THE OREGON TRAIL

Sarah Minor’s Social Studies Lesson

What was the Oregon Trail?

This trail was used as a different way for travelers to migrate out West!

The Trail was about 2,000 miles west of the Missouri towards Oregon

The Great Wagon Train

The trail was first used in 1843 when 1,000 people set off on the journey

They called them The Great Wagon Train

Thousands of people followed the Great Wagon Train’s trail the year after

How did they travel?

Many people who made this journey traveled using big wagons that were pulled by oxen Everything they needed to start their new life was

put in that wagon

They would always travel in groups because it was too dangerous to travel alone

How Long did it take?

It took about 6 months Pioneers would leave Independence Missouri in

the Spring

They had to get to their destination before winter or else they would not have had a good chance or surviving

The Trail Wasn’t Easy….

Many pioneers had to face many hardships while traveling It was very easy to get sick

& many died of diseases Food, water, & wood were

always hard to find The trail was not easy to

travel on Difficult to walk on Very hot during the summer

months Hard to pass through rivers &

mountains with the wagons Wagons broke easily Oxen & Horses died

Let’s see what you learned

Now that you have learned some awesome information about the Oregon Trail, I want you to try to imagine how it was to be one of the pioneers!

Activity 1

I want you to play one game of The Oregon Trail! This is a fun interactive game that will help you think

about the choices the pioneers had to make Click on this link

http://westward.globalgamenetwork.com/cgi-bin/westwardtrail.pl

Put your name in, choose your profession, & make your family Be sure to think about what profession would help you when

you settle out west Buy the supplies you think you’ll need on the trail

Remember to not spend all your money at the beginning, you might need some on the trail!

Decide when the best time to leave is Remember, you have to get there before winter starts!

Activity 2

Once you are done playing the Oregon Trail, pretend you are one of the pioneers. I want you to write a short diary entry as if you were a child making the journey with your family. What do you think life was like? What hardships have you gone through?

Quiz Time!

Once you are done with activity 1 & 2, take a short quiz about the things you’ve learned about the Oregon Trail!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Suk_9yLGpx-IYka0dsbrgoxrLYtL31EVYjCeXlV_3O8/viewform