LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Because 19 people asked for my HIT today only, I am posting it after
all. It is long!
On Fri, 20 Jan 1995, I posted this request:
The 5th grade in my school will soon start a unit on the Westward
Movement, including wagon trains, gold rush, etc. The teachers are looking
for some advice from the experience of others to end this unit with
something special. They have thought about building a covered wagon on
a cart and getting horses to pull it, and they have thought about the kind
of activities in the CDROM Oregon Trail. If your school has had any special
projects connected with area of study, could you write me about it?
Thanks to all those who responded - you have some very creative
programs! Several people asked for a HIT, so here it is:
From: Tongay Epp, Columbus, Nebraska <tepp@gilligan.esu7.k12.ne.us> :
I'm not sure this is as exciting as you want but my students are excited
about it. One of my information skills to teach at fourth grade is the
newspaper so we are doing one on the Oregon Trail. We had the editor of
the newspaper come talk to us, learned about np parts, will write the
information we find in different np articles (interview, ad, news,
editorial), publish the np, and then visit our local np office. Good luck!
---------------
From: Robert Eiffert - Image,Vancouver WA
<beiffert@egreen.egreen.wednet.edu> :
A couple of notes from out west:
Our school does 'pioneer days' as a unit in the 4th grade. Our district
is on the edge of a largish city, surrounded by farms. We have some
'grandmothers' come and there are demonstrations about farm life, stories
about growing up ( and a cou;e of 'stories _my_ grandfather(mother) told
about coming out here') Last year, we churned butter, demonstrated
Native American crafts (our supervisor brings family artifacts)
Of course, your 'pioneers' were a few generations earlier, so that may be
a bit of a problem... And I remember Prov. being pretty large in '59-60,
so farms may be a bit hard to come up with...
There is a series of books by rick Steber, collections of stories, remin.
about the pioneers and cowboys, farms, one room school houses, oldtime
ghost stories, etc that is available. I put them in our collection. The
distributor is Paragon Books in Seattle WA. I can get address and # on
Mon if you want.
Oh, in college we took an old (mid 1880's, that is old for out here) farm
wagon and converted it into a traveling theatre. The new construction was
quite involved, with trapdoors, folding stage, curtains, etc, but
rebuilding the chassis was quite interesting and feasible for a bunch of
semihippie theatre nuts. So that might be possibility..
And kids out here can't believe anybody could live in a house that is 300
years old!
----------------------------
From: Joan Nolet Bennert <bennert@saturn.caps.maine.edu>
Hi. We finished a wonderful half year study of the Oregon Trail. We did use
the CDROM Oregon Trail and the kids loved it. We also made covered
wagons with shoe boxes and the kids had lots of fun deciding what they
would put in them and designing the insides. But the two best activities
were around the book, Patty Reed's Doll which all our teachers read to
his/her class. For homework each night students had to write in a diary as
they traveled the Oregon Trail. We wrote a prompt for them to take home
which told them where they were on the trail. They had to look at maps
and write a journal entry. Each child shared the journal at morning
meeting with the class. The other activity was a list of what the pioneers
did take on their trips west. We gave them the weight that their wagon
would carry and then they and their parents had to decide what they
would take. Parents loved it, too. We had parents come and view wagons,
journals, literature book projects, etc. and we served food from the old
west.
-------------------------
From: Joyce Bivens bll_jbivens@pstcc.cc.tn.us Maryville, TN
From: BLL_JBIVENS@pstcc.cc.tn.us Maryville, TN
I'll tell you a
little of what our school does each year at the first of May. (We have
a large K-8 school of approx. 1050 kids. It takes a lot of time and
volunteers to pull this off.)
We set aside one whole day, called "Old Timers Day," and celebrate with a
variety of activities. Since our school is so large and so many places to
house activities are needed, each class is usurped and kids are "homeless"
for the day, but they have so many things going on that they don't
realize it. I'll summarize several things for you. Hope this helps.
Lunch outside, cooked over camp-site fire (Traditional cafeteria fare also
available for those who choose)
Storytellers
Music and dancing - square dancing, clogging, etc... in several areas
Art and crafts demonstrations - quilting, chair caning, whittling, ceramics,
etc... (Check with Home Demonstration Clubs for volunteers for this or Art
Guild)
Clothing displays (Univ. of Tennessee Home Economics Dept. here has a
museum that lets us "check out" outfits for the day. It's not called Home
Ec. anymore, but I forgot what its called now.)
Antiques display
Home skills - butter churning, soap making, candle making, etc... (Home
Demo
Clubs again)
Hay rides
Pony rides
Rail and log splitting & notching (Log home builder)
Antique gun display
arrowhead and other native american artifacts display
Children's games demonstrations - marbles, etc...
Doll display
I'm at home and don't have all my notes from previous years. Your
county's historical society, chamber of commerce, boy scout, girl scout,
home demo club (whatever they're called now - ours recently expanded
their title), etc...should be able to come through for you.
Oh, I almost forgot, there always seems to be a shortage of things that
boys are interested in and loads for the girls. Try to involve the boys
as much as you can.
One year we found a performing group that did a short skit, another year
we found a man (who is a sheriff in another county) that demonstrated
"quick draw" techniques like at the OK corral, and another year a family
(not from our school) camped out in the back lot in a lean-to - campfire,
bed rolls, matchlock guns, knives, buckskin suits on, and all! (One of
the men in this group also engraved pictures on deer horns and made
jewelry from feathers, animal teeth, etc...) The boys loved that!
Scheduling everybody was a hassle, but one year the asst. principal told
us to let all the classes choose where, when they wanted to go, and it
was worse - lots of lines, tempers flared - I wouldn't recommend it.
(Classes were kept together as groups and not allowed to wander at will -
too many kids to keep up with - we wanted to be sure we knew where
everyone
was just in case ...)
A lot of the activities (dancing, eating, etc..) were outdoors activities.
Plan an alternate date in case of rain or schedule it in the gym if your
school has one.
We had several musicians all going at once. Make sure they are situated
far enough away from one another that the sounds don't interfere with
someone else or - cacaphony!
It gets rather humid here in May. I don't know about your area's weather,
but plan on having plenty of drinks available. One of our parents works
for Coke. They set up a Coke stand and sold them to the kids. Profits
were split with the school.
Other money makers - sell ice cream from cafeteria, lemonade or Kool-Aid
or sugar-free drinks for diabetics or ADHD kids. PTA parents sold
popcorn, homemade candy, etc...
Most of the antiques that were on display came from basements, attics, of
our kids' grandparents. The grandparents demonstrated what the item
was used for. If there's something really unusual, have a contest to see
if anybody can guess what it is and what its use was.
Parents come to school for lunch with kids at our school a lot, so we
invited the grandparents to come for the day too. (I don't know who had
the most fun, the kids showing off grandma and grandpa or grandma and
grandpa having an audience).
By all means make it a media event - good PR for school, school system,
and town. Schools seem to only get negative press these days!
Make sure the school board members are there for photo events. Make brownie
points. Our county commissioners annually approve our funding.
Invite the budget people, supt.'s office and supervisors too!
We found photos of our old school, additions and renovations, down to
the present time and displayed them. One of our retired teachers who was
interested in the history of the school came and told stories about the
Eagleton family, the area they settled, how the school came to be, the fire
that destroyed the first school, etc...
-------------------------------
From: Margaret Sperry, Corvallis, MT <msperry@wln.com>
It is our fouth grade that has the westward movement. They take a wagon
trip up in the foothaill of our beautiful valley and play games. cook
food over an open fire, and lots of other things as outdoor activities.
Rock hunting, trail blazing. We have O. trail on the computer in the
classroom for the duration of the unit. We have a field day and the
students are devided in roups and cerculate- candle making. weaving,
storytelling, horseshoethrowing competition, soap making. Old churn
butter, quile making, home make Ice cream---A fun day -- but does take a
lot of helpers and volunteers. Lots of learning.
------------------------
From: Kathleen Arnfield, Chevy Chase <arnfield@umd5.umd.edu>
When I was teaching 5th grade, our classes did a play called "How the
West Was Really Won." It included everything about the westward
movement, including Native Americans and the Golden Spike. It was very
well recieved by both kids and parents. Saw you were from RI, and I'm
coming up yur way in about 2 weeks.
----------------
From: Rhonda Jeane Jackson <rjackson@tenet.edu>
The Oregon Trail began in Independence, Missouri and ended in
Independence, Oregon. Perhaps you could get the kids in those two towns
to send you e-mail messages loaded with stuff on their respective home
towns. I lived in Independence, Oregon for several years and it is a nice
little place filled with history.
----------------------
Sender: Betsy Stine <BSTINE@mecn.mass.edu>
Not that your whole fifth grade could do this, but it triggered my
memory about my niece's great Oregon Trail project as a fifth grade teacher
in
the Indianapolis schools. She wrote a grant proposal to Eli Lilly
Foundation and ended up taking eight innercity kids (and her husband) on
a two-week camping trip all the way to the Pacific on the Oregon Trail.
They kept journals, etc., and, needless to say, had an incredible time. Not
that this will help (unfortunately), but I just wanted to share it.
------------------------
From: bfiehn@VAX1.Mankato.MSUS.EDU (Barbara Fiehn, Mankato, MN)
Please don't call oregon trail a game. It is a simulation and should be
used within the context of a study of that experience. It should not be
engaged in for long periods of time. Get involved and then safe the
activity after the first couple hundred miles. Talk about what has been
experienced. Do analysis all along the way. Do research on the locations,
illness, food sources.
Have fun but also learn. MECC used to have an extensive teacher's guide
that went with the earlier versions of Oregon Trail. Perhaps you could get
hold of one.
--------------------------------
From: pweeg@source.asset.com (Patricia A. Weeg)
<forward>
Date: Sun, 8 May 1994 23:54:05 -0500
Reply-To: KIDLEADR KIDLink Coordination <KIDLEADR@NDSUVM1.BITNET>
Sender: KIDLEADR KIDLink Coordination <KIDLEADR@NDSUVM1.BITNET>
From: Joe LeDuc <jleduc@lps.esu18.k12.ne.us>
Subject: Oregon Trail Trip-Nebraska-Join Us!
Greetings all!
Join us each day this week as we travel across Nebraska retracing the
Oregon Trail.
Our wagon train leaves at 6:00 a.m. Monday, May 9th from Pershing
Elementary School in Lincoln and is comprised of 81 5th graders who have
worked hard to charter 2 modern day prairie (interstate) schooners
(buses). Our trip will conclude when we arrive back in Lincoln Friday night
May 13th.
Read our daily reports and send our students questions and comments. I
will be posting our reports each night 'fore we bunk down as the stars
twinkle above.
Destinations include Fort Kearny, Sioux Lookout, Pony Express Station in
Gothenburg, Dancing Leaf Earth Lodge near Stockville, Scouts Rest Ranch in
North Platte, Sadle Cattle Company near Paxton, Ash Hollow, Windlass Hill,
Rachel Pattison's grave, cattle branding near Lewellen, Chimney Rock, Jail
Rock, Courthouse Rock, Scottsbluff National Monument, Fort Laramie,
Register Cliff, and the world famous Cabela's Sporting Goods near Sidney.
Wish you could really be with us, but since you can't do the next best
thing and be there virtually!
[about 14 pages of diary follows this introduction - if you are interested,
I will forward it to you personally. It's fascinating!
--Suzanne Cane prLst012@LLwsbe.wsbe.org]
----------------------
From: Michele Mueller <entiat@u.washington.edu>
I have my class build a "western town" as the culmination of our unit.
They use saplings from the woods outside to frame their buildings,
butcher paper and twine to hold the things together, and decorate it as
their imaginations lead them. The have a general store, a bank (with
money to lend and deposit), a balcksmith shop, a sheriff's office, a jail
(for misbehaving kids), a corral/ranch, a California mission, a gold
There are 36 lines left (38%). Press <space> for more, or 'i' to return.
mine,
and assayer's office, etc. Saloons are not allowed -- my one sacrafice to
reality!
They are responsible for:
Getting along in their groups (2-3 to a group)
Building, equipping, and maintaining their space
Taking on the "character" they represent in the town
Interacting with other groups as one would in a western town (e.g. buying
supplies at the store, getting/saving money at the bank, telling the
sheriff about misbehavior, etc.)
I have them elect a town 'Mayor" who will hold town meetings to deliver
information and settle disputes. I take on the persona of the "Oracle",
who sits on the mountaintop observing the town, but NOT getting involved
unless the situation is too much for the Mayor to handle. Then and only
then may a deputation wind up, up, to the mountaintop and have an
interview with ... the Oracle!
This has worked wonderfully every time I've done it, even though I bite
my lips wondering what on Earth will happen next! It takes a lot of
time, but let me tell you, it's a great example of how to make the
curriculum the reward! I NEVER have to worry about kids getting their
work done or misbehaving if they know it affects the amount of "Western
Town Time" they have!
------------------------------
[Denise posted this HIT which is also apropos:]
From: Denise A Hester <dhester@CSD.UWM.EDU>
Subject: HIT-->4th Grade Pioneer Books
THANKS so much to all who responded to my request for 4th grade pioneer
books with boy appeal/boy main character. Several people asked that I
post a HIT. Here goes---
Lampman TREE WAGON
Steele FLAMING ARROWS
Steele WILDERNESS JOURNEY
Fritz THE CABIN FACED WEST
Wallace RED DOG
Brink CADDIE WOODLAWN
Moeri SAVE QUEEN OF SHEBA
DeFelice WEASEL
Conrad MY DANIEL
Conrad PRARIE SONG
Speare SIGN OF THE BEAVER
Wilder FARMER BOY
Lawlor ACROSS THE PRARIE (?)
Hoff JOHNNY TEXAS
Hoff JOHNNY TEXAS ON THE SAN ANTONIO ROAD
MacLachlan SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL
? GRASSHOPPER SUMMER
--
Suzanne Cane
Lincoln School
Providence, Rhode Island 02906
e-mail: prLst012@LLwsbe.wsbe.org voice: 401 331-9696 fax: 401 751-6670
LM_NET
Archive Home