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Wagon's West
Students travel to the American West. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students discuss the Oregon Trail and then play the computer game of the same title. Students take on the roles of those who travelled the trail.
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The Pioneer Experience
Tenth graders consider the move westward. In this Westward Movement lesson, 10th graders compare and contrast the experiences of 2 pioneers by creating t-charts. Students analyze diaries, photographs, and political cartoons that capture...
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The Settlers are Coming, but the Natives are Here
Students examine interactions between Native Americans and settlers. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students participate in a classroom simulation and then write paper about how the Native Americans and settlers could keep the...
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Wagons West
Students examine life on westward trails. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students analyze textbook passages about life on the Oregon Trail and the motivations of the people who settled Oregon.
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Wagons West: Native Americans
Students examine interactions between Native Americans and settlers. In this Westward Expansion lesson plan, students analyze select passages from Plains Indians by Dana Newmann and The World of Native Americans by Marion Wood....
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Writing a Fantasy Story - Time Travel
Middle schoolers write a fantasy story about time traveling back to the time of the Oregon Trail. In this Oregon trail lesson students gather information from their Social Studies textbook about life during the time of the Oregon Trail.
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Westward Ho
Middle schoolers examine primary sources regarding Western migration. In this Manifest Destiny lesson, students determine why the pioneers moved west and what the trip was like as they examine sources and write journals based on their...
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Oregon Trail Diary
Pupils write a diary. In this writing and creativity instructional activity, students pretend they are moving west and keep a diary about their adventures. Pupils study real-life scenarios about families who made the trip out west before...
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Webquest - Westward Ho!
Learners investigate life on the trail West. In this Oregon Trail lesson, students collaborate to research the pioneer life and then role play a family's life on the trail. Learners author an essay regarding their research finding and...
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Let's Party like its 1849
Students explore prairie life. In this Oregon Trail lesson plan, students read literature regarding the move west and participate in cross-curricular activities. Students should take digital photographs of the participation in activities...
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Oregon Trail Maps
Fourth graders explore the Oregon Trail. In this Oregon Trail lesson, 4th graders collaborate to conduct Internet research regarding states along the Oregon trail route. Students present their findings to their peers.
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History Detectives
Fifth graders investigate the significant events in America's history. Students listen to a variety of books based on significant historical events in America. Students divide into 6 groups, each of which is responsible for researching...
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Mountain Men
In this history worksheet, students read a one page article about life on the Oregon trail and the fur traders and mountain men. Students then answer 4 essay questions.
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Westward Ho!
Students participate in an Oregon Trail simulation in order to learn the hardships that the emigrating settlers faced. In this U.S. history lesson, students are required to work as a team and use the internet to research a final...
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Landforms And The Oregon Trail
Fourth graders investigate the historical context for the founding of The Oregon Trail. They conduct research to put together the events that led to the geographical route that was taken. The lesson also strengthens geography skills with...
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"Go West, Young Man!"
Young scholars examine reasons why people migrated west. They describe how the geography of the U.S. changed in the 19 th century and design a PowerPoint presentation to convey factors for westward expansion.
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Bound for Oregon
Middle schoolers engage in a novel study using the layered curriculum style of unit. The unit has many different types of activities that have different ratings of difficulty. This allows for a great deal of differentiation.
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Selling of the West, or The Portrayal of Emigrant Travel on the Oregon Trail
Students compare and contrast the realistic and romantic art and literature about experiences on the Oregon Trail. Using this information, they compare their viewpoints and write messages on what they believe it was like on a trip down...
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Oregon Trail Art
Students describe events that happened on the Oregon Trail and in the daily lives of Native Americans by writing a narrative essay of a family traveling through Nebraska based on Thomas Hart Benton's paintings.
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Westward Expansion
Eighth graders explore the components of the Westward Movement in the United States. Understanding the past and the linkages it has to the present is the intended goal of this seventeen day unit.
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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.
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On the Oregon Trail
Students prepare cross-curricular lessons based on the experience of traveling the Oregon Trail.
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Western Expansion and Native Americans
Fifth graders research the Oregon, Old Spanish, California, and Mormon trails, and the impact western expansion had on the Native Americans living on those lands.
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Landmarks of the Oregon Trail in Nebraska
Young scholars examine art work as primary sources and complete the worksheet to leaern about the Oregon Trail and Westward Expansion as it affected Nebraska.