Pioneers, part 6: Everyday Life on the Trail
Monday: Timeline
Have your student add to his timeline: 1840-1870: Between 250,000 and 500,000 people went west on the Oregon Trail.
Tuesday: Cooking and Foods
Have your student research how the pioneers were able to cook food on the trail. What did they use for fuel?
Optional Hands-on Project: Cook Pioneer Foods
Have your student cook some of the foods the pioneers cooked on the trail, such as Fried Dough Cakes, Soda Bread, Johnnycakes, Dried Apple Pie or a Breakfast of Pancakes, Bacon and Coffee or Baked Beans with Slab Bacon.
Wednesday: Music
Find recordings of songs played and sung on the Trail or have your student learn to play and sing them himself, such as:
Buffalo Gals
Oh, Susanna
Sweet Betsy from Pike
Thursday: Letters Home
Pioneers were able to mail and receive letters to and from b family and friends at the forts along the way. Have your student write a letter home as his character in the role-play, describing some of the things that happened (what did they see, any difficulties such as illnesses, their feelings and thoughts).
Storytelling
Have your student tell about something that could have happened to them in their past. Have him be as dramatic as you can with the telling. He may want to rehearse before telling it to your family or group.
Friday: Journal Writing
Choose one of the following to write about.
You finally arrive at Fort Laramie in the evening. After dinner, everyone is in the mood for some music. If you have brought an instrument and play, people slip you coins to show their appreciation. Roll a six sided die for how many coins you receive. Write about this event.
Fort Laramie is one of the few stops along the trail where you can buy supplies, mail and receive letters, receive expert advice on repairing wagons and get information about what is ahead on the trail. What do you want to do at this fort? Does anything need to be repaired? Are you buying supplies? If you buy supplies, you notice that they cost twice as much as they did at your starting point. Do you mail any letters? If so, to whom? Do you receive any mail? From whom?
Price List Items for sale at Fort Laramie;
Boots, $1.80
Pants, $1.00
Cap, Beaver, $10.00
Cap, Woolen, .21
Coat, lined $16.00
Coat, regular $3.20
Dress, $2.00
Gloves, .40
Hat, .60
Shirt, $5.20
Shoes, $3.20
Bible $5.20
Candle .40/each
Crowbar, $2.00
Cooking kit, $4.00
Deck of Cards, $1.20
Flint and Tinder, .20
Hammer, $2.00
Lantern, $3.20
Mining Pick, $3.20
Oil (enough to fuel a lantern for two hours), $3.20
Pamphlet on Trails and Tips, .20
Pitchfork, $2.80
Rope, 30 feet, $10.00
Sack, large, $2.00
Sack, small, .80
Scythe $3.60
Shovel, $3.20
Tobacco, .80
Torch, .60
Writing kit, $3.60
Ale, .80
Bread, .20
Cheese, .80
Chicken, .80
Eggs, 1 dozen, .80
Goose, $1.00
Meal, .80-$1.20
Pig, $1.00-$2.00
Sugar, .20/pound
Compass, $8.00
Fishing kit, $1.60
Gunner ' s kit, $2.40
Healing kit, $6.00
Musical Instruments, $1.00/each
Horse, $1.20
Mule, $1.00
Ox, .80
Horse feed, .20/day
Hatchet, .50
Hunting Knife, .20
Flintlock Rifle, $6.00
Revolver, $3.00
Your guide has been resting, purchasing a few supplies and asking questions about the trail ahead. The map indicates that the trail divides into three separate trails just west of the Fort. What do you do? Your guide has found out that the shortest and fastest route is called Massacre Bluff Trail, but it is rumored to be the most dangerous. It is wild, rugged and lonely. There are no settlements before Chimney Rock. Most of the people you talk to tell of wagon trains that found only dry water holes, hostile Indians and huge rocks blocking the trail. One man reports that last year the commanding officer of the fort sent horse soldiers to punish the tribes along the trail and in this fight, many Indians were killed, including women and children. This cruel attack had angered the Indians and they were now fighting back Last month a wagon train was attacked and they came limping back to the fort with half the people dead or severely wounded. The Long Trail is much longer and passes through some rough country. Water, however, generally is no problem and the chance of attack is much less. Wagon trains almost always get through but one man tells you that last year a wagon train was attacked by Indians and suffered several casualties.
The reports about the third trail. The Prairie Trail, are very confusing. One report is that hostile Indians are all along the trail and is as dangerous as the Massacre Bluff Trail. Another man, who claims to have just taken the trail a few months ago says that the trail is a safe shortcut around Massacre Bluff. He says that there were no signs of Indians.
What do you decide to do?
If your student decides to take the Prairie Trail, you can decide which of the following to assign to him next;
- You fell into a large cactus when your wagon hit a large rock. It takes you the rest of the day to extract the spines and you are sore for several weeks. Write about this event.
- A member of your party has contracted cholera. People in other wagons are concerned that they will get the disease. Write a research paragraph on what cholera is, survival rated and contraction rates.
If your student decides take the Massacre Bluff Trail, assign him the following journal writing activity;
- As your wagon train rounds the bend, you find that a landslide has blocked the trail ahead. You must stop and clear the trail before you can continue. If you have a shovel, describe what it is like using a shovel. If you have a pickaxe, describe what it is like using a pickaxe. If you have neither, describe what it is like to use just your bare hands, or what it is like negotiating a tool from your wagon train. Remember, no one wants to be without a tool, so they may be hesitant.
If they take the Long Trail: The guide says that he is getting very low on food, particularly meat. Scouts have spotted a herd of Buffalo about 5 miles southwest of the trail. They also report that a small band of Indians have been following your wagon train for the last three days. He is calling for a wagon train meeting to discuss whether to forget the buffalo, take the whole wagon train after the Buffalo or send out a hunting party. Write about this decision making event.
Based on the decision, have the student write an additional journal entry.
- If they decide to forget the Buffalo, have him write about what it is like to have low rations.
- If they decide to take the wagon train after the Buffalo, have him write about the celebration after the meat is obtained. Include whether you were able to manage to cooperatively hunt with the Indians, or if you sent out a hunting party.
One of their party suddenly gets a fever during the night. Will they die and then they need to stop the train for a day for burial. Or, will you need to stop for a day to attend to the needs of the sick person?
