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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Roads of the Past and Present

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders compare the paths taken by the pioneers with those taken today. They trace the development and emergence of culture in indigenous communities.
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

Westward Expansion

For Teachers 2nd
Students examine how the events that took place during the time of the Westward Expansion affected the pioneers and Native Americans through the seven lessons of this unit. Enhancements in transportation over time are also a part of the...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

The American West-Knowledge Test

For Students 4th - 5th
In this American West worksheet, students complete a 24 questions test about the American West. Answers are included beneath questions on worksheet.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson 6: Native Americans in the West

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students recall their knowledge of Native American people who lived in the West and reflect on how their perspectives differed from pioneers and argonauts of the 19th century.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who are the Women of the Pacific North West: 1830-1870?

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students view a picture from the Vancouver National Historic Reserve and discuss the people in the picture. They locate Cromwell's Map and discuss the villages located close to Fort Vancouver. Students read information regarding the role...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

My Name is America

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students read My Name is America about the Donner Party journey and create a scrapbook of what they read. In this Donner Party lesson plan, students also map out the journal they read about.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Historical Events in Utah History

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders choose a topic they are interested in related to the history of Utah. Using the internet, they research the topic making sure to cite where they gathered the information and take notes. To end the lesson, they write their...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Neh: Edsit Ement: If You Were a Pioneer on the Oregon Trail

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Lesson plans that introduce the Oregon Trail to students and guide them into an activity where they create a personal narrative describing their journey out west. Provides a link to an excellent site that details many aspects of the...
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Article
Other

Overland Journal: Food on the Oregon Trail

For Students 9th - 10th
A well-researched and very readable essay discussing the food supplies pioneers carried with them on their journeys across the frontier to the West.
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Activity
Other

Historic Trails: Oregon/california Trails

For Students 3rd - 8th
Find a map of the Oregon Trail and California Trail and click Historical Trails tab to discover the hardships and daily grind of traveling on the Oregon Trail.
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Unit Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Neh: Edsit Ement: Go West: Imagining the Oregon Trail

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A 2,000-mile trek across a continent-with no idea what awaits you on the other side. Tell your students to put on their traveling shoes and prepare for the journey of their lives! In this lesson, students compare imagined travel...
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Handout
The History Cat

The History Cat: u.s. History: The Oregon Trail

For Students 9th - 10th
A glimpse at life on the Oregon Trail during 19th-century westward expansion. Written humorously with teen learners in mind, students can view original photographs and read excerpts from pioneer diaries for a sense of the arduous journey.
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Handout
Other

Recipes on the Oregon Trail

For Students 9th - 10th
With information gathered from a wide variety of primary resources, this site offers not only recipes that pioneers and homesteaders used, but also tips on packing a wagon for a cross-country trip, and other words of advice for wagon...
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Primary
Library of Congress

Loc: Nation Expansion and Reform: Traveling on the Overland Trails, 1843 1860

For Students 9th - 10th
Primary source information about traveling the Overland Trails, both to Oregon Country and California.
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Primary
Other

Triumph and Tragedy: Women's Voices From the Oregon Trail

For Students 9th - 10th
Here is the story of the women and their families who traveled on the Oregon Trail. Much of the story is told in the words of women who were actually on the trail.
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Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: History: Oregon Trail for Kids

For Students 1st - 9th
Kids learn about the Oregon Trail from the Old West on this site. Explore the roadway used by pioneers in covered wagons to travel west.
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Website
Ancestry

Oregon Pioneer Biographies

For Students 9th - 10th
This site has a comprehensive list of well known Oregon pioneers. Click on a name to read the story of their early settlement and the experiences this held for them.
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Website
Digital History

Digital History: Life on the Trail

For Students 9th - 10th
Read what life was like for the pioneers traveling west in wagon trains, especially along the Oregon Trail.
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Primary
Other

Prairie Traveler: A Handbook for Overland Expeditions

For Students 9th - 10th
Written in 1859, this handbook provided pioneers with valuable guidance on everything from choosing which route to gake to the west, to what kinds of tents to use, to how to deal with Indians. It was an invaluable source for those making...
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Website
Digital History

Digital History: Trailblazing

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about two of the trails used for both commerce and settlement. Many hardships had to be endured on both trails.