1800s Unit

Oregon Trail and Pioneer Life Links


Fourth Grade begins their 1800s unit with the work of author Laura Ingalls Wilder. This website is full of information about the life of Laura and her family, and what visitors to Laura's homesites can find today.

A Pioneer's Journey to the Frontier
A ThinkQuest 1999 Plantinum Award winner. The creators give this description of their project: "We produced this page to help other elementary students at both our school and other schools learn all about westward expansion and the Pioneers in the 1800s. Our web page provides information about early American Pioneers who traveled to the frontiers. It gives detailed information about 1) who the pioneers were, 2) why they traveled to the frontiers, 3) where they traveled to, 4) some of the trails they used, 5) the transportation they used, 6) the supplies and utensils they took with them on their journey,7) the wagon train and its wagon master, scout, and captain, 8) the adventures the pioneers had on the trails, and 9) their lives at their new homes. The page also has activities including, recipes, pioneer music, and projects other students can make. We have included interactive quizzes about the covered wagon and pioneer music. It is our hope that any student who reads this page can learn more about pioneer life and become interested in reading stories about them."

Oregon Trail: The Trail West
A site maintained at the University of Kansas which provides links to numerous areas of interest: Kansas communities along the Oregon Trail, other spots along the trail, Oregon genealogy, and Oregon history.

The End of the Oregon Trail History Center
Loads of interesting and informative material at this site.
Be sure to click on "Prairie Schooners" for a diagram of a typical Oregon Trail wagon accompanied by a descriptive essay.

Conestoga Wagon
This site gives a history and description of the Conestoga Wagon, a larger and bulkier transport, that was also used on the Oregon Trail. The site also contains a picture of the vehicle.

The Oregon Trail
This Oregon Trail web site is based on the award-winning documentary film which recently aired nationally on PBS stations.

The Oregon Trail
Learn why people chose to travel the Oregon Trail, find some important landmarks, and read poems and letters.

Oregon Trail Information Center
This page is designed to assist K12 students and teachers locate and share information about the Oregon Trail.

Pioneer Life in Ohio
Pioneer Life in Ohio. Pioneer Food & Medicines. New-Comers. The Strong Survive.

Across the Plains in '64

"This is the story of my great-grandfather's family crossing the plains in a covered wagon in 1864. This story was transcribed from a book given to my father and his family by Anna Dell Clinkinbeard. "

Lesson Ideas and Activities

PBS: A Day in the Life
Take this test and learn more about the life of a pioneer girl. At the end of the quiz, choose to learn about another girl or boy's life in the 1800s.

Oregon Trail Expense Ledger
This Excel spreadsheet lists items to take along on the trail and a starting amount of $1,600. Have the students select items and see how much money they have left. Be sure to note that there are other pages you can navigate to on the bottom.

Oregon Trail Resource Guide
This pdf includes a play on pages 74-88. There is also information about making pioneer food and some great activities for the classroom!

1997 Patricia Knox - North Canton City Schools
This page was last updated on March 8, 2004