Haverford 4th graders will use their computer class time to complete the following activities:

1. Oregon Trail Fact File

Students will create an Oregon Trail Fact File on their assigned part of the trail! Use Netscape and Haverford Lower School's "Interesting Sites" link www.haverford.org to find your assigned part of the trail. Use another program on your computer called INSPIRATION to create a web of facts for your fact file. Students should also find the distance from Independence, Missouri to their historic site as the crow flies (How Far is It?: http://www.indo.com/distance), to add as one of their facts HINT: you may need to find the nearest modern day town on the map to get the mileage.

2.  Research Report
Each student will complete a research report about a historic site on the trail (assigned by the homeroom teacher). Students will use facts from their INSPIRATION web fact file to help them write. Three word processed paragraphs with an introduction, body, and conclusion is required. The icing on the cake is a KidPix picture inserted into the Word document (to be done last).

3. Oregon Trail 101

Students must copy and paste these questions into the ss.htm part of their portfolio.

Students will use the following website to answer Oregon Trail 101 questions:
Oregon Trail FAQ
http://www.endoftheoregontrail.org/faq.html

4. Prairie Schooners

Students will use the following website to answer the questions below:
Prairie Schooners
http://www.endoftheoregontrail.org/wagons.html

Students must copy and paste these questions into the ss.htm part of their portfolio:

1. Who developed the Conestoga wagon?

2. What group of people used the Conestoga design and on what trail did they travel? Why did they prefer the Conestoga wagon?

3. Why did overlanders on the Oregon Trail choose not to use the Conestoga wagon?

4. What was the difference between the prairie schooner and the Conestoga wagon? How large was the prairie schooner and how many oxen were used to pull it?

5. What brothers were famous for making prairie schooners?

6. How deep was the wagon inside?

7. What was used to protect the wheels of the wagon?

8. Hardwood bows held up the bonnet over top of the wagon. How were they able to bend the hardwood bows into a U-shape?
What did the bonnet keep out of the wagon?

9. What was attached to the side of the wagon to make repaires? What other extra tools might be carried on the wagon?

10. Did the overlanders usually ride in the wagons? Was riding on the wagons comfortable?
 

5. Provisions for the Trail
http://www.endoftheoregontrail.org/outfit.html

Students will be assigned items that were necessities for the trip west. They must paint the item in KidPix, include the cost and weight, and add it to the display board in the hallway.

Mr. Wolov's Class: Draft animals and wagons
Mr. Kearney's Class: Sundries and camp equipment
Mrs. Teillon's Class: Weapons and food
 

6. Timeline of Black History in the Pacific Northwest
http://www.endoftheoregontrail.org/blaktime.html

Explore the Timeline of Black History in the Pacific Northwest. Use Microsoft Word to write a report about this topic. Identify 3 positive points and 3 negative points. Include the dates from the timeline, and tell why you think these points were good or bad.

What is an "exclusion law"? Use this website to find out: Oregon Trail History Library
http://www.teleport.com/~eotic/histhome.html

Project page by Mr. Brown (last update: 2/13/02)