Welcome Pioneers!

Welcome Pioneers, today we are going on a trip along the Oregon Trail. We will discover what it was like along the Trail from Independence, Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon. We will read about the discoveries and hardships on the way and read first account diaries of the personal experiences of various people who traveled along the treacherous trail.

After exploring these websites we will take a "real" trip to the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker City. We will further explore life on the Trail through visual "real" life representations, and hear real stories of what life was like beginning in 1843.

We will continue our journey along the Oregon Trail by writing our own diaries and personal accounts of what our lives were like living on the Trail. In addition to our own diaries we will create our own covered wagons, and have days where we do some activities that the Oregon Trail pioneers did.

On the left hand side of your screen you will see a list of tasks to be done.
*Please follow the directions on each page*

1. click on the Trail Quest labeled Website 1, you will be prompted to visit a website and read the articles and take notes. When you have finished the activities on Website 1 you will go to Website 2.
2. click on the Trail Quest labeled Website 2, you will be prompted to visit a website and read a diary of your choice and create a mind map. When you have finished the activities on Website 2 you will go to the Project.
3. click on the Trail Quest labeled Project, it is here where you will see what you will be doing with all the information you have gathered about the Oregon Trail and the pioneers.

*Here is a rubric for you to follow along with so you know what I am looking for when grading your projects.*

http://www.teach-nology.com/cgi-bin/writing.cgi

Website 1

You will take notes on each of the articles you read. You should have nine headings (each heading is listed in bold below) and at least 2 major events under each heading. Each event should be summarized in your own words. Please get your paper ready before visiting the website.

Go to this website:

http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Oregontrail.html

Once you are there you will click on All About the Trail.
You will see a list of ten links that tell about different parts of the Oregon Trail adventure.
You will click on each of the following headings in this order and follow the instructions.

*remember to take good notes as you read*

Introduction: read the article and listen to video from historian, Merrill Mattes.

*Pay attention to: when the great Western migration began, when it ended, where it started, how long was the trail, and who were the first emigrants to come to Oregon?

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Discoveries and Explorers: read about Lewis and Clark.

*Pay attention to: why were Lewis and Clark chosen to take the journey, when did they begin their journey, where did they start, what did they find out about Lewis and Clark's route west.

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Jumping off: read the article and listen to video from Larry Jones. *Pay attention to: what happened to the towns that the pioneers were passing through, why was is practical to use a wagon for this journey, details of the wagon, what did the pioneers discover about their load.

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Power: read the article and listen to videos from William Hill and Charles Martin Sr.
*Pay attention to: what animal did the pioneers use to pull the wagons, and why, what were the problems they encountered with the animal that came with them.

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Hardships: read the article.

*Pay attention to: what were the hardships that the pioneers faced, how did they overcome those hardships, and what happened to those who could not overcome them.

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Camping: read the article and listen to video from Larry Jones.
*Pay attention to: the routine of the pioneers, what happened when the trails started to get crowded, what did they eat, how/where did they get their food.

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Buffalo: read the article.

*Pay attention to: when was the first encounter of the buffalo, and what happened when they came, how did the pioneers use the buffalo.

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Native Americans: read the article and listen to video from Charles Martin Sr.
*Pay attention to: what was the relationship like between the pioneers and the Native Americans, when, where, why and with who did each of the three massacres occur.

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Conclusion: listen to video from Merrill Mattes.
*Pay attention to: what did Merrill Mattes say about the Oregon and Californian migration.

After you have finished reading and taking notes on each of the articles I would like you now to click on Trail Archive, then click on Diaries. Please choose one person, and read his/her diary. As you are reading create a mind map of that person's adventure on the Oregon Trail.

Website 2

Go to this website:

http://www.historyglobe.com/ot/otmap1.htm

Look at the map of the Oregon Trail from 1843, and the modern map and answer this question.

What do you notice is different about the 1843 map compared to the modern map?

Click on Trail Tour, and take the tour of the Oregon Trail.

While reading about each place create a mind map of the significant events that happened in each place.
*Pay attention to: where this place is located, what is around it, who lives there, and any other interesting facts you would like to include.

Project

With the articles you have read and the notes you have taken you are now ready to begin your own journey along the Oregon Trail. You should have learned what life was like and the hardships that the pioneers went through along their journey.

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You will gather all your notes and your mind map and create your own diary of your personal accounts of life on the Trail.

You will journal every other day, for a total of 3 journal entries per week. (if you are absent a day that we journal you must make it up during free time in class, or complete it as homework. Each diary entry must be at least one page (typed), double spaced, and 12 point font. At the top of each entry you must have the date and where you are along the trail (March 15, Oregon City). Your entries may also include drawings of specific things that came up in your life.

You will start by inventing your own typical pioneer family, and other families/people you will travel with. You will also make a note of the dimensions of your wagon, and make a list of what supplies you can take with you.



Here is a List of possible supplies



Please include footnotes in your diary. These footnotes will tell where you got a particular idea.



For example: One of your siblings is hit by Cholera and dies shortly after. You would then footnote that you used this hardship because in Website 1 you read that one of the biggest problems on the Trail was that many would get sick and die from this disease.



*This part of your diary will be due in class on Monday.

Teacher

Intended audience: grades 5-7. There is a lot of reading so it would be best to have your students read 2-3 articles each week.

Goal: for students to get a real feel and understanding of life on the Oregon Trail. We will accomplish this by reading several articles and diaries of personal accounts. We will also be visiting the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker City. I am hoping that the students will be able to visualize how life was really like and be able to see the not so obvious changes between then and now.

Prior Knowledge: before starting the quest students will need to be able to know how to take detailed notes of what they read. Be able to create a mind map using the notes they have taken and what they read. They will need to know how to use the dictionary to look up unfamiliar words they come across while reading. And how to efficiently use a word processor and make footnotes.

Computer Time: Students will need about 2-3 hours of computer time each week, for about one month. The students will need time to complete the webquest, and to type up their diaries.

Grading Criteria:

*Notes/Mind Maps- ideas are clear, concise, and well organized so it shows that students put effort and time. Main ideas from the reading are there and show effort of work.

*Diary/Journal- understanding of life on the trail through detailed accounts of what the child when through. This will include main events that happened to the pioneers. Footnotes are included so we can see that the student is looking back and analyzing the text they read. Each diary will be different, but some of the major events should show up throughout each students diary. The footnotes will also tell the reader and the writer why he/she chose to use a particular event. The diary must be word processed (easy to add footnotes). Must have correct spelling, and grammar.

*Here is a writing rubric for help with grading*

http://www.teach-nology.com/cgi-bin/writing.cgi