Wagons Ho Take a trip along the Oregon

Wagons Ho! Take a trip along the Oregon Trail Daily writing exercises

Teacher instructions • Thank you for downloading this little project of mine. This version does contain pictures. Due to copyright infringements it is a free version. • Take some 9 x 12 pieces of brown construction paper, cut at the 6 in. mark, and fold in half lengthwise. Do the same with about 4 pieces of white copy paper cut at the 5. 5 in. mark (more if you want more inside pages). Staple these together into a little journal. • Along the trail periodically stop and have your students sit on their journals, crumple them, step on them, dribble a little water, tear off a piece here and there, maybe drop some coffee on them. This will make it look a little more authentic. • • If you’d like to have a rubric that goes along with this project there is one available here. COMING SOON! • • I tried to be as historically accurate as I could, please forgive me if you find errors. • • If you do share this with colleagues please refer them back to my Scrappyguy store for even further resources. This slideshow includes 12 ‘stops’ along the Oregon Trail. It is meant to be a daily writing exercise. Show one slideshow per day and have your students respond to the writing prompt in their journals. Dates are included as suggestions. Some trains took shorter amounts of time, some longer. This is meant as a companion piece to the Wagons Ho! Choose Your Own Adventure story included in this Tp. T product. COMING SOON! Enjoy your journey!

Wagons Ho! An Oregon Trail adventure That YOU get to write!

Day One: Moving West • Your parents explain that it is difficult to find work in the overcrowded city. Money is tight and they have decided to try life out west. No amount of persuading, or begging, changes their minds. The family must stay together and there’s little time to get ready. • It is now early March and there is a wagon train leaving from the jumping off point in Independence, Missouri next month. You must buy supplies. • Today’s prompt: From YOUR point of view explain how you feel about this move. What will you miss about your current city and friends? What supplies will your family need to take with you? Write about the preparations your family needs to make.

Day Two: Independence, Missouri April 1, 1876 • It’s now April 1, 1876. Your family has made it to Independence, Missouri and signed up for a wagon trail of 20 wagons headed west. Your Wagon Master is a friend of your father’s and he wants your Pa to be the deputy. You’ll ride behind the main wagon. On average a wagon train can move 10 miles per day. So if a stop is 86 miles away, it should take about 9 days to get there. • Today’s prompt: From YOUR point of view describe the activity in Independence. What are your impressions of the Wagon Master and having to sign a ‘Wagon Constitution’ of rules for the trail? What is your reaction to finding out that you’ll be walking next to the wagon for over 2, 000 miles?

Day Three: Kansas River April 12, 1876 • Your first stop is to cross the Kansas River. Your family pulls up to the Pappan Ferry run by two brothers. You’ll ride two wagons at a time for the 200 yards across the river. As you are crossing the rapidly surging river, a child falls off the boat into the water. • Today’s prompt: From YOUR point of view describe the river and the accident. How do you feel when you discover it was your younger brother that fell in? How do you decide to help?

Day Four: Fort Kearny April 20, 1876 • This is the first place that you’ve stopped at for more than a few hours. Fort Kearny is more of a trading post for travelers to pick up supplies than a military outpost. The Wagon Master decides to stop here for a few days because he’s heard a major storm is headed your way. Your family buys more supplies. Your brother has developed a cough. • Today’s prompt: From YOUR point of view describe this new town and what you see. What does it feel like to finally get to stop for a few days? What supplies would you have run low on?

Day Five: Courthouse Rock May 10, 1876 • On your way through Nebraska, everyone keeps their eyes out for something called Courthouse Rock. It is a large rock formation that looks like a castle rising above the land. You start to see it from far away as a little bump that grows larger each day. There is another formation that looks like a tower called Jail Rock. You do not stop here. You reach Chimney Rock a few days later. This rock looks like a large finger pointing at the sky. It’s made of granite and volcanic ash. The air is so dry and the sun is so hot. Your face is getting burnt and your lips are starting to chap. The land has gone from green grasses to browns and tans. • Today’s prompt: From YOUR point of view describe what life is like on the trail with the constant walking? How do your family members feel about all of this? How’s your little brother? What is your reaction to the rock formations?

Day Six: Fort Laramie May 24, 1876 • You are now in the state of Wyoming. Fort Laramie has more soldiers visible due to the larger numbers of Native American tribes in the area. The fort and buildings are made of dried mud called adobe. You see some riders for the Pony Express changing horses. Your brother has died on the trail to this fort. • Today’s prompt: From YOUR point of view describe your feelings about this fort. How is your family feeling about your brother’s death? What do you know about the Pony Express? How does your body feel?

Day Seven: Independence Rock June 15, 1876 • Independence Rock is a large oval rock that would take a mile to walk all the way around. Families often stop to carve their names into its side of granite. Stone carvers offer to carve yours for $1. You take the children of the train on a walk around the rock for entertainment and see some furry lumps out on the prairie. You are sure they are those buffalo you’ve heard about. The sole of your shoe is starting to flap as it comes away from the constant walking. Your family celebrates that you’ve made it here before July 4 th. This means you won’t run into any serious weather trying to cross the Rockies. • Today’s prompt: From YOUR point of view describe this new rock outcropping. Would you want to carve your name on its side? What else might you see on the walk around the rock’s perimeter? How do you solve the problem with your shoe?

Day Eight: South Pass June 30, 1876 • The South Pass crosses over the Rockies and by something called the Continental Divide. This is an imaginary line that divides where rainfall will flow. Rain from the west flows to the Pacific Ocean and rain from the east flows to the Atlantic. The slopes of the mountains are getting steeper. • Today’s prompt: From YOUR point of view describe trying to get the wagon up the mountain. Explain your confusion over the Continental Divide being so far west of the middle of the country. Are you glad your train hasn’t encountered any Native Americans?

Day Nine: Soda Springs July 20, 1876 • Your family is making its way towards a natural spring where water is said to bubble on the surface with ‘effervescent gases. ’ It’s supposed to fizz in your mouth and have a funny iron taste but it is good for your health. You’ve also heard talk of another land feature called a geyser. Water is supposed to shoot straight up from deep below the earth’s surface. This place is called Steamboat Springs because of the noises and steam that a geyser gives off. • Today’s prompt: From YOUR point of view talk about your thoughts of both of these features. Would you try the water? Would you want to stop at the geyser? Why do you think these things happen here in the mountains?

Day Ten: Fort Hall July 28, 1876 • Fort Hall is the most important trading post in the Snake River Valley. It is here that the trail breaks off into two paths. One continues to Oregon, the other heads towards California. Your Pa finally decides to buy you some new shoes. • Today’s prompt: From YOUR point of view discuss your family’s debate about the paths. Which would you take and why? How do you feel wearing new shoes that don’t have holes in them?

Day Eleven: Fort Nez Perce September 25, 1876 • The next fort is FIFTY days away. It is named after a local Native American tribe that is famous for their use of nets to catch salmon in nearby rivers. You have to decide whether to disassemble your wagon and float with it down the Columbia River through some serious rapids or take the longer crooked Barlow Road. Each is expensive, but the road is cheaper. • Today’s prompt: From YOUR point of view talk about how you feel knowing the fort is so far away. What decision will your family make this time? Would you want to brave the rapids or take the longer road just to be safe?

Day Twelve: Oregon City October 15, 1876 • Congratulations! Your family has made it to Oregon City. It has only taken you seven months, which is a bit longer than the average 5, but you are here. You are now in the Willamette Valley about 200 miles from the Pacific Ocean. That would take you another twenty days of travel at least. • Today’s prompt: From YOUR point of view discuss your feelings about having this trip over with. What are you family’s plans for the future? Where will you live? What work will you do? Will you continue on towards the Pacific?