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
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
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...