USI ‐ Westward Expansion and Reform Home:School Connections Unit Overview Students will study the time period between 1801 and 1860. They will learn about the United States expansion, exploration, conflicts and changes that occurred socially and politically. Key Terms Here are some of the terms we hope you might see or hear from your student. Some are new and some they probably have not heard in some time. We hope you can keep the conversation going at home.  Lewis & Clark  Erie Canal  Oregon and Santa Fe Trails  Manifest Destiny  entrepreneur  California Gold Rush  suffrage  abolitionist  inventor Home Support There are a number of ways you can support this unit at home. These are just a few.  Use a map of the United States to trace the path that Lewis and Clark took westward.  Get out your photographs or post cards of places you have visited. Have your child describe to you how the area of land was acquired and from whom. You could also ask your student to plan a trip of their own and create a travel brochure.  Play the “what if” game with your student. Ask them questions such as, “What if women couldn’t vote?” and “What if we didn’t have the cotton gin?” to analyze the need for the changes that occurred throughout the 1800’s.  Engage your student in discussions about slavery and abolition. Books and Websites Here are some books you can encourage your child to read.  A Long Way to Go: A Story of Women’s Right to Vote by Zibby Oneal  You Want Women to Vote Lizzy Stanton? By Jean Fritz  Harriet Tubman: Freedombound by Geoff and Janet Benge  Which Way to the Wild West by Steve Shanklin  Famous Wagon Trails by Christy Steele  The Age of Invention by Holland Thompson There are many kid‐friendly websites to explore this history. A few to start with are:  http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/suffrage/ Stories and articles about women’s suffrage presented in an engaging and fun format.  http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Twork.htm ‐ This is a simulation to help students get a first‐hand try at child labor.  http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/books/applications/imaps/maps/g5s_u5/index.html ‐ This is an interactive map showing the expansion of the United States.