Oregon Trail Project
The Oregon Trail was much more than a pathway to the state of Oregon. It
was the only practical corridor across the mountains to the entire western
United States.
The journey west on the Oregon Trail was exceptionally difficult by today’s
standards. One in 10 died along the way; many walked the entire 2,000 miles
barefoot. The common misperception is that Native Americans were the
emigrant’s biggest problem en route. Quite the contrary, most native tribes
were quite helpful to the emigrants. The real enemies of the pioneers were
cholera, poor sanitation and not surprisingly, accidental gunshots.
In 1843 a wagon train dubbed “the great migration” kicked off a massive
move west on the Oregon Trail. Over the next 25 years, more than 500,000
people went west on the Trail. The glory years of the Oregon Trail finally
ended in 1869, when the transcontinental railroad was completed.
In this project you are creating a story. All stories have characters, events,
and situations in them and yours will also have these elements. How you
place these events and details in your story is up to you, but you must use all
of these to make your story work. I will be providing you with situation
cards to make it more interesting and realistic that you will have to write into
your story line.
Requirements:
-
A journal with 4 entries. Each entry will include details of your family,
your vehicle, stops you made, any struggles you had, distances traveled, and the
supplies you used or picked up along the trail.
o Family- You will describe and name each member traveling in your
family group, including yourself. What is your last name and how many
family members do you have? What are their ages and names? How are
they related to you?
o Vehicle- You will describe and label your hand-drawn vehicle including
proper vocabulary for equipment used. Did you get a Conestoga wagon or
a pull cart? Did you choose Oxen or Horses? How solid are your shoes?
o Stops you made- You will describe each major city (or Fort) you group
goes through. What does it look like, what supplies are there, etc.
o Struggles- You will describe with relishing detail the troubles and
triumphs you find along the 2000 mile trail. What was the first issue you
had? How does it feel to walk most of the day? What new wonders have
you discovered along the way?
o Distance- You will include the distance along the route of your travels.
This will help you in your planning of supplies needed for each leg.
o Supplies- You will include any supplies, provisions, and purchases along
the way that helped you make it to the end of the line; Oregon!
-
A hand drawn depiction of your vehicle. Your illustration must be
labeled. (prairie schooner)
-
A map of your journey from start to finish including the main forts, large
rivers, and any significant geological features you find. On this same map, you
must also color code and date the different areas that the United States acquired.
Evaluation:
25
Journal Entries
Prairie Schooner
Oregon Trail Map
Acquisitions Map
20
15
10
5