Grade 5 · Social Studies · History

5th Grade Westward Expansion worksheets

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Westward Expansion

Grade 5 Social Studies Worksheet

NameDate

Read each fact. Circle who it is about.

1.
Packed food, tools and clothes into a wagon.
- settlers
- Native nations
- the U.S. government
2.
Passed laws that helped railroads claim land.
- settlers
- Native nations
- the U.S. government
3.
Lost millions of acres through treaties that were often broken.
- settlers
- Native nations
- the U.S. government
4.
Followed the Santa Fe Trail to trade.
- settlers
- Native nations
- the U.S. government
5.
Traded furs and goods with settlers and traders.
- settlers
- Native nations
- the U.S. government
6.
Went to war with Mexico and gained new lands.
- settlers
- Native nations
- the U.S. government
7.
Governed themselves as separate nations.
- settlers
- Native nations
- the U.S. government
8.
Built forts along the trails.
- settlers
- Native nations
- the U.S. government
9.
Built sod houses on the plains.
- settlers
- Native nations
- the U.S. government
10.
Wrote letters back home about the trip.
- settlers
- Native nations
- the U.S. government

5th Grade Westward Expansion worksheet 1 – printable PDF — Download PDF: 1 2 3 4 5 6

About this worksheet

In the 1800s the United States grew far to the west. Settlers moved along trails and railroads to find land and gold, the U. S. government bought, claimed and organized new territory, and Native nations, who had lived on the land for thousands of years, lost homelands and ways of life.

On this fifth grade sheet a child reads ten facts and circles whether each is about settlers, Native nations or the U. S. government. Each version has different facts, and the answer key gives every answer.

What your child will learn

Know who moved west and why
Know what the government did
Understand how Native nations were affected
See the same events from different points of view

C3 Framework standard: D2.His.14.3-5

Worked example

Buying the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803 was a decision of the U.S. government. Traveling in covered wagons was what settlers did.

Common mistake

Telling the story only from the settlers' side and forgetting that Native nations already lived on the land.

Helpful hint

Ask who is acting or who is affected: families moving west, leaders making laws and treaties, or the people whose homelands were taken.

Next skill: Slavery and Abolition Earlier: The American Revolution

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with westward expansion?

Telling the story only from the settlers' side and forgetting that Native nations already lived on the land.

How can I help my child with westward expansion?

Ask who is acting or who is affected: families moving west, leaders making laws and treaties, or the people whose homelands were taken.

Are these 5th grade social studies worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions on this page are free to download and print, with no account needed.

More 5th grade history

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