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A Trail Across the Plains
Students discuss how pioneers reached Utah, and create a mural of the pioneer trek with captions explaining what is happening along the trail.
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the Effects of Differing Cultures on the Mormon Trail
Fourth graders, in groups, simulate some of the hardships the settlers faced on the Mormon Trail, particularly those problems caused by communication difficulties. They discuss budgets and provision planning with group members and keep...
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Oregon Trail Landforms
Fourth graders explore landforms located along the Oregon Trail. They discuss the significance of the Oregon Trail, identify visual landforms, and explain the definition of each one. Students complete worksheets, color, and label maps.
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A Pioneer Journal
Fourth graders take on the persona of a pioneer boy or girl. They write a fictional series of journal entries describing, from a child's view, some of the events, hardships and adventures of the trek west
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Map Scale and the Pioneer Journey
Fourth graders use a map, ruler and calculato to determine the distance the pioneers traveled from Nauvoo, Ill. to the Salt Lake Valley.
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Heritage: What A Sight!
Fifth graders examine the landmarks along the Pioneer Trail. They discover these landmarks were used as guides. They research the Pioneer Trail and present to the class.
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Wagons West
Students prepare to travel west. In this Westward Movement lesson, students participate in classroom activities that require them to prepare for a trip west as pioneers.
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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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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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A Trip Back in Time
Students investigate the pioneer experience in the 1800s. They view and discuss the images on the Missouri quarter, read a story about pioneer life, complete a worksheet, and create a booklet-form time capsule of pioneer items from the...
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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!
Young scholars 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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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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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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Westward Ho: The Difficulties of Emigrants Moving West
Students research the journey west of 19th century emigrants. In this pioneer lesson, students read the letters and diaries of a fictitious family traveling on the Oregon Trail. They mark their route on a US map, create a chart showing...
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Discovering the Oregon Trail
Students explore U.S. history by researching the Oregon Trail. In this American exploration lesson, students read the story On the Shore of the River and define the exact path early settlers took to find the state of Oregon. Students...
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Heading West
Young scholars study the concept of the westward expansion. In this exploration of the western U.S. lesson, students participate in different activities that explain economic hardships, jobs, and land opportunities. Young scholars...
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Adventure Writing: Oregon's Landscape as a Setting
Students identify geographical features of different regions encountered by migrants on the Oregon trail. Students research how the Oregon landscape may have affected life and 19th century westward migration. Students write a narrative...
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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.
San Francisco Symphony
Going West
Now this sounds like a fun lesson! Youngsters learn about pioneer life and the Westward Movement. First, they listen to the Copland's "Appalachian Spring," and then they discuss the elements of music found in the piece. They get into...
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Communication on the Frontier: Postcards from the Edge
Eleventh graders explore the innovative ways pioneers used to leave messages along the trail to communicate to family and friends who were to follow.
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Heritage: For Some Must Push and Some Must Pull
Students discuss modes of transportation of pioneers, listen to one of the handcart stories, build model handcart out of paper, and sing 'The Handcart Song.'
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Through The Looking Glass
Students examine the time period of westward expansion. In groups, they use the internet to research the reasons why people moved west during the 1800s. They write their own narratives playing the role of a member of a pioneer family...
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Education on the Trail
Fourth graders invent ways to teach pioneer students on the trail. They imagine that they are a pioneer who wants to make sure that their students know how to read, write, and do arithmetic.