Westward Expansion Teaching Resources

Planning a unit on Westward Expansion can be incredibly involved and time-consuming. There's no need to spend all of your time planning — our teacher team has done it for you! This collection will help you bring this period of history to life in your classroom.

Take your social studies students back to pioneer times with curriculum-aligned resources created by teachers for your elementary school classrooms. Explore the timeline of Westward Expansion from the Louisiana Purchase through the Lewis and Clark Expedition and beyond.

• Get printable maps of Colonial America for students.
• Download slide decks to teach the journey of Lewis and Clark, crossword puzzles, and Westward Expansion reading passages about the Westward Expansion period.

This era of American history comes to life in this curriculum-aligned teaching resource collection with editable resources to fit the needs of your students.

What is Westward Expansion?

Haven't taught this section of US history in a while (or ever)?

When you think about what the United States is today, it's hard to imagine that it wasn't always this way. In fact, for a long time, it was just a collection of 13 colonies along the east coast.

But once people started to settle in the West, things started to change—and fast. The pioneers who traveled west changed the face of America forever.  Settlers, explorers like Lewis and Clark, and pioneers all helped contribute to what's now known as "Westward Expansion."

Teaching Westward Expansion for Kids

Our teacher team has put together a few tips to get you started as you work to expand your students' minds westward.

• First, print your own illustrated Westward Expansion vocabulary word wall.
• Next, navigate the Oregon Trail and test your survival skills with The Oregon Trail Board Game.
• Finally, print cross-curricular Westward Expansion worksheet PDF files and assessments to blend reading and social studies curriculum.