Let's Party like its 1849

Let's go on the Oregon Trail!

This was a whole unit I designed in college.
The objectives covered are the social studies standards

So it actually if fully done would take 4 months.
Integrated fully into all subjects!


Reading read daily from books similar to
Bound for Oregon ~ Usually ships in 24 hours. Aimed at 4th-6th graders, this story is based on the original account of Mary Ellen Todd's Oregon Trail Journey. Booklist called it "A fine, fictional introduction to life on the Oregon Trail. "

If you Traveled West in a Covered Wagon ~ Usually ships in 24 hours. Aimed at 9-12 year-olds, answers all the questions young people have about the Trail experience. Like "Could they get mail along the way." A top-seller.

Westward Ho with Ollie Ox~ Usually ships in 24 hours. One of the few Trail books aimed at very young children (4 - 10), this is a fun tale about Ollie the lovable ox who pulls a wagon from Missouri to Oregon


Daily in math diary
start the oregon trail with a certain amoount of money usually 1000 dollars
Have students but supplies ahead similar to oregon trail the game.
25 cents a pound for most items
and other supplies including a wagon.

Have students subtract expenses and show how much money they have before starting the day.

In a writing journal first tell students what expenses they had daily as well as what happened to each of them.
Make sure they list in their writing journal in a wordprocessor that people on the journey and their ages.

Make sure sickness and weather adversities happen daily.

Each day the student must record in great detail what happened to them in the journal.

For science m,any 4th graders are required too study magenetics.
I took a leap and did a cool science project using 5 types of cereal and magnets. You add water in 5 cups to 1/2 cup cereal. take a magenet in plastic wrap and run through mussy cereal. cereal must be stired very well first.
place magnet on white paper towel. Magnetic pieces of iron and other minerals will be black on it. Create bar charts of the data from the 5 cereals.
Have each student take pictures.

Next link over to health and describe the health needs of those on the Oregon trail.

Also describe the diseases and what minerals you need in a healthy diet.
Get cotton fabric and make scarves for the boys and bonnets for the girls.
Take photos. Have students create pages in word and add prarie clip art.
Use this cover both joursnal to personalize them.

Serve prarie food one day in class.

Have students do a walk outside simulating the walk and how they would look for attackers.

Describe they way to circle the wagons and why did so.

IN the end you can incorporate all subjects.
Prarie music
Prarie art
Prarie food
Prarie nutrition-magnets(science)
Prarie plants to eat
Prarie journals
Prarie Reading
Prarie Math
Prarie Spelling words


You can easily podcast journal entries and make a prarie recording story.


Assessments
Rubrics for journals
Tests over material