introduction
Lesson 1 - Introduction
Today we are starting a unit on writing research reports. Imagine living during this time period. What would it be like? What challenges would you face? How would this time period shape the future? Well now is your chance to go back in time. You will research about how the US explored new frontiers that helped it become what it is today. So this is a unit on exploring new frontiers for you as a writer and as a settler. In this unit you will research select topics about Westward Expansion and write an informational essay about what you learned.
You will be researching 7 different topics that were part of the United States desire to move west and helped shape America as we know it today. There will be some hints, tips, and questions for each topic to help you get started and guide you in the right direction with your note taking.
You do NOT need to fill in every question/hint on every topic, but they are all important pieces of information that could be included in your notes. Each topic has a section for "other", you must include 2 details here that have not been already done that you feel are important for each of the topics.
Louisiana Purchase
Oregon Trail
Lewis and Clark
Gold Rush
Erie Canal
Transcontinental Railroad
Pioneer Life
You will also be collecting one fun fact for each topic that is not already included in your notes.
One of the most important things to keep in mind when you do research is:
What is the important information I need to collect.
Think about it like this - If there was a fire in your house and you could only carry out a few things, what would you grab? The people that went west had a similar question. They had to travel long distances. You can only grab a small bag full of your belongings to the new land and with those, you are going to build a new life. It must have been hard to decide what to bring. As writers, you must think about similar questions. As you begin thinking about Westward Expansion, you need to think - What kind of information and knowledge will I need?
Now it is time to build a little background. Watch the videos and read the book below. Think about this question - What was Westward Expansion?
passwords are at the bottom of the page
Next use the below Google Doc and write a paragraph (5-7 sentences, proper grammar, capitals, & punctuation) that answers this question - What was Westward Expansion? Remember, you need to make a copy and save it in your Drive in order to use it.
Tomorrow, you will start researching the first topic, The Louisiana Purchase.
PASSWORDS YOU WILL NEED
You must be logged into your Medford Google account to access the passwords.