TWO TRAILS TO THE WEST:
The California and Oregon Trail
1841-1869

By: Josh Sherin
Donner Springs Elementary
Fifth Grade

Portfolio Cover Sheet

Two Trails to the West
Author:  Josh Sherin 
Historical Topic:  The California and Oregon Trail 1846-1869

NEVADA STATE STANDARDS

History/Social Studies:

1. H1.5.1   Identify and describe Native North American life and cultural regions prior to European contact.
2. H2.5.1Describe motivations for and expeditions of European exploration of the Americas.
3. H3.5.1Compare and/or contrast the daily lives of children throughout the United States, both past and present.
4. G5.5.1Identify and locate major geographic features in Nevada and the United States using maps and map elements.

Language Arts Standards: 

1. 1.5.2 – Use context clues such as restatement, definitions, and examples to determine the meaning of unknown words.
2. 3.5.3 – Identify historical events as portrayed in a variety of genres in literature.
3. 3.5.6 Describe how authors’ writing styles influence reader response
4. 4.5.2 – Clarify and connect main ideas and concepts and identify their relationship to other sources and related topics.
5. 5.5.2 Write well-organized communications (letters and posters) for a specific audience and purpose.
6. 6.5.6 -Produce writing with a voice that shows awareness of an intended audience and purpose
7. 10.5.1 – Participate in conversations and group discussions as a contributor and leader.
8. 10.5.3 – Share ideas, opinions, and information with a group, choosing language that communicates messages clearly and effectively
9. 10.5.4 – Compare and contrast ideas and viewpoints of several different speakers.
10. 11.5.2 – Select information from multiple resources to answer questions.
11. 11.5.4 – Record information using given note-taking and organizational formats.

BACKGROUND:
The California and Oregon Trail played pivotal roles in the development and settlement of the American West. The opening of the West first took place when Jedidiah Smith discovered and successfully mapped a westward path through South Pass in 1824. This wide and accessible path was well suited for travel by covered wagons, and allowed early pioneers to bring the necessary tools and provisions they would need to settle in the West. The Bidwell-Bartleson party was the first covered wagon expedition to cross the California Trail in 1841. The first major crossing of the Oregon Trail took place in 1843 by the parties led by Peter Burnett, Jesse Applegate and Marcus Whitman.

Approximately 400,000 settlers, ranchers, farmers, miners, and businessmen sought new opportunities and fortunes along the trails between 1841 and 1869. Emigrants traveling to Oregon desired the fertile farmlands of the Willamette Valley, while the 1849 California Gold Rush inspired the emigrants heading to California. Both trails began along the river towns of Missouri and were each approximately 2,000 miles long. Both trails initially followed the same path until the trails for California and Oregon divided at Fort Hall in present day Idaho. The trails were used until the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, making travel by wagon more expensive and obsolete than travel by rail.

Table of Contents

Activity 1: Primary Source Activity: “Two Ways to the West”
Learning Goal: Students will compare and contrast two primary sources of journeys to the West. The first journal they will analyze is by Frank McCreary who traveled to California in 1850 around South America on the steamer Cherokee. The second is a journal by Harriet Palmer who traveled to Oregon in the early 1850s at the age of eleven in a covered wagon.

Activity 2: Wordle Activity: “Introducing Westward Expansion”
Learning Goal: Students will use a Wordle activity to introduce themselves to Westward Expansion. One Wordle pertains to the Oregon Trail while the second is about the California Trail. The students will then use a graphic organizer to help compare and contrast the two Wordles, and predict our new unit in American History.

Activity 3: Literature Connection: “Rachel’s Journal: The Story of a Pioneer Girl”
Learning Goal: Rachel’s Journal is a fictional account of a young girls travels from Illinois to California with her family in the 1850’s. Students will use this book to understand the importance of primary sources, and understanding a child’s perspective of the California Trail. Students will then write a journal entry about their own imaginary journey along the California Trail

Activity 4: Foldable
Learning Goal: The student will create a foldable for either the Oregon or California Trail. Students can pick either the Oregon or California trail depending on their preference. This project will help students learn more about their specific trail as well have research and writing components to assess their knowledge about the trail.

Activity 5: Internet/Technology: Westward Expansion, “Your Manifest Destiny begins HERE.”
Learning Goal: The goal of this lesson is introduce the struggle for land between Native Americans and American and American/European settlers. Maps and pictures will be used throughout the presentation to give a visual representation to support new themes and topics.

Activity 6: Art Piece/Writing: Mount Rose Statue 
Learning Goal: Students will analyze the previous covered material and select four explorers, Native Americans, pioneers or other historical figures that had a profound impact on the shaping of the American west. Each student will then research each honoree and write a 7-9-sentence paragraph about each person to justify his or her selection. They will then construct a miniature memoriam similar to Mt. Rushmore 

1. Primary Source Activity: Two Ways to the West

Learning Goal: Use reading and writing to respond to historical literature.

Procedure: Students will analyze and discuss a diary entry of an early pioneer traveling to the California Gold Rush by sea, and the journal of a pioneer traveling across the Oregon Trail.  After reading both accounts, students will compare and contrast each journey

Students will first be given the diary entries to read in groups of four and will take notes/highlight major events along the way. Once students finish reading both diaries, they will use a graphic organizer to compare and contrast the journeys.

Finally, the students will decide as a group which route (overland or by sea) they would rather take to the west.  Once the students are finished with their work sheets, they will look at primary source advertisements of the Westward Expansion era as a class and decide if they were a realistic portrayal of the journeys faced by McCreary and Palmer.

Assessment: Students will be assessed on their completion of their graphic organizer as well as their participation in group discussions and ability to work well with others.

Primary Sources:
Frank McCreary traveled to California in 1850 around South America on the steamer Cherokee.

Harriet Palmer traveled to Oregon in the early 1850s at the age of eleven on the Oregon Trail in a covered wagon.

5. Would you rather travel to the west by ship or wagon?  Why? (Give at least 3 reasons).

Scoring Rubric:

2. Wordle Activity: Introducing Westward Expansion

Learning Goal: Use a Wordle activity to introduce the Westward Expansion unit in the 5th grade social studies curriculum. Students will be introduced to a broad overview of Westward Expansion using Wordles illustrating key terms from the California Gold Rush of 1849 and the Oregon Trail. 

Procedure: Students will analyze and discuss two Wordles containing key words dealing with the United States’ Westward Expansion movement of the 1800s. Wordle A has key words dealing with the California Gold Rush, and the Wordle be sites key words from the journey along the Oregon Trail.

Students will then complete a graphic organizer that requires them to work in groups of two. First, students will make a guess for the topic of each Wordle. Next, they will write down five key words they see on each Wordle. Finally, each group will write down five words that confused them (or they were unsure about) and use these words to form a question they still have about each Wordle.

Finally, I will promote a group discussion where we will examine the Wordles as a class. I will then ask groups to share the questions they still have about the Wordles. Then, we will examine the key words of each Wordle a little more closely to see if we can answer their questions.  These questions will be key in exploring the Western Expansion movement and will guide the class through this unit.

Assessment: Students will be assessed on their completion of their graphic organizer as well as their participation in group discussions and ability to work well with others.

Partner A:_________________ Partner B:________________

Everyone has Heard about the Word. . . dle!

1. Examine “Wordle A” carefully, what historical event is it documenting? (Make a guess if you have to.)
____________________________________________________________________________________

2. Examine “Wordle B” carefully, what historical event is it documenting? (Make a guess if you have to.)
____________________________________________________________________________________
 
3. List five key words from each Wordle: 

4. List five words that were confusing, or you do not know:

5. Write one complete question that you and your partner still have about each Wordle. 

Wordle A: _____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Wordle B: _____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

3. Literature Connection- Rachel’s Journal: The Story of a Pioneer Girl

Overview: Rachel’s Journal is a fictional account of a young girls travels from Illinois to California with her family in the 1850s. It is presented in a handwritten/cursive format with many sketches of what she sees along the way. Even though this is a fictional portrayal of a journey West, it is a very moving primary source my students will enjoy. 

Learning Goal: Students will use this book to understand the importance of primary sources (even though this one is fictional) as well as giving them a child’s perspective of the California Trail. Ideally, I would like to teach this book within my literacy/writing block as a supplement to our social studies unit. I would like a class set of this book to show students the format of each journal entry, as well as the marvelous sketches created by “Rachel” on every page.

Procedure: Students will read Rachel’s Journal and take notes along the way involving the major issues a child faced along the trail. These notes will then ultimately be used to create their own brainstorm/writing web to create their own journal entry.  The journal entry will be at least one full page, and students will be encouraged to add their own handwritten graphics/pictures similar to the pages in Rachel’s Journal.

Assessment: Students will be assessed on their completion of their journal entry. Points will be given for taking notes from Rachel’s Journal, their brainstorm/writing web and overall quality of their completed journal entry.

Scoring Rubric:

4. Foldable: Trails to the West: The Oregon and California Trail

Learning Goal: The student will create a foldable for either the Oregon or California Trail. Students can pick either the Oregon or California trail depending on their preference. This project will help students learn more about their specific trail as well have research, writing, and mapping components.

Procedure:

1. The foldable must answer the following questions in 3-5 sentences on the back of each flap:
2. WHAT was the trail?
3. WHO traveled along the trail?
4. WHEN was the trail used?
5. WHERE did the trail start and end?

2.  A map of the trail must be drawn under the flaps of the foldable.
3.  Pictures related to the trail must be drawn on each flap.

5. Internet/Technology: Westward Expansion, “Your Manifest Destiny begins HERE.”

Learning Goal: This PowerPoint presentation will take place immediately after my Wordle assignment and will further introduce students to Westward Expansion. The goal of this lesson is introduce the struggle for land between Native Americans and American and European settlers. Maps and pictures will be used throughout the presentation to give a visual representation to support new themes and topics.

Procedure: This lesson will be primarily a direct instruction lecture. I will foster student engagement by asking questions throughout the presentation, and there are a few “Pop Quiz” questions added throughout the slides to keep students focused.

At the end of the presentation I will ask for questions from the students. This will build on the enthusiasm and curiosity already stemming from the Wordle activity.

Assessment: Students will be assessed on their engagement and participation throughout this lesson.

PowerPoint:
(Download here)

6. Art Piece/Writing: Mt. Rose Statue

Learning Goal: This activity will conclude the Westward Expansion unit in the 5th grade social studies curriculum. Students will analyze the previous covered material and select four explorers, Native Americans, pioneers or other historical figures that had a profound impact on the shaping of the American West. Each student will then research each honoree and write a 7-9-sentence paragraph about each person to justify his or her selection. They will then construct a monument similar to Mt. Rushmore 

Procedure:

1. Students will select and research four historical figures from the era of Westward Expansion.
2. All honorees must be approved, and the writing portion of this assignment must be finished, prior to construction of the monument.
3. All work must be created by the student, which includes drawing the portrait of each honoree. Photos may be used as a reference, but the student must draw all faces on the monument.
4. The 7-9-sentence biography of each honoree will be placed on the back of each drawn portrait.
5. The honorees must be placed in the order of importance (as decided by the student) from left to right on the monument.
6. Students will have access to their textbooks, the Internet, and the library to conduct research during class time. Additional time may be needed a home to complete this assignment.

Assessment: Students will be assessed by the historically relevant information they choose for each honoree, as well as their writing skills. The art component will be based on the amount of effort they put into their project.

Mt. Rose, the new Tribute to the American West Contest:
Make a Prototype Model: Western Movement Final

ANNOUNCEMENT:  President Obama has just announced his pledge to honor the Western Movement with a monument dedicated to the early pioneers of the American West. The state of Nevada has offered Mt. Rose to be immortalized with the likenesses of four pioneers who played important roles in the settlement and exploration of the West.
These honorees will be carved into the mountainside and will look down upon the Truckee Meadows for hundreds of years. Before carving of the mountain can commence, President Obama has decided to let fifth grade students from across the nation to decide which four pioneers will be honored. Due to President Obama’s busy schedule, he has selected Mr. Sherin as final judge for which monument will be selected.

YOUR JOB: You will be creating a miniature model to enter in the prestigious contest. You must select four pioneers, explorers, Native Americans, or other historical figures that help developed the American west. Of the four pioneers you select you must choose AT LEAST ONE WOMAN, and AT LEAST ON NATIVE AMERICAN.  

REASONING: You must give your reasons for why you selected your four nominees. This will help persuade Mr. Sherin to select your project as the winner of this prestigious contest. You must research every honoree carefully, and include important information about each honoree in a 7-9-sentence paragraph.
Please include important information about their lives, and their involvement in Western Expansion. This paragraph will be placed on the back of each face on your monument. Honorees must also be positioned on your monument by their importance to the Western Migration as decided by you.

******Mr. Sherin must approve all honorees prior to building your project.******

MATERIALS:

• Styrofoam block (to use as your foundation).
• 4-Craft sticks
• 4-posterboard face cutouts
• Crayons, markers, colored pencils
• Pictures of your four honorees

 

Scoring Rubric:

Teacher Name: Mr. Sherin
Student Name:     ________________________________________
CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Historical Content	Information clearly relates to the honoree. It includes several supporting details and/or examples of their historical importance to Westward Expansion.	Information clearly relates to the honoree. It provides 1-2 supporting details and/or examples.	Information clearly relates to the main topic. No details and/or examples are given.	Information has little or nothing to do with the main topic.
Mechanics	No grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors.	Almost no grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors	A few grammatical spelling, or punctuation errors.	Many grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.
Amount of Information	All topics are addressed and all questions answered with at least 7-9 sentences about each honoree.	All topics are addressed and most questions answered with at least 5-7 sentences about each honoree.	Most topics are addressed, and most questions answered with 3-5 sentences about each honoree.	Few topics are addressed, and few questions answered with less than 5 sentences about each honoree.
Artistic Effort	Illustrations are neat, accurate and shows an excellent effort given by the student.	Illustrations are neat, accurate and show a good effort given by the student.	Illustrations are sloppy, slightly accurate and show an average effort given by the student.	Diagrams and illustrations are not accurate, sloppy and show a lack of effort by the student.