On the Oregon Trail

Put your students' map skills to the test with this engaging cross-curricular project. Given the task of developing new hiking trails for their local community, young cartographers must map out beginner and intermediate paths that meet a...

In a perfect marriage of social studies and science, groups work together to research and create a travel guide presentation to share with the class. Not only do kids learn about the climate and geography of a biome, but also the...

The Oregon trail is a very interesting part of American history. The class, having read or discussed the events leading to the westward expansion and settling of the Oregon Territory, can answer each of these fill-in-the-blank...

Find a map of the Oregon Trail and California Trail and click Historical Trails tab to discover the hardships and daily grind of traveling on the Oregon Trail.

Young citizens construct an understanding of urban planning in this cross-curricular unit. Covering every aspect of city development from the political, economic, and social influences to sustainable building practices, this 10-lesson...

Volcanoes are among the most spectacular geological features on the planet. Jump into an exploration of these amazing phenomenon with this multimedia lesson series. Working collaboratively in small groups, young scientists view videos...

Middle schoolers work with primary documents and latter-day photographs to recapture the experience of traveling on the Oregon Trail. Working in groups, they write a scene for the movie that is historically accurate and based on the...

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...

The books about the Civil War period written for young audiences provide a rich context in which to learn about the war itself and to explore more basic issues about the nature of human life and society. This lesson plan for an upper...

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