Social Studies - 4th Grade (2024)
Lesson Plans

Strand 3: Expansion (1847-1896)

Students will learn about the unprecedented migration, dramatic cultural change and conflicts, and new technologies of this era. Students will study the migration of diverse populations who settled across the region that would become Utah. They will learn about some of the implications of this settlement on Native American communities. Students will evaluate the relationships between the Industrial Revolution, the completion of the transcontinental railroad, other technologies, and the human and physical geography of the region. Students will also learn about the process and challenges Utah faced transforming from a territory to the 45th state.

Compelling Questions:

• What factors led people from all over the world to settle in Utah and positioned Utah to become “The Crossroads of the West”?
• Why did Utah struggle to attain statehood?
• How did new immigrant communities contribute to the history and culture of Utah?
• How did Native American life change as settlement continued?
• How did improved transportation, industry, and mining transform Utah’s economy, politics, and other aspects of culture?

Standard 4.3.2

Explain how Utah’s physical geography provided opportunities and imposed constraints for human activities between 1847-1896 (for example, agriculture, mining, settlement, communication, transportation networks) and how people changed the physical environment to meet their needs.

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http://www.uen.org - in partnership with Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).  Send questions or comments to USBE Specialist - Robert  Austin and see the Social Studies website. For general questions about Utah's Core Standards contact the Director - Meghan  Everette.

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