Curated OER
Life on the Trails
Fourth graders explore U.S. Geography by completing a worksheet. For this west coast geography lesson, 4th graders discuss the Santa Fe and Oregon-California trails and the people who traveled them in the 1800's. Students define...
Curated OER
Trade and Travel on the Overland Trails
Students compare and contrast trade routes. In this trade route lesson, students explore the Oregon Trail and the Santa Fe trail. Students compare and contrast the purposes for these trails.
Curated OER
Trails to the West
Eighth graders research American history of the 1850's. In this American history lesson, 8th graders write about how different American groups looked at the idea of Manifest Destiny. Students then draw the Oregon and Santa Fe Trail.
Curated OER
Raton Pass and Glorieta Battlefield
Students complete a variety of activities that go along with the study of and possible fieldtrip to Raton Pass and Glorieta Battlefield on the Sante Fe Trail in New Mexico.
Curated OER
The U.S. Westward Movement
Students, working in groups, research and write about one of the trails that were used during US Westward Movement. They create a travel brochure for their trail keeping in mind the era in which the travel took place.
Curated OER
Westward Ho
Students examine primary sources regarding Western migration. In this Manifest Destiny instructional activity, students determine why the pioneers moved west and what the trip was like as they examine sources and write journals based on...
Curated OER
Keeping the Home Fires: The lives of Western women
Fourth graders explore the various trails that settlers took West from Missouri. They examine the reasons that people took these trails as well as the kind of people who made the journeys. They examine the Oregon, the Mormon, the Santa...
Curated OER
Roads of the Past and Present
Third graders compare the paths taken by the pioneers with those taken today. They trace the development and emergence of culture in indigenous communities.
Curated OER
The Built Environment-An Integrating Theme
Students observe, record, and present knowledge of their local built environment while conducting a walking tour of their community. They develop written and photo journals, drawings, time lines, graphs, and charts to engage in...
Curated OER
Manifest Destiny
In this Westward Expansion worksheet, high schoolers read assigned textbook pages which describe Manifest Destiny and respond to 33 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Headin' West! The Life of a Pioneer
Students explore the life of a pioneer and the relationship between the concept of Manifest Destiny and pioneering. Students complete activities, maps, writing and reading to experience pioneer life. Handouts and worksheets are included...
Curated OER
The Battle of Glorieta Pass: A Shattered Dream
This lesson can be used in American history, social studies, and geography courses in units on westward expansion and the Civil War.
Curated OER
Frontier Forts
Seventh graders study frontier forts. In this Kansas history lesson, 7th graders research the history and conditions of Fort Leavenworth, Fort Scott, Fort Riley, Fort Larned, and Fort Hays. Students write letters from the...
Curated OER
The American West-Knowledge Test
In this American West worksheet, students complete a 24 questions test about the American West. Answers are included beneath questions on worksheet.
Curated OER
Creating a Landmark Calendar-An Enterprise for Your School
Students scrutinize the steps necessary to produce a school calendar featuring local architectural sites and landmarks.
Curated OER
What if the Mormons had not come to Utah?
Fourth graders use critical thinking, evaluation, and geography skills to find alternative locations that Brigham Young could have taken the Mormons to settle.
Curated OER
Heritage: What if the Mormons had not come to Utah?
Fourth graders use critical thinking, evaluation, and geography skills to find alternative locations that Brigham Young could have taken the Mormons to settle. They present their findings to Brigham Young and the class with a short...
Other
History and Heritage Connections: The Santa Fe Trail
This website provides a good introduction to the Santa Fe Trail. It describes life on the trail, provides pictures of the trail today, and includes major events concerning the trail.
Other
Bicknell Family Home Page: Santa Fe Trail
History of the Santa Fe Trail, focusing on the historical journey of William Becknell, the "father" of the Santa Fe Trail.
Scholastic
Scholastic History Mystery: Westward Migration: The Santa Fe Trail
Students try to guess the mystery subject Carlotta Facts, the History Mystery Museum's professor, is studying. They read the clues, do some online and offline research, and then attempt to identify the game's mystery place, The Santa Fe...
Other
Office of the State Historian: 1841 Texan Santa Fe Expedition
A detailed look at the motivation behind the Santa Fe expedition in 1841, the organization and members of the group, the Mexican response to it, and the aftermath.
Siteseen
Siteseen: American Historama: Santa Fe Trail
Provides 20 interesting facts and important information about the 900-mile route from Independence, Missouri, to Santa Fe, New Mexico from 1821 until 1880.
Other
Oregon California Trails Association: Historic Trails Learning Center
Information portal for the organization that oversees the preservation of the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, the Applegate Trail, and the Mormon Trail.
