A Western Trip with the Pioneers!
Imagine going back in time to visit the pioneeers traveling across the country. So many exciting adventures they must have had! Let's step into their world and learn about what everyday life was like during the 19th century. You will find lessons and units, lapbook materials, webquests, projects, recipes, crafts, sewing, videos, books, and other curriculum area tie-ins with this history study. So ~ load your wagons with supplies, water your horses, and take off on an interesting voyage!
Native Americans
- Sweet Potato Bread
- A Cherokee recipe
- Native Americans
- Lesson Plans, Stories, Resources, History, Regions of the Country, South America, Cultures
- Growth in the West: Native Americans Fight to Survive
- Power point presentations and more.
- The First People in Oregon
- Articles from the Whitman Mission ~ Prehistory of Oregon, Indian Children, Indian Tribes of the Columbia Plateau, Nez Pierce, Tribes of the Northwest, The Seasonal Cycle, Maps ~ Indian Trade Networks & Local Tribes, Tule Mat Longhouse
- Native Americans Lapbook
- A fantastic unit and lapbook from "Dynamic 2 Moms"! Contains all needed materials to print out. At the bottom you will find out how to get Native maps, symbols worksheets, buffalo project instructions, informative coloring books, "Natives of Texas" book, Native Recipes, and crafts.
If you lived with the ...
Native Amercian Lenses
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Native American Art and Culture~The Sioux Nation
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There are Four branches to the Sioux Tribe: The Teton (native name; Lakota) is the oldest Ancestral branch and includes; Ogalala, Brule (sicangu), Hunkpapa, Miniconjou, Oohenonpa, Itazipco (Sans Arcs), and Sihasapa. The Second branch is the Santee S...
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Lakota Sioux Sacred Rites
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For the Lakota Sioux, there are seven Sacred Rites which are observed. These rites stem from generations of legend and tradition. Each is a beautiful tribute to the people and the tribe. Each of the Sacred Ceremonies involves the Peace Pipe, which w...
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The Legend: Sacagawea
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Americans remember this remarkable woman. We put her on our dollar coins, we feature her in movies, and we tell stories about her. Sacagawea is a legend, a remarkable woman who led Lewis and Clark on their expedition with a baby on her back. Neverth...
Cowboys & Cowgirls
- Old West Materials
- Explore throught the Old West
- Legend of Lightning Larry
- Homeschool Share - Cowboy Story
- Armadillo Rodeo
- Homeschool Share - Western Unit
- Native American Unit / Cowboy Unit
- School Express has many units and activities for learning.
Scholastic Resources
The Oregon Trail
- Manifest Destiny
- Resources
- Oregon Trail Education Resource Guide
- WOW! A 158 page free PDF download containing lesson plans, activities, worksheets, poems & songs, history, maps, everything for an Oregon Trail unit. Did I say 'WOW' yet?
- Oregon History Resources
- Many, many great resources - Trail History (69 articles), Pioneers (26 articles), Historic Maps (10 articles) - Click on the "Teacher Resources" Area for teaching activities, games, and lessons.
- Oregon Trail Jeopardy Game
- Online game!
- Oregon Trail Materials
- Explore the Oregon Trail with many fun resources.
- Oregon Fever, Gold Fever
- Article
- Apples to Oregon
- Homeschool Share - "Being the (Slightly) True Narrative of How a Brave Pioneer Father Brought Apples, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Grapes, and Cherries (and Children) Across the Plains" - "A pioneer father transports his beloved fruit trees and his family to Oregon by covered wagon in the mid-nineteenth century. Based loosely on the life of Henderson Luelling." - Where is Oregon Shutterfold; Oregon Symbols Tab Book; Oregon Flag Notebook Pages - Study of Oregon, The Oregon Trail, Covered Wagons
- The Sante Fe Trail
- Research and comprehension questions, creative writing ideas.
- Oregon Trail: Northwest Landmarks
- A list and description of several familiar landmarks on the trail.
- Oregon Trail: Highlights
- Summary of important and interesting information.
- The Oregon Trail
- "If you home school, teach elementary classes, or just enjoy history, "The Oregon Trail" is designed for you. Enjoy the adventure!" ~ Very thorough, informational site ~ easy to read.
All About the Trail ~ A fun mini textbook on the Oregon Trail.
Historic Sites on the Trail ~ From St. Louis to Oregon City, travel to all the key sites.
Fantastic Facts about the Oregon Trail ~ Wind-powered wagons. A $100 drink of water. And much more.
Trail Archive ~ Full-text of Trail diaries and books.
Oregon Trail Reading
The Gold Rush
- The Gold Rush
- Activities for teachers and kids.
- Boss of the Plains
- Homeschool Share - "Summary: The story of John Stetson and how he came to create the most popular hat west of the Mississippi."
- Gold Rush
- The Basics, Links to Explore, Explorer Projects (write a skit, study art, write a letter to far away relatives, travel, go on a virtual trip, complete a Gold Rush Webquest, links to related sites, vocaublary for the lesson.
- Nine for California
- Homeschool Share - "Summary: Amanda travels by stagecoach with her four siblings and her mother from Missouri to California to join her father." - California Gold Rush, Gold, Stagecoaches, Wells Fargo
- The '49er's
- Information Article
- The Gold Rush ~ Video
- Short informative video from Teacher Tube
- Gold Rush Videos
- Several videos about the Gold Rush from Teacher Tube
- Gold Rush Teacher's Guide
- This guide supplies a background, timeline, vocabulary, test questions, and info about a related movie.
Educational Videos
Landmarks Old Oregon Country - Ep. 6, Part 1 - Oregon Trail: Wagons to West - Oregon's 150th B-Day
Daniel Boone - Song by Fess Parker
Ballad of David Crockett
Davy Crockett profile
Brian Burns - Ballad of the Alamo
Kit Carson - Song by Fess Parker
Oregon Trail Documentary
curated content from YouTube
Pioneers of the West
- Pioneer Webquest
- Answer several questions and topics, learn about life on the trail, activities, glossary, music, literature, recipes, and links.
- Pioneer Life Materials
- Take a fun exploration with the pioneers!
- Pioneers & Moving West from Guest Hollows
- Lesson plans, materials (worksheets and more), booklists
- Maple Syrup
- Homeschool Share - Lapbook Unit containing science, social studies, math, art, cooking, and more.
- Pioneer Tidbits
- 15 Interesting Pioneer Facts ~ See below for mini book.
- Lapbook ~ Pioneer Tidbits
- A mini book to take notes from the above page.
- Pioneer Times
- Webquest - I had some difficulty with a few of the links, but I enjoyed reading the ideas that the teacher wanted her students to do.
- Scientist
- Be a scientist on the pioneer trail ~ learn about the wildlife animals, plants, disease, and hardships of the journey.
Fun Pioneer Hands-On Projects!
There are so many cool looking book for kids about pioneers, traveling across the country in wagons, and kids journals about the west. I can't possibly list them all, but take a look!
Hands-On Learning
- Adobe Bricks
- Directions how to make adobe bricks with clay and straw! (Like Miss Frizzle ~ Take chances~ Get messy!) Okay, the idea doesn't exactly thrill me, but my boys with love it!
This page could be printed out, folded, and put in your *lapbook with pictures of your students. - Hands-On Science
- Wildlife Biology - learn about and track animals. (The charts could be printed out and added to a *lapbook.)
Botany: Agriculture - compare different seed pioneers may have taken with them, how do they grow, grind corn into cornmeal (or visit a place which does it), bake bread from different grains, learn about different trees and wildflowers and grow some, make a leaf or seed collection book, compare leaves stems and shapes, etc., discuss ways of preserving foods across the country and why they did - dry fruit or purchase dried fruit to sample.
Seasons: Weather - what are the seasons, how would they affect travel, when would it be easiest - create a season mural - Songs & Stories to tell about the seasons and other things: create your own.
Biology: Health - discuss what diseases were common then and now and how they dealt with them - make a comparison chart. - Pioneer Lapbook Components
- Mini books I made to coorelate with the above and below web pages:
Animal Tracks, Pioneer Health, Pioneers & the Seasons, Plants & Trees, Vegetable Seeds, Pioneer Baking, Pioneer Tidbits, Types of Rocks, Hardness of Rocks, Rocks that Roll! - Geology
- Study the types of rocks (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic) and the types of soils the pioneers would have come across in their travels and new homes. How would different types of soils or landscape affect the pioneers? Make a rock collection of various types.
- Native American & Pioneers
- Scroll down the page about half way to find many recipes and activities.
- Hands-On Art Projects
- Native Beadwork, Mission Replica and Model Ideas, Indian Cornhusk Bag with Geometric Shapes, Hand Sewing, Natural Dying, Rag Dolls, Weaving, Stencils and Paintings, Indian Moccasins Pattern, Craft Stick Fort Directions, Make Adobe Bricks, Covered Wagon Patterns and Directions, Build a Raft Diorama, Create a Patchwork Quilt ~~ These all look so fun! My learn by doing students will have fun with these, hope your students do also!
- Guide to Beadwork
- Online directions how to make this beautiful jewerly.
- Native Tech
- "Indigeonous Food & Traditional Recipes"
Lapbook & Notebook Resources
Please look in the Native American section of this lens for another great unit and lapbook!
I know there are many more than this ~ please leave a name and link below if you would like me to add your materials! :D
I know there are many more than this ~ please leave a name and link below if you would like me to add your materials! :D
- Pioneer Lapbook Components
- These are mini books I am making for the children to use this year. They coorelate with "Great Pioneer Projects You Can Build Yourself" by Dickinson (see Hands-On books above), and the Marcus Whitman National Park Service website listed next.
Pioneer Tidbits, Animal Tracks, Pioneer Health, Pioneers & the Seasons, Plants & Trees, Vegetable Seeds, Pioneer Baking, Types of Rocks, Hardness of Rocks, Rocks that Roll!
I will be making more as we get to them. :) - *Whitman Mission Teacher's Guide*
- This guide from the National Park Service has ideas and lesson plans for many pioneer topics!
First Peoples - Cayuse & Other First Peoples
Fur Traders & Explorers
Whitmans and Other Northwest Missionaries
Oregon Trail - early trail and after 1847
Field Trip Guide (We live way to far to actually go there, but some of the lesson materials contained in the guide are very good!)
Classroom Activities:
Science: Geology and Soils
Science: Biology
Art
Math
Social Studies
Language Arts
Map Activities
Traditional Games (Phys. Ed.)
Coloring Book
Recipe Book
Links to Other Oregon Trail Materials
Washington Territory Timeline
Historical, Physical and other types of Maps
Student Report Resource
The People
Photos - these would be nice to add to notebooks or lapbook minis.
National Historic Site
Kids Page - crafts, activities, games, stories, and links.
The Whitmans - a free 25 chapter online book.
Research Ideas - Pioneer & Native American Pages
- Coloring pages with information that may be used for a cover or notebook divider pages. (14 pages)
*Lapbook Idea ~ We like to shrink the pages to 50%, cut them out, stack, and color to make a mini book. A cover could be made for it from construction paper or cardstock. - Little House on the Prairie Lapbook
- Materials and directions of a fantastic lapbook to make! See the video below for pictures! :)
- Farmer Boy Lapbook Unit
- "Summary: While Laura Ingalls grows up in a little house on the western prairie, Almanzo Wilder is living on a big farm in New York State. Here Almanzo and his brother and sisters help with the summer planting and fall harvest. In winter there is wood to be chopped and great slabs of ice to be cut from the river and stored. Time for fun comes when the jolly tin peddler visits, or best of all, when the fair comes to town. This is Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved story of how her husband Almanzo grew up as a farmer boy far from the little house where Laura lived."
- Oregon Trail Education Resource Guide
- A 158 page free PDF download containing lesson plans, activities, worksheets, poems & songs, history, maps, everything for an Oregon Trail unit. Some of these pages could be made into cute lapbook pieces.
- Literature Lapbook Units
- Several literature lapbook units at Homeschool Share with printables, activities, and complete lessons.
Apples to Oregon, Armadillo Rodeo, Legend of Lightening Larry, Mailing May, Where the Buffaloes Begin, Western Tie-In Unit Resources, Farmer Boy, Transcontinental Railroad - *Westward Ho! Lapbook Unit*
- This is a fantastic lapbook from "Dynamic 2 Moms". It contains information and mini books for a lapbook about: Time Period 1803 - 1890, Timeline, Pony Express, Flora & Fauna of the West, Fact Cards, Buffalo Bill, Daniel Boone, James Cooper Fenimore, Artists, '49's, Battle of the Alamo, Manifest Destiny, Vocabulary, Oregon Trail Supplies & Trail Book, Banners, Copywork, Pecos Bill Writing Prompt, Transportation, Transcontinental Railroad, Game & Game Cards, Pictures, and other wonderful ideas! Their materials are beautiful and exciting!
- Ten Mile Day and the Building of the Transcontinental Railroad
- A literature lapbook unit from Homeschool Share. It contains all the lesson plans, lapbook pieces, and a board game!
- Oregon Trail Lapbook
- A terrific lapbook for younger ages at Lapbook Lessons! It contains a cover, notebook pages, lapbook materials, pictures, ideas, and links.
- Oregon Trail File Folder Games
- 1 ~ Cute materials from File Folder Fun to make gameboard and question cards!
2 ~ "Skipping to Oregon" math skip counting game with OT theme.
Valerie has some wonderful links also about Pioneer Music, First Aid, Prairie Schooners, and Classroom Activities involving research, creative writing, art, math, and many hands-on projects! - Conestoga Wagon Coloring
- This would also make an adorable shape book!
- United States History
- An alphabetical listing from Enchanted Learning of people, places, and events from US history.
- Johnny Appleseed
- Simple resources which could be folded into mini books or used as info for a notebook page.
- US States
- Pages on the 50 states which include maps, facts, symbols, etc.
Oregon and the other states are found here. - Pioneer Notebooking Pages
- Take a look at these 6 awesome notebook pages by Lynn at Eclectic Education!
Favorite Frontier Television Movies and Series! :)
The wonderful Little House Lapbook comes from Valerie at LapbookLessons.com for anyone who may like the lapbook mini books and lesson.
The "Little House" Episodes are from the original pilot of the series, enjoy!
"Sarah Plain & Tall" is just a video clip, but if you have a chance to find the Hallmark movie this is from, you and your students will enjoy it!
The "Love Comes Softly" Series is my daughter's and my favorite series ever ~ check out the book series by Janette Oke as well as the videos.
"Christy" is another book series which became an exciting pioneer series.
This is the first of 10 "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Women" videos from the pilot of the series.
The "Little House" Episodes are from the original pilot of the series, enjoy!
"Sarah Plain & Tall" is just a video clip, but if you have a chance to find the Hallmark movie this is from, you and your students will enjoy it!
The "Love Comes Softly" Series is my daughter's and my favorite series ever ~ check out the book series by Janette Oke as well as the videos.
"Christy" is another book series which became an exciting pioneer series.
This is the first of 10 "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Women" videos from the pilot of the series.
curated content from YouTube
Famous Pioneers & Westerners
- Kit Carson
- 1800's Explorer
- Buffalo Bill Cody
- Summary from PBS
- Daniel Boone
- Reading and comprehension activities
- Daniel Boone: American Pioneer & Explorer
- Mini bio at Enchanted Learning
- Mailing May
- Resources from Homeschool Share - Daniel Boone Notebooking Page, Early 1900's, Trains
- Where the Buffaloes Begin ~ Literature Unit
- From Homeschool Share - "Summary - An Indian Legend of the Buffalo rising from a sacred lake is retold by the oldest man in the tribe. A Plains Indian boy shows bravery by leading the buffalo away from the enemy tribe. The story has been passed on through the Blackfeet Indians as a legend." This unit includes activities for: Social Studies (geography, Native culture - housing, food, transportation, clothing, lifestyle, Lewis & Clark), Bible & Character study, Language Arts (legends, writing, vocabulary, copywork, literary elements), Art (realism, artists, Caldecott Award), Math (calendar, story problems, shapes, fractions), Science (plants, sound, animal tracks, five senses, endangered animals), Several hands on activities, Resource list of books and site links.
- Explorer's from the 1800's
- Many explorers from Enchanted Learning
Little House on the Prairie
Even if you're not into the Little House series, these books have great ideas for hands-ons crafts, cooking, and more.
More Info
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United States in the 1800's
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So many things can happen during a short century of history! Exciting people interacting positively and negatively upon each other ~ changes in governments and geographic borders ~ artists, musicians, authors, and architects recording their time and...
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Western Expansion
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Travel back in time to the western frontier of the United States with us to learn about the brave men and women who traveled the hard trails to make the west their new home! Why would they move far from their families and homes, push through the unk...
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Lewis & Clark Expedition
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The Lewis & Clark Expedition ~ how exciting! Doesn't it send tickles down your spine? A journey on the way across a broad new land! Who knows what they will see, who they will meet, what dangers await, which obstacles they may come across? The...
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History Lesson Resources
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History is such an important subject ~ what we can learn about the past will help us no doubt in the future. To be honest, I never liked studying history or social studies. It seemed way too boring to learn about old dead people ~ who they were, whe...
Oregon Trail & Trails of the West
Please share your favorite resources for teaching about this time and place!
"True Books" Series
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Take the Westward Trail
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The free online game Westward Trail opens: "The year is 1848 and you are about to embark on a 2000 mile journey across North America from Independence, Missouri to Oregon Country on the Pacific coast via the fabled Oregon Trail. Awaiting upon y...
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Oregon trail the game
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Many people have fond memories of playing this computer game. It dates back to the 70's, and has been updated several times in the 80's and 90's. The player takes the part of a wagon leader in 1848, trying to get his settlers West to Oregon. Below...
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Pioneer Stories
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Can you imagine what it would be like to walk 2,000 miles from your home to a place you had only heard vaguely about? To an unknown spec of wilderness frocked with unknown hazards where you have to either grow or kill enough food for yours...
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- Ramkitten Ramkitten Nov 13, 2009 @ 9:30 pm
- A friend and I were just talking about the pioneers of the west, while we were hiking up in southern Utah and northern Arizona, in the Escalante-Grand Staircase NM area. We were imagining life back then, which wasn't hard to do in that amazing and largely open and unpopulated area.
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My Bio
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs! Psalm 100:1-2
Hi! My name is Pamela and I am a Christian homeschool mom to three awesome children and wife to a darling man for 19 years. I love teaching and working with children! Before homeschooling, I was a music teacher in a Christian school and truly enjoyed it! I still teach private piano, flute, clarinet, and saxophone lessons in my home, along with group music lessons in music theory, music history, and student ensembles. This is my 20th year! I have been blessed with so many wonderful students. I also perform in several local churches, ensembles, and orchestras in a variety of settings. Thanks for stopping by! :D Come visit me sometime at our homeschool blog - JOY Christian School, or my music education blog - Joyful Songs!
Squidoo is so much fun! It allows me to create, share, and learn while meeting many fascinating people and earning a little side income. If you are interested, join Squidoo with this link!
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Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs! Psalm 100:1-2
Hi! My name is Pamela an... (more)
Hi! My name is Pamela an... (more)
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