Curated OER
An Orderly Wagon Train Migration
Sixth graders work in small groups to organize a wagon train for a trek westward. They determine leadership responsibilities and rules needed to make a successful trek.
Curated OER
Wagons Ho! Hard Times! Hard Choices!
You have just hit the lesson plan jackpot! This isn't just a lesson, it's a ten-day unit covering westward expansion, pioneer life, and the Oregon Trail. Activities include baking, model building, role-play, newspaper writing, science...
Curated OER
Go, West, Pack Light!
Students investigate the hardships related to pioneer life and the Wagon Train. They listen to an excerpt from the book "Little House on the Prairie," and discuss the hardships faced by pioneers travelling west. In small groups...
Curated OER
Wagons West
Fourth graders demonstrate knowledge of the size of a wagon by making several different predictions. They develop a list of items that pioneers would need while traveling on a wagon train.
Curated OER
Wagons West
Students assume the personality of a pioneer on a wagon train and create daily journals. In this journal writing lesson plan, students read excerpts from The Way West: Journal of a Pioneer Woman. Students use their imaginations to...
Curated OER
Wagon Train
Students use educational software to examine the hardships and problem solving skills needed by the pioneers as they endured frontier life. They work as teams while using the game simulation. They work a number of project while not on...
Curated OER
Oral Assessment Plan
Learners practice active listening skills. In this literacy and U.S. history lesson, students predict the hardships pioneers using the Mormon Trail might have faced. Learners view the movie "Children of the Wagon Train," then confirm or...
Curated OER
Patty Reed's Doll: The Story of the DonnerParty
Students explore westward movement through eyes of doll belonging to Patty Reed, member of Donner Party. They write journal entries from points of view of characters in book, Patty Reed's Doll, participate in Pack the Wagon game, and...
Curated OER
Westward Ho!
Pupils participate in an Oregon Trail simulation in order to learn the hardships that the emigrating settlers faced. In this U.S. history lesson plan, students are required to work as a team and use the internet to research a final...
Curated OER
November 4th Writing Prompt
In this daily writing prompt worksheet, students learn that on this day in 1834 the first wagon train reached the state of California. Students respond to 3 questions.
National Energy Education Development Project
Exploring Transportation
Did you know horsepower is actually based on the power of a horse? 60 horse power is the equivalent of being pulled by a team of 60 horses! Viewers will learn other interesting facts like this from a presentation that begins with the...
Curated OER
Wagon's West: Life on the Trail
Students investigate what life on the Oregon Trail was like. For this Westward Movement lesson, students eat foods that were eaten by settlers on the trail as they read textbook pages about the trial. Students then draw an Oregon Trail...
Curated OER
Take a Plane or a Train
Students listen to the song, The Wheels on the Bus. Instead of a bus, students attempt to sing the song using a different mode of transportation.
Curated OER
Plodding and Breaking Through:Walking and Carrying
Students analyze and describe the contributions of various dance artists, performers, teachers, and choreographers. In this dance activity, students fill in any gaps of knowledge they have in regards to dance training and choreographic...
Curated OER
Boats, Trains, and Wagons
Learners read map symbols for transportation, specifically canals, railroads, and highways.
Curated OER
Survival Challenge: Would You Make It?
Students face a challenge. In this survival activity, students discover the hardships faced by the pioneers who moved west and see if they would survive a similar situation. They discuss essential items they need to survive and...
Curated OER
A Trip Back in Time: Missouri quarter reverse
I love time capsules. After reviewing elements of pioneer life, your class will create a time capsule that would have belonged to a pioneer in the 1830s. Each person must write a description of each item they would have brought and why...
Oklahoma State Department of Education
Narrative Prompt
Reading about history is nothing like experiencing it firsthand. Encourage your eighth graders to do the next best thing with a historical narrative prompt, in which they describe the experience of a first-time traveler on the...
San Francisco Symphony
Quilt Making and Copland's Rodeo
Kids make quilts as they learn about pioneer life and the concept of tempo. The Aaron Copland piece, Rodeo is used to convey rhythm and tempo in music. As the children discuss tempo and rhythm, they also discuss what life was like for...
Avi Writer
Hard Gold: Teaching Guide
Designed for Hard Gold, a novel in Avi's I Witness series, this teaching guide includes a summary of the story and information about the writer as well as chapter-by-chapter vocabulary lists, text-based reading questions, activities,...
Curated OER
Interesting Facts about the Historic Trails
The Oregon trail is a very interesting part of American history. The class, having read or discussed the events leading to the westward expansion and settling of the Oregon Territory, can answer each of these fill-in-the-blank...
Curated OER
Twister on Tuesday Chapter 10
In this comprehension activity, students read chapter 10 of the book Twister on Tuesday and complete 5 multiple choice questions. Answers are provided.
Curated OER
The Road to California - A Journey to Freedom
Young scholars complete a Web quest about Biddy Mason's journey Westward to California as a slave and her ultimate rise to one of the wealthiest and generous woman of the Westward Movement. They present an exhibit of their research.
Curated OER
Pioneer America: Journey West
Fourth graders experience pioneer life on the Oregon trail. In this pioneer lesson, 4th graders research the reasons for moving west and what life was like on the trail. They create a map, complete an oral presentation, and write about...