Researcher

Job Description

The Researcher is one of the most important specialists because this job requires you to acquire a lot of information about the history of the transcontinental railroad. You will need to take careful notes to uncover the critical aspects of how this form of transportation, the transcontinental railroad, helped to bring about westward expansion in the United States. As the researcher, you need to use the internet resources provided to answer the questions below. You can record your findings in this research log..

Questions

1. Who built the transcontinental railroad?
2. What obstacles did the builders face?
3. When and where did the tracks meet?
4. Why was the transcontinental railroad vital to taming the west?

Resources

The Great Railroad Race Game
http://cprr.org/Game/Interactive_Railroad_Project/indexy.htm

...This is a fabulous resource for you! Follow along by pressing the NEXT button on each page. Join the Union Pacific Railroad team in Nebraska. You don't need to complete the projects, but be sure to finish the game so that you understand what was involved in building the railroad. All members of your advertising agency will be looking at this link. Print this research log out to help you record information you find.

Transcontinental Railroad...Who Built it? ...Why?...Where is it Now?
http://www.mindspring.com/~jjlanham/trcc1.htm

The Meeting Spot
http://library.thinkquest.org/10353/data/rr2.htm

Map of the Union Pacific Path
http://cprr.org/Museum/images/maps/UPRR_Construction_Dates.jpg

Timeline of Events
http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/history/uprr-chr.shtml

Union Pacific Railroad History
http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/history/hist-ov2.shtml

Transcontinental Railroad History
http://www.blm.gov/education/railroads/trans.html

Railroad History
http://www.fra.dot.gov/s/edu/school/curriculum/1-3/history1-3.html

Picture of the Meeting Spot
http://members.aol.com/vlcondon/train2.htm

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