Dear Pioneers,
We are beginning to embark on an adventure!
We are going to load our wagons, kiss our kin goodbye, and head for the
Oregon Territory. We will be joining the Westward Ho! Wagon Train with other
classrooms across the country. Through this simulated online project, we will
be making decisions that will affect our safe arrival in Oregon.
Below is an outline of the activities we will be doing along with tentative dates. You will also find websites and documents that we will use along the way. We are actually doing our project before the official online project begins.
Godspeed and safe traveling to all you brave souls!
Week 1 February 16-20 |
Pick family members and write identities. |
Week 2 February 23-27 |
Finish our identities. Decide on supplies for the trip with a set budget. Write an "Oregon Fever" letter. |
Week 3 March 2-6 |
Start traveling the trail! Each day we'll be making decisions, writing journal entries, and we will make Trail Decision #1. |
Week 4 March 9-13 |
Continue on the trail by making
more decisions, write more journal entries, and make Trail Decision
#2. |
Week 5 March 16-20 |
We are over halfway there! We'll
finish up the trail, continue writing in our journal, and make
our biggest decision on Trail Decision #3. |
Week 6 March 23-27 |
Reach Willamette Valley (hopefully), finish up our journals, and have our Pioneer Celebration! |
Step 1: Choose your family's identity. Use the websites below to choose the surname of your family. After you have chosen your surname, each person in your family must choose their name and develop an identity. Make sure all your family agrees with who you are going to be. When your family is in agreement, draw a picture of your pioneer and develop their identity. Write about your identity by explaining your name, age, occupation, past experiences, family role, appearance, personality traits, aspirations, hopes, and dreams. Be creative and use historical facts in your identity as much as possible. Check out the scoring guide to make sure you fulfill all requirements. We will scan your drawn picture and add it to your written identity on Word when you are finished.
Westward
Ho Identities
Women's
Identities of the Oregon Trail
Frontier
Personalities
Pioneer Identity Scoring Guide
Step 2: Most pioneers had a guidebook to take with them to point our landmarks and help with problems that might come along. You are going to fill out a guidebook to take along on your journey. Include information that might help you. You may use books or the internet to help find the information you need. Below are some sites you may use to help with each page.
Food |
|
How to Stay Healthy |
|
Illnesses |
|
How to Prevent Boredom |
|
Oregon Trail Map |
|
Landmarks Along the Trail |
|
Indians |
|
Crossing Rivers |
|
Tricks of the Trail |
Step 3: Now it is time to decide on the supplies your family will be taking. Look at the resources below to begin deciding what you will need to take with you. Your family will have $1600 to spend during the whole journey. You will probably want to save some money for unexpected expenses along the way. You will be keeping track of your expenses using Excel. Your teacher will put this in the correct file for your family.. Make sure you save this each time you open it. This workbook will do the math for you.
Outfitting
for the Trail
Provisions
for the Trail
Provisions
Supply
List
Step 4: Now that you are all prepared to go, you need to write a letter to the family back home. Remember how difficult it would be to leave your other family behind while you are going on a dangerous journey that will last for about six months. The body should include imagining you are your character and what it was like to be leaving your friends and relatives to emigrate to the Oregon Country. What would you say to a close friend about your journey? How do you feel about the journey ahead? Why have you (or why has your family) decided to go on this journey? What do you expect to see on the journey? What challenges will you face? What will you say to your friend when you know you may never meet again?
Make sure you write this in a friendly letter format. Use these sites if you don't remember how to write a friendly letter. For the address, just put the city. Don't worry about a zip code or street address.
Step 5: You are now beginning your trip on the Oregon Trail. Each day you will be faced with decisions to make as a family. Many of the decisions require some research in order to have a good fate. Use the websites below when you get to the travel and fate card with the same number. Some of the websites show pictures of the location where you are on the trail. Each day you will be required to write at least one journal entry telling about the events you have experienced on the trail. You may also add in extra information to make the journal more interesting. Your grade will be based on your creativity, accuracy of the details, and making your journals interesting and believable.
Independence, Missouri:
Site #1, Site
#2
Travel and Fate #2: Cholera
Travel and Fate #3: Mileposts,
River
Crossing
Travel and Fate #6: Wakarusa
River
Travel and Fate #8: Fremont
#1, Fremont
#2, Carson
#1, Carson
#2
Travel and Fate #9: Cures,
Old
Time Remedies, Frontier
Medicine
Travel and Fate #10:
Fort Kearny, Fort
Kearny 2
Travel and Fate #12: Gilman's
Station
Travel and Fate #15: Site
#1, Site
#2 , Site
#3
Between #15 and #18:
Courthouse Rock, Site
#2
Travel and Fate #18: Chimney
Rock, Site
#2 (check out the 360 degree view)
Travel and Fate #19:: Scotts
Bluff, Scotts
Bluff #2
Travel and Fate #20:
Travel and Fate #22: Fort
Laramie #1, Fort Laramie
#2
Travel and Fate #23: Register
Cliff
Between #23 and #27: Ayers
Natural Bridge
Travel and Fate #27: Alkali
Travel and Fate #28: Saleratus
Lake
Travel and Fate #29: Independence
Rock, Picture,
Site
#3,
Site #4
Travel and Fate #30: Devil's
Gate, Site
#2, Site
#3
Travel and Fate #31:
Ice Slough
Travel and Fate #32: South
Pass, Site
#2, Site
#3, Continental
Divide
Travel and Fate #33:
Parting of the Ways
Travel and Fate #34: Fort
Bridger, Site
#2
Travel and Fate #35: Sublette
Cutoff, Site
#2
Travel and Fate #37: Soda
Springs, Geysers,
Geysers #2,
Hot Springs
Travel and Fate #38: Fort
Hall, Site
#2
Travel and Fate #39: Massacre
Rocks, Site
#2
Travel and Fate #40: 3
Island Crossing, Site
#2, Site
#3, Site
#4
Travel and Fate #40(2): Farewell
Bend
Travel and Fate #41: Blue
Mountains, Wagon
Roads
Travel and Fate #42: Deadman's
Pass, Site
#2 (go to the end of the article)
Travel and Fate #43: Whitman's
Mission, Site
#2, Site
#3, Site
#4
Barlow Road: Site
#1, Site
#2, Site
#3, Site
#4
Columbia Gorge: Pictures,
Site #2, Site
#3, Site
#4
Willamette Valley: Pictures
Oregon City: Site
#1, Site
#2