Students examine political presence of Hudson's Bay Company, explore economic impact of European demand for beaver pelts and the fur trapping trade, and practice counting in Chinook Jargon.

Students demonstrate understanding of what the fur trade was and how it was operated, including the bartering process, by participating in a mock trade activity and assessing the value of items based on their needs and wants.

Students explore the fur trade between the settlers and Native Americans. Through class discussion, students explain and give examples of how the fur trade worked. In groups, they simulate the fur trade using materials provided by the...

In this history learning exercise, students read a one page article about life on the Oregon trail and the fur traders and mountain men. Students then answer 4 essay questions.

Students make a model of a polar bear and discuss why fur/skin color is important. They also perform a simple experiment using black and white socks to determine how color affects temperature.

Students study the role of the beaver in Illinois during the 1800's and how overtrapping cause the near extinction of the beaver colonies in Illinois by 1900. Students role play various people in 1945 who have an opinion about the...

Learners study the effect of trapping in the Illinois Territory in 1805 and compare it to trapping today. They participate in a role playing activity in which they discover how practices in early Illinois Territory led to wildlife...

Students study Fort Vancouver. They discuss trading and what is meant by "a skin for a skin." They complete math story problems that represent possible trading scenarios. They explore the Chinook Jargon trade language.

As part of a study of colonial and Native American history, class members focus on the beliefs and land use of the Pocumtucks, who settled near Deerfield, Massachusetts. Students examine their beliefs about land use and ownership, the...

Equip young campers with important survival knowledge with a set of engaging lessons. Teammates work together to complete three outdoor activities, which include building a shelter, starting a campfire, and finding directions in the...

Students hold a "rendezvous," role-playing as trappers gathering supplies for the upcoming year in the mountains. They trade simulated beaver pelts for supplies such as bullets, tea, flour, and sugar. They share storytelling with each...

Students learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students explore how insulation works to keep in body heat.

Learners explore wolves. In this ecology and wolves lesson, students research predator-prey relationships on the Internet and complete a related worksheet with a partner. Learners interpret data on bar graphs to determine growth and...

In this geography worksheet, 5th graders complete multiple choice questions about hemispheres, maps, cities, ecology, and more. Students complete 25 questions.

For this online interactive reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 15 multiple choice questions about Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor. Students may submit their answers to be scored.

Fourth graders discover the history of the Utah Mountain Men and utilize their math skills simultaneously. In this cross-curricular history and measurement activity, 4th graders read about the Utah Mountain Men and the challenges they...

Fourth graders research the Rendezvous. They then set up bartering stations for students from other classes to visit.

Students research examples of Natural Selection on a website provided by the teacher. They experiment in groups, different processes of Natural Selection and list them on a chart provided in this lesson plan

Students research and examine the lives and culture of western mountain guides during the early to mid 1800s. Students write reports about a guide they research, do a simulation of the guide by keeping a journal, managing money and...

Fifth graders research life in Alaska and compare life there to their lives in this lesson. They read "Julie of the Wolves." They research through the novel and other reference books facts about the Alaskan climate and geography. They...

A set of guides on hunting, fishing, and trapping regulations for North Dakota. Covers big and small game, fish, fur bearers, migratory birds, and other small animals not commonly hunted, e.g., porcupine and skunk.

Like a time machine, amber fossils take us back in the earth's history to discover the plants, animals and ecological relationships of prehistoric ecosystems. This resource has several interesting pictures of a variety of Dominican...

Whatever early colonial prosperity there was resulted from trapping and trading in furs. In addition, the fishing industry was a primary source of wealth in Massachusetts. But throughout the colonies, people relied primarily on small...

The American Mink, with its luxurious brown coat, is now bred on farms, or mink ranches, to provide fur to the clothing industry. This has relieved some of the stress natural populations endured from trapping over the past two centuries....