Settling the West project requirements - Due Wednesday November 28th

Settling the Western Frontier


Good Afternoon Students,


The year is 1862. You are a reporter for the New York Times and you have been asked by your editor to head out West and report back your findings. Americans have just begun to head westward and it is your responsibility to find out as much information as possible. Your story is extremely important because many of those who read it may or may not be persuaded to head west. You must create a detailed report of all of your findings. Lastly, your story must attempt to either persuade people to head out west, or persuade them to stay in the east. During your assignment you must do the following:

- Choose a character in the West that you would like to learn more about.
- Describe what life was like for them.
- Explain how this character traveled in the West.
- Explain how this characters life was affected by the transcontinental railroad.
- Describe this characters relationship with others.

In addition to these requirements, you must also include the following:

- Two photographs
- A timeline of events
- One drawing

You will be working in groups to gather information however the final project will be individual. The final report must be a persuasive article telling your readers whether they should head out west or if they should stay home in the east. Good Luck…and remember, you are a reporter so you have a deadline. The final project is due on November 28th.

During your research you may use:
- Library Resources
- Classroom books
- Your Textbook
- Internet Resources (.gov, .edu, .org)

Yours Truly,

Mr. Corbett
Editor in Chief