Teaching Westward Expansion and the Pioneers

Westward expansion is such an interesting topic for students.  The idea of traveling across the country on foot for months is something that many students cannot imagine.

How Can We Make This Unit Even More Fun?
Acting out the pioneers experiences and using interactive notebooks are both helpful.
  

Add replicas and other items inside of a box for students to explore.  They can write about their findings and "touch" the past.

Interactive notebooks are also fun.Click here to access a westward expansion interactive notebook.

Ask an intriguing question that students must research. This builds up interest in the unit and is a great way to integrate research into the lesson.

(*Many sources have stated that water was not sold for $100 a cup, but prices along the pioneer trails were high for items.)

Plants Interactive Notebook

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If you plan to teach students about plants, you will enjoy this interactive bundle.    It includes interactive notebook inserts, a graphic comic about plants, task cards, differentiated worksheets, and a written response. Assembly directions, answer keys, and a rubric are all included. 

Interactive Science Notebooks

The newest interactive journal for science has just been released.  I really had a great time putting it together.  Students absolutely love them because they make learning about different topics fun.Click Here To Access It.

This journal covers the rock cycle, atoms, magnets, and more topics.  There is a reading passage for each topic that can be directly placed inside of each student journal.  

Click Here For The Life Science Journal

Click Here For The Earth Science Notebook

Click Here To Access Interactive Journals That Cover Additional Topics & Grade Levels

Grade 3 Common Core Interactive Reading Journal Literature and Informational Text Standards

Convenient and fun, this interactive notebook includes 19 short Common Core reading passages, vocabulary words, and interactive notebook inserts to review ALL of the Common Core Literature and Common Core Informational Text Standards.  There is no need to search for reading passages since everything is included.  They are able to be pasted directly into student journals.  Activities are included for each standard to make assessing and teaching Common Core easy too.  Additional blank templates are also included.Click Here To Access It

Click Here To Access It

Westward and the Pioneers Interactive Notebook

This interactive social studies journal integrates reading, social studies, writing, and speaking in a very fun way.  3D journal inserts and pieces that slide and/or lift make learning about Westward Expansion and the pioneers so much fun. Click Here To Access It
Use this as an interactive journal or as a fun lapbook.

Students engage in hands-on experiences to learn about the pioneers.  In this activity, students decide which items to take and which ones to leave along the pioneer trail.

Slide the covered wagon across the prairie to "experience" what it was like to travel west.

Many more fun hands-on, reading, and writing activities are included too.

Click Here To Access It

lapbook

interactive reading journal

Grade 4 Common Core Math Interactive Notebook Operations and Algebraic Thinking

This document is sure to make Common Core math easier as well as fun.  This interactive journal includes all of the Grade 4 Operations and Algebraic Thinking Standards.  This document is unique because it includes math practice problems so that students can demonstrate their understanding. It also contains interactive notebook inserts and vocabulary words to make Common Core easier for students to understand.

Click Here To Access It