WAGONS WEST

Directions:        Respond to the following questions about the Oregon Trail using the links provided.

I.  Jumping Off

A.  Use the following link to list THREE towns emigrants could depart from to go to Oregon Country.

http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Jumpingoff.html

http://www.endoftheoregontrail.org/road2oregon/sa10starthere.html

B. It was important to leave for Oregon in late April or early May.  Why was it important not to leave too early? 

    Use the site listed below.

http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Jumpingoff.html #waanc

C.  Why did people decide to try to go to Oregon? Explain THREE reasons.   To answer this, view the clip “Reasons to Head West” . 

C.

 

D.  What were the dimensions (size) of a typical wagon headed west? Describe what the wagon looked like!

Use the sites provided below.

http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Jumpingoff.html #Wagonsancho

http://www.endoftheoregontrail.org/wagons.html

http://www.americanwest.com/trails/pages/oretrail.htm

*** View “Wagon Trains” .  After watching this, put any additional information that you learned into boxes A, B, or C above.

E.  Using the following sites, describe THREE interesting features of a wagon headed West.

http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Jumpingoff.html #Wagonsanchor

http://www.nps.gov/jeff/mowe-wagon.htm #Top

F.  After about 50 miles on the trail, visitors would see trash and debris littered throughout.  What was going

      on?  Use the sites below.

http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Jumpingoff.html #Overpackinganchor

II.        Camping

A.  What  were the advantages/disadvantages of using oxen instead of mules on the Oregon trail (list two to          three).  Rely on the site listed below.

http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Power.html

B.  Briefly describe in three to four sentences the daily routine of a westward traveler from sunrise to sundown.

http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Camping.html

http://www.endoftheoregontrail.org/road2oregon/sa18death.html

*** Refer to “Wagon Trains2” .  After watching the clip,  add information to the box directly above describing the routine that pioneers followed during their day.  Look for information about how they arranged their wagons, how families prepared food at night, etc.

C.  What were the jobs of boys and girls along the trail?

www.cobblestoneonline.net/index.asp  (This site will require a user id and password.  The user id is “8cf2lp” and the password is “2jwars”.  Once you get in, just search by typing in “Oregon trail” under text.  This will give you a bunch of articles.  For this question, read the article entitled “Going West – Children on the Oregon Trail.” 

D.  Design a typical pioneer breakfast and dinner menu.  Use the following sites.

http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Camping.html

http://www.endoftheoregontrail.org/road2oregon/sa15outfitting.html

www.cobblestoneonline.net/index.asp  (go through the same process as before – you want the article “What’s For Dinner” from Appleseeds – 9/1999)

D.  What was the average mileage per day of a typical group?

http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Camping.html

III.       Landmarks

Use the sites below to describe three Oregon Trail landmarks.  The other sites can give some more helpful background information.

http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Sites.html

http://www.endoftheoregontrail.org/road2oregon/sa12mileposts.html

A.      Select Courthouse Rock or Chimney Rock from Nebraska (this is found at the first site).

• Place a symbol of this landmark on your map.  Be sure to place your symbol as close to its actual location as you can.
• Describe this landmark in box A (size, shape, appearance, etc.)

B.  As you travel along the trail, you encounter other landmarks.  Select Independence Rock from Wyoming.

• Place a symbol on your map of Independence Rock (remember, accuracy is important – don’t forget to put this symbol in your key also).
• View video clip “Entering Mountainous Country:  Independence Rock” .  After watching this clip and reading about from the sites up above, describe this landmark (include size, appearance, etc.)

C.  Why was this landmark named “Independence Rock?”

D.  Again, as you move farther along the trail, the geography changes.  Choose 3 Island Crossing from Idaho. 

• Chart this lan