Name:____________

Date:____________
Period:____________

Project Grade Worth:

Description: The Pacific Railway Act of 1862 allowed for government funding of
a transcontinental railroad crossing the span of the United States. This momentous
project linking the nation allowed for an explosion of settlement in western territories,
economic advancement of business and agriculture, and spurred an enormous growth of
industry. By joining east and west the transcontinental railroad shaped a new era in U.S.
history, and offered a sense of unity among the states. In this project your group will
explore and present on three specific topic areas concerning the transcontinental railway
(the big four, construction of the two lines, impact of the railway on the Plains Indians)
and produce a final report describing the importance of the transcontinental railroad in
changing the United States. Also, this project will serve as a means of introducing
students to Google Documents, a useful tool in preparing, proof reading, critiquing, and
submitting presentations and writing assignments.

Big Four Presentation Project: ____/50

Directions – The Big four were a group of California merchants who invested in
the construction of the transcontinental railroad. Though their lives were fairly moderate
prior to their involvement with this construction they would considerably benefit from
this building project. Your responsibility is to prepare a powerpoint presentation in
Google Doc’s outlining the backgrounds of these men, the investment(s) they made in the
railroad, and the different outcomes they experienced during and after the railroad was
completed. Your presentation should include:
- 9 slides ___/15
- 10 visual elements (paintings, photos, video, etc.) ___/10
- Sufficient information describing the Big 4 ___/20
(information must be gained through the libraries online resources, and cited
in your presentation)
- Good oral presentation of the subject material ___/5
Projects will be presented in class in front of peers. Groups should choose an individual
who is outgoing and enthusiastic as well as confident in the information to focus on the
powerpoint presentation.

Useful Links:
- http://www.infohio.org/ER/ER9-12.asp
- http://ars.sirs.com/
- http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm

Construction of the Transcontinental Railroad Poster _____/50

 Directions – Constructing the transcontinental railroad was both complex
and tedious. Engineers faced tremendous challenges and hardships trying to link
the two lines. Your responsibility is to construct a poster that adequately details
the construction of the transcontinental railroad. In addition to providing several
visual elements, you are also responsible for preparing a typed paragraph
explanation of each photo (3-5 sentences) describing what it depicts, which rail
line it was taken, and why it is relevant in the construction of the transcontinental
line. Examples of photo topics include:
- Where and when did the different rail lines start
- Where did the two lines meet
- Challenges in building the different rail lines
- Who built the railways
- Statistics
Posters should have/be:
At least 10 visual elements ____/20
10 well written and informative paragraph explanations ____/20
Prepared in a neat and orderly fashion/visually pleasing ____/5

(remember, this is not a collage)

Plains Indians Presentation _____/50

Directions – The native inhabitants of the western plains were deeply
impacted by the expansion of the railways into their lands. These Indian tribes,
predominantly the Sioux Indian nation, were forced to sign limiting treaties,
removed from their lands, and put onto reservations. Your responsibility for this
project is to prepare a powerpoint presentation via Google Doc’s describing
Native American resistance during and after railroad construction. Points of
interest should include the different Sioux uprisings, the Sand Creek Massacre,
and the Battle of Little Bighorn and Wounded Knee. Properly explain why the
events/uprisings occurred, where they occurred, as well as the importance and
effects of the incident(s). Your presentation should include:
- 9 slides ___/15
- 10 visual elements (paintings, photos, video, etc.) ___/10
- Sufficient information describing the stated events ___/20
(information must be gained through the libraries online resources, and cited
in your presentation)
- Good oral presentation of the subject material ___/5
Projects will be presented in class in front of peers. Groups should choose an individual
who is outgoing and enthusiastic as well as confident in the information to focus on this
presentation.
(see Useful Links above for information gathering)
Importance of the Railroad on America Report _____/50
Directions – Historians view the development of the transcontinental
railroad as an important element in linking the United States and shaping our
culture and society. As described, the railroad significantly impacted the
settlement of the west, brought about a growth of business and agriculture, and
supported industrialization. Your responsibility is to construct a three to five page
report describing the importance of the transcontinental railroad in settling the
west (including immigration), linking the nations economy in the way of business
and agriculture, and describe how the railroad helped to increase industrialization
in the United States. Reports should be prepared in MLA format using Google
Doc’s to develop, peer-edit, and be submitted to the instructor. The following
Rubric will be used for grading: