1. Warm Up
How did newspapers encourage people to head out west to mine for gold?
Why did companies have a better chance of finding gold?
Why did boom towns turn into ghost towns?

2. Objective- SWBAT understand how railroads helped the mining industry grow in the West.

3. Transportation was vital to the survival of mining communities
Transportation was vital to the survival of mining communities. Gold, silver, and other metals had little value unless they reached factories, ports, and markets, similarly, people in western boomtowns needed shipment of supplies.

4. Industrial centers in the East and the Midwest were hundreds of miles away from the West. What transportation was available in the late 1800’s? Why were these modes of transportation not much help in transporting metals to the industrial centers?

5. Wagons and stagecoaches could not move people and goods fast enough, but railroads could. The nations railroad network grew rapidly between 1865 and During that time, track length in the United States soared from about 35,000 miles to more than 150,000 miles!

6. Guided Practice
As a class, we will popcorn read “The Government Helps” on page 523, and discuss the following comprehension questions:
How and why did the governments support the railroads?
What did government land grants include?

7. Independent Practice
Read the passage titled, “Spanning the Continent” and answer the following comprehension questions:
What is the “gist” of this passage?
What are two details supporting the “gist”
Why was work on the Central Pacific Railroad more difficult than the work on the Union Pacific Railroad?

8. Group Work
Consult the picture of the steam locomotive 1. What are the advantages of a steam locomotive? 2. How did this new technology change transportation?

9. Homework
Read the passage “Effects of the Railroads” on page 524 in your textbook THAT SHOULD BE AT HOME!
Why were new towns built around the location of train tracks?
How did trains change the way people measured time?