Do you know what a "buck" is? Learn about the saw mill in pioneer times and this important tool.

Celebrate diversity with this collection of ideas to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, including lesson plans, authors, pioneers, and more.

Growing up in the late 1800's was not an easy life, especially when your family was always on the move searching for a farm. Laura Ingalls Wilder led a challenging childhood of moving often and falling on hard times. Trace her journeys...

Imagine moving into a house made out of sod that you and your family had to build in the middle of a prairie! Find great information and activities that will help you understand how it felt to live on the prairie.

A broad view of life as a pioneer or homesteader in the prairie lands of the United States or Canada in the 19th century. Learn about the work and play of pioneer families, and how their towns developed.

An interesting article addressed to students discusses the life of children on the western frontier, about the time of the "Little House" stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

This ebook version of William Makepeace Thayer's The Pioneer Boy, And How He Became President: The Story Of The Life Of Abraham Lincoln has been made available in multiple formats by the Open Library. Editions of the full novel,...

Elia W. Peattie wrote about life in the West. "Two Pioneers" recounts the tale of a priest who makes friends with a "lady of the night". Read the full text on this site.

Kids learn about the daily life on the frontier of the Old West. This site explores how pioneers and settlers lived.

What was life like for a western pioneer? Students take a journey through westward expansion using music to understand the experience of the pioneers. As they listen to lyrics and analyze the different types of music that was being sung...

"The Hungry Year", an historical novel by Connie Brummel Crook, begins in 1787 and is set in what is now Ontario. It follows the life of a Loyalist pioneer family that has fled into Canada. This teacher's guide has a book summary,...

"The Perilous Year", an historical novel by Connie Brummel Crook, begins in 1793 and is set in what is now Ontario. It follows the life of two brothers into adulthood. This teacher's guide has a book summary, chapter discussion guides...

Check out this informative resource to learn more about this famous author. This site features links to several other sites dedicated to Willa Cather's life and work.

Learn basic facts about the Oregon Trail and the early pioneers who used it in their move West.

Strawberry Moon, a novel by Becky Citra, continues to follow the life of Ellie, a young girl living in Upper Canada in the 1830s. In this story, her strict grandmother has come to take her back to England and Ellie doesn't want to go....

Read about the pioneers that migrated West and see what drove some of them to seek a new way of life.

Bread was a very important food for the pioneers. Find out how the flour they needed for the bread was made.

Bread was a very important food for the pioneers. Find out how the flour they needed for the bread was made.

Excerpts of letters written by Catharine Parr Traill, which she collected and published, along with her journals, in The Backwoods of Canada (1836). In these excerpts, she writes about her arrival in Newfoundland and a journey to Quebec.

This 4-page article discusses the Homestead Act of 1862 and its effects.

A detailed lesson plan that explores "the concept of region and how culture and experience influence the perception of regions." Site provides many excellent websites for students and teachers to explore during their study of the Great...

A profile of Lee de Forest who lived from 1873 to 1961. He was one of the most important inventors of radio and electronic technology, whose inventions touch everyday life.

This is the accompanying website for the popular PBS reality show, The Frontier House. Includes historical essays, quotations, and illustrations. Reading level suitable for upper elementary and middle school.

Do you know where the Blacksmith got his name? Find out and learn about the different tool that the Blacksmith used.