Students access the Oregon Trial website to find information on what it was like to experience traveling the Oregon Trial. Then, in groups, they create dioramas depicting events that could have happened along the Oregon Trail.

Students use maps and diagrams to examine the Oregon Trail. In groups, they create their own poster of the trail showing the different types of artifacts found along the way. To end the lesson plan, they identify the sources of water...

Young scholars research a trail system. They create a display board of the trail system, generate a map of the trail system, and develop a commercial advertising of the trail system. They design a display board featuring facts about...

Fifth graders travel along exploring the expeditions of John F. Fremont. In this Westward expansion lesson, 5th graders gain understanding of the events that shaped the west through the use of maps. Students use mapping skills to...

Students pretend they are on the Oregon Trail and keep a diary of their adventures. In this Oregon Trail lesson plan, students write about their decisions to move, crossing rivers, buying supplies, and more.

An ambitious and engaging lesson on the Westward Movement for your students to enjoy! Groups of learners rotate between learning tasks such as learning about the Chislom Trail, Lewis and Clark, and the Gold Rush. A WebQuest is also...

Students define cowboys and learn about their roles on rangelands. In this rangeland lesson, students define cowboys and cowgirls and complete a KWL chart. Students read Cattle Kids and Til the Cows Come Home. Students visit the...

Second graders identify all the geographical landforms along the pioneer trail. They study, and present to the class, at least one geographical landform along the pioneer trail.

Fourth graders use critical thinking, evaluation, and geography skills to find alternative locations that Brigham Young could have taken the Mormons to settle.

Students, working in groups, share notes and maps collected during a study of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. They draw large composite maps of the western United States on butcher paper including land formations, bodies of water, and...

Students examine reasons that led people to explore, identify "West" as defined following Revolutionary War, explain importance of finding natural resources, develop time line of dates and events leading up to Lewis and Clark Expedition,...

First graders examine the significance of the Louisiana Purchase and the journey of Lewis and Clark. They listen to a story, analyze a map, compare/contrast the Jefferson Peace Medal and the Peace Medal nickel, and design a peace and...

Students inquire about life for pioneer children. For this pioneer period lesson, students analyze photographs of children, make information foldables, and create a covered wagon that was typical of the ones of the past. Students will...

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...