Pioneers, part 9: On the Trail

part 9: On the Trail

Monday: Timeline

Add "1849-1850: Gold Rush to California." on timeline. Have your student research the Gold Rush and write a paragraph about it in his history notebook.

Tuesday: The Role-Play

(Those on the California Trail)

The wagon train is traveling  along the Humboldt River, which is about 290 miles long. The grass supply is so short that your guide is afraid the livestock will not have enough to eat. Alkaline dust is irritating everyone's throats and eyes.

(Those on the  Oregon Trail)

You are continuing northwest. You guide says that the wagon train needs to stop for a long rest (few days), but the wagon train can choose which one. Do you want to stop at Soda Springs, Fort Hall or Fort Boise? (When you get to the agreed upon spot, stop for at least 3 days.)

(If they go on the Burial Grounds Trail) Many wagons are running low on water and the only water near tonight's camp is dirty and stagnant. The guide has called for a wagon train meeting to decide what to do about this problem. No delay for a successful solution. 200 DPs if they solution does not please everyone,  but is successful for most people. 400 DPs if there is no resolution.

(If on the Burial Grounds Trail) As you are traveling near the sacred burial grounds,  a large band of Indians begin to follow you. Your guide is worried that they may attack and has ordered all wagons lightened in case you must make a run for it. The guide hopes that you can get close enough to the nearest Fort that the Indians will be afraid to attack. You must lighten your load to a maximum of 800 BW units. Due to loss of supplies, subtract 1 EF. If you do not lighten your load, subtract 300 DPs each day you do not lighten your load.

(On the Burial Grounds Trail) Your wagon train has been attempting to outrun the Indians who have taken up the chase. It is almost dusk and you all realize that you will not be close enough to the next Fort for help, so the decision has been made to stop, circle the wagons and hope you can successfully defend yourselves against any attack that may occur.A fight suddenly begins at dawn with 30+ warriors attacking your wagon train. Anyone who is hit will first be hit by an arrow in the right arm. If some members die, let it be the spouses of the wagons. 250 DPs for the fight.

There is a 20% chance each wagon will be shot with a flaming arrow. Have the player roll two 10 - sided dice, one for the ones column, and b one for the tens. A 20 or less means this has happened to their wagon. Subtract 1 EF  for the loss of supplies. For the remainder of the trip,  they must find another wagon that will allow your family to ride with them.

(If on the Burial Grounds Trail) During the fight, some of the livestock (roll a 4-sided die to see up to how many) were run off an lost. Roll a 6-sided die,  1= oxen, 2=cows, 3= goats, 4=mules, 5=horses, 6=you find your lost animals.

(If on the Cheyenne River Trail) Three young men from your wagon train who are known as hothead because they are fast with guns, fists and mouth, rode into camp late this afternoon with the scalps of two Indians. The three had spotted a small hunting party from a nearby village. They tracked the Indians down, killed them and scalped two of the hunters. The guide has called for a wagon train meeting to decide what to do about these men before hostilities break out. 400 DP's for a good solution,  600 DP's for an acceptable decision  and 800 DP's for no decision and subtract 6 EFs due to two men lost in the fight that breaks out with the Indians.

(On the Cheyenne River Trail) You have been out for several months and you have been using a lot of your food and some of your supplies. Food is beginning to run short. You  are becoming weak. If the wagon does not carry the following items, you will lose EFs: sugar, 1 EF, Pinto beans, 2 EFs,  salt,2 EFs, dried meat, 1 EF, flour, 1 EF.

Wednesday-Friday: Writing

Have your student work on his research paper and on his Trail Guide.

Maryland History and Geography

Maryland map drawn by Sam in 2010.

Inspired by Ticia at Adventures in Mommydom, who recently posted a totally awesome post, The Ultimate Guide to Hands on Learning for Texas history, I have decided to write a series of lessons on Maryland history and geography. I am basing these lessons on what James and I have been learning about Maryland history and geography this year, but I will include sections for all age/grade groups. Wouldn't it be cool if all 50 states could be covered in this manner, with posts written by the bloggers who live in each of the states?

Here are the posts that I will be posting, which will include activities, questions for further research and field trips, if you live close-by.

1. Where is Maryland?
2. The State Seal
3. In the Beginning : The Calvert and Lord Baltimores 
4. The State Flag
5. The Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay 
6. State Dog
7. A New Colony and the Indians who Lived There
8. Key Cities and Towns in Maryland 
9. First State House and the State House Today
10. Colonial Maryland 
11. Maryland's Shape and Size
12. Revolutionary War
13. Maryland's Neighbors
14. War of 1812
15. Elevations of Maryland 
16. Westward Movement 
17. Drainage Systems in Maryland 
18. Civil War 
19. The State Song, "Maryland, My Maryland"
20. Rivers in Maryland
21. Nineteenth Century
22. Boundaries of Maryland: Mason - Dixon Line, Potomac River and the Atlantic Ocean 
23. Twentieth Century 
24. The State Flower
25. The Delmarva Peninsula 
26. State Fossil, State Sport
27. Government 
28. The Coastal Plain: the Chesapeake Bay,  the Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland 
29. State Tree, State Fish
30. State Crustacean, State Boat
31. The Piedmont Plateau 
32. The Appalachian Region
33. Baltimore 
34. State Bird, State Insect
35. America in Miniature 
36. Other Symbols of Maryland

Sources:

Maryland History, Mary Michael

Maryland Geography,  Mary Michael 

Maryland Symbols,  Mary Michael 

Pioneers, part 8: Indians

part 8: Indians 

Monday: Timeline

Have your student add to his timeline: 1848: End of war with Mexico. This resulted in California and the Southwest becoming part of the United States. Gold is found,  Tipping off the Gold Rush.

We now call the indigenous people of America "Native Americans" but the pioneers called them "Indians",  so that is how we will refer to them in this unit.

Tuesday: Identify the Indian Nations and Where They Lived

Have your student research what Indian Nations lived on the route the pioneers traveled, between Independence, Missouri and Oregon. Have him draw the territories for these tribes in the 10's on a map.

Wednesday: Encounters

Have your student select one of the Indian Tribes and research how they lived in the 1800's. Were the pioneers in danger as they encountered the Tribe or were the pioneers helped through the Indians via trading/bartering, guiding the wagon trains or assisting the pioneers across rivers?

Were the pioneers afraid of the Indians? Can your student find examples of this in the books he is reading?

What effect did the pioneers have on the Indian's hunting grounds, grass, buffaloes and health?

Have your student research how the relationships between the Indians and the pioneers changed after the 1860's. Why?

Thursday: The Role-Play

The wagon train's guide has just informed you that the wagon train has an important decision to make. The trail soon spits and you can either continue on the Oregon Trail or take the California Trail. The Oregon Trail is shorter and leads almost directly to the next planned stop, Fort Boise but it is not the safest as it crosses a sacred Indian burial grounds and once on the trail, there is no way to get around these burial grounds. The guide also tells you that several previous wagon trains have been attacked near these burial grounds. The California Trail is very dry, and so finding water might become difficult and is longer but there is less of a chance of attack by Indians. The guide outlines the possibilities. He also says that we could send several scouts ahead on the Oregon Trail to check on Indian activity and/ or The California Trail to check the water availability. While they are gone, the wagon train must wait for the scouts return. If you decide to sent scouts ahead, how long will you be willing to wait, if the scouts don't return, before you decide the scouts have run into trouble?

If they decide to send out scouts, the scouts return in eight days. The scouts down the Oregon Trail say that they traveled for four days when they were surprised by a small band of Indians and they barely escaped with their lives. The scouts down the California Trail state that they found little water along the way. 200 DPs for time lost waiting for the scouts return. You must make a decision on which trail you will take. If they decide to split the wagon train, their EF's are divided in half.

If they decide on the California Trail, roll a six-sided die and on that number's wagin, his spouse (or second member of the party) is bitten by a rattlesnake. To ensure a prompt recovery, write a research paragraph as before on rattlesnake bites and how they treated them. 200 DPs for a good paragraph,  Subtract 3 EFs for an unacceptable paragraph. If no paragraph is turned in, the spouse dies.

If he takes the Oregon Trail, and it comes to the point for overnight camping, he finds that grazing buffalo have clipped the prairie grass clean for miles around. If he is not carrying extra feed for the animals, they will become weak and unable to pull the wagon without rest. 300 DP's for not having extra animal feed.

On the Oregon Trail: Indians have stopped your wagon train, asking to trade. They need clothing and rifles and are willing to trade horses and food for these items. 200 DPs if he chooses to stop and make the trade offered, add 2 EFs for positive interactions with the Indians. If he tries to barter, the interactions become heated and the Indians end up demanding that the wagon train turn back, claiming that previous wagon trains damaged their sacred burial grounds.  They warn that if you continue on the trail,  you will be killed. If he chooses to continue, he has no immediate consequences.

If he chooses to turn back, you are delayed, costing you 300 DPs but is allowed to do so without any additional consequences.

Friday: Research Paper

Have your student work on his research paper.

Pioneers, part 7: Meeting the Elephant

part 7: Meeting the Elephant 

Monday: Timeline

1846: War with Mexico begins. 4th Parallel becomes border between US and  Canada. The slogan, "fifty-four, forty  or fight" is popular. (Have your student research what this meant, if he is unfamiliar with the slogan.)

"Meeting the Elephant was a term emigrants used to describe encountering the worst conditions possible as they made their way west." - Westward Migrations, Doris Roettger

Meeting the Elephant

It was estimated that there was one grave dug every 80 yards. Have your student determine the distance between Independence, Missouri and the Willamette Valley in Oregon, and then approximately how many Graves there would have been in that distance.

Tuesday: Research: Hazards and Illnesses

Have your student research one or more of the following illnesses that were prevalent at the time. Do they still exist today? Are they still fatal?

Cholera

Dysentery

Scarlet Fever

Measles

Typhoid

Malaria

Optionally, he could learn about dentistry of the time, and the fact people died from toothaches sometimes. He could also learn about the dangers of snake bites.

Optional Field Trip

Take a field trip to a pharmacy and talk to the pharmacist about the effectiveness of medicines used in the 10's as compared to the medicines used today.

Wednesday: Research

Accidents

Have your student brainstorm how accidents could have occurred along the trail.

As he reads, have him jot down in his notebook the type of accidents that occurred in the book he is reading.

How did pioneers repair wagons when they broke down?

Water

Water supply was a constant problem as the pioneers made their way westward. Have your student research about the pioneers' use of water and answer the following questions in his notebook. Where did they get the water they needed? What were the many uses of water they required? How did they carry the water? How much water could they carry at one time on their wagons? How much water does your family use? How does this compare to the amount the pioneers used?

Have your student research about where along the trails did the pioneers face the problems of lack of water,  polluted water or alkaline water. What causes the water to be alkaline or polluted? Can alkaline or polluted water be treated and if so, how? Were these methods available to the pioneers?

Thursday: Research

Dangers of Sea Travel

Have your student research about the types of accidents that occurred at sea on steamers. How were they repaired?

Were there problems with the weather?

What illnesses did pioneers get while aboard ships? What other problems could occur?

The Donner Party

The Donner Party is probably the most famous example of what terrible things could happen as pioneers moved west. Have your student research the Donner Party. How many people were in this wagon train when it started?  Who were they? What happened to the group?  What hardships did they encounter?  How many made it to California? Have your student find Donner Pass on a current map of California  (you might have to use a road map).

Friday: The Role-Play

(If they take the Massacre Bluff Trail) You find that the trail wanders through a vast, water-less desert. The guide tells you that you must back track and choose another trail. You lose the time it takes you do do this. On the way back, animals start falling dead due to the extreme heat and lack of water. Each wagon rolls a 6-sided die. 1=your animals are not affected,  2=1 oxen, 3=1 goat, 4=1 cow, 5=1 mule, 6=1 horse.  If the wagon does not have the animal called for, substitute another animal.

As they reach the halfway point through the canyon, a large band of Indians begin firing on them from the surrounding hills. The guide instructs everyone to put the wagons in a circle. The battle begins. If anyone is in danger of dying, take them out of the battle and kill off an animal instead.

(If they choose the Prairie Trail)

Roll a 6-sided die.  For the wagon that is rolled, you tell them that earlier this evening a wagon member went looking for water for the members of your train and the animals and never returned. If anyone goes to investigate, they find signs of a struggle. What do they do? If they decide to go on without the missing person, the wagon train loses 3 EFs. If they decide to go after the missing person, roll a die and50%, they meet up with the Indians. 800 DP's for the delay, 50 % the search was in vain and subtract 800 DP's for the search.

50 % chance of this happening: You are passing through a very narrow gorge, a huge bolder comes crashing down. Roll a 6-sided die and that person has the bolder crash into his right front wagon wheel, overturning the wagon. The guide will not let other wagons proceed until your wagon is turned upright and the wheel repaired. 300 DPs for the wait.

(If they take the Long Trail.) Roll a 6-sided die.  A 1 means that the driver on your wagon has come down with dysentery. Write a research paragraph about what dysentery is, it's cause and treatment.  100 DP's for a good paragraph,  200 DPs for an acceptable paragraph and 400 DP's and you are too sick and weak to drive your wagon for several days (roll a 4-sided die) if no paragraph is turned in.

You have now reached the South Pass and the Continental Divide.

Pioneers, part 6: Everyday Life on the Trail

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: The Role-Play

(Note: There are many illnesses listed in chapter 6 of the role-playing game, Renaissance that can be applied to your role-play. It lists a description of the illness, how long it takes from contracting the illness to showing symptoms,  it's "potency" (the gamemaster / teacher makes an opposed Resilience roll against the Potency to find out whether the disease is contracted), Effect and Cure. For example:

Ague

The victim suffers from a raging fever. The victim feels that they are burning up or very cold, sweating or shivering,  in turn. The victim is also overcome with bouts of nausea.

Delay: 1D20 hours

Potency: 50

Effect : All skills are halved. Every time the character attempts a physical action, they must make a successful Resilience roll or their character be completely overcome by nausea for 1D4 -1minutes.

Cure: Use of healing herbs gives a +20% bonus.

You can use this method, or you can use the method outlined below, which was created to give the student more assignments, or some combination can be used. It is up to you, as the Games-Master / Teacher. )

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 for how many coins you receive.

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 they  take the Prairie Trail) Roll a 6-sided die. If he rolls a 1, you tell him, "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. 300 DPs (-1 to hit on attack rolls and anything else that takes strength and Constitution.)

Roll a 6-sided die. A one means: 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. 100 DP's for a good paragraph. 400 DPs for an acceptable paragraph and 800 DP's and 3 EFs for no paragraph turned in.

(If they take the Massacre Bluff Trail) 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. 100 DP's for each wagon in the wagon train without a shovel. 150 DPs for each wagon without a pickaxe.

(If they take the Long Trail.) The guide says that he is getting very low on food, particularly meat. South 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. If they decide to forget the Buffalo, subtract 2 EFs for low rations. 500 DP's If they decide to take the wagon train after the Buffalo but add 2 EFs for the meat obtained and 2 additional EFs if you manage to cooperatively hunt with the Indians. If they send out a hunting party, 1 EF for the meat obtained. Roll a 6-sided die and if it is a 1 or 2, the hunting party cooperatively hunted with the Indians and they get 2 additional EFs.

Have each player roll a six-sided die. If it is a one nothing happens, otherwise, you tell them that one of their party suddenly got a fever during the night. If they roll a 6, this person dies and they need to stop the train for a day for burial.  Otherwise, you need to stop for a day to attend to the needs of the sick person, or they die.

Pioneers, part 5: Plants, Animals and Routes

part 5: Plants, Animals and Routes

Monday: Timeline

Have your student add to his timeline: 1843: More than 1,000 settlers left Independence, Missouri for Oregon.

Tuesday: Research: Plants and Animals Along the Trail

Have your student research and find the names of plants the pioneers may have seen in each region. Have him find pictures and sketch at least one of these plants.

Have your student research and find the names of animals the pioneers may have encountered in each region. Have him find pictures and sketch at least one of these animals.

Wednesday: Mapping the Route

Land Routes

On a map, have your student mark in four colors the following routes the pioneers took:

Independence,  Missouri to the Willamette Valley. Label this Oregon Trail.

Nauvoo,  Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah. Show where this followed the Oregon Trail and where the route differed. Label this the Mormon Trail.

Show the route(s) the Overland Forty-Niners took. Be sure that he shows where the trails to California moved away from the Oregon Trail.

Show the route from New York City to the states in the Midwest. Label this the Orphan Train Trails.

Sea Routes

A large number of pioneers traveled to California by sea rather than on land. Have your student locate and mark the following routes, each in a different color, on a world map;

Panama Route: New York,  Boston or Charleston to the port of Chagres in Panama,  along the Chagres River to the town of Gorgona, then overland to San Francisco.

Nicaragua Route: Eastern cities to San Juan del Norte, Nicaragua, up the San Juan River,  across Lago de Nicaragua, then a ship to San Francisco.

Mexican Route: New Orleans, Galveston, Corpus Christi,  New York and Philadelphia to Tampico or Veracruz on Mexico's east coast, trek over mountains and deserts to the Pacific Coast, and then a ship to Acapulco, San Blas or Mazatlan, Mexico, then a ship to San Diego And Then San Francisco.

Cape Horn Route: New York or Boston to Rio de Janeiro,  Brazil, to Cape Horn, then to Valparaiso,  Chile, V then to Callao,  Peru and then a ship to San Francisco.

Have your student find information on advertisements for sea travel to the west. How believable and how reliable were the ads? Why did many pioneers choose to go west by sea? What did they expect the trip to be like? What were they actually like?

Thursday: Writing A Westward  Travel  Guide 

Pioneers relied on Travel Guides written by others who had made it out west successfully to make their way across North America. Your student will begin to make a similar guide using the information he has learned over the past few weeks. He will continue to add to it each week (I suggest doing this on Mondays) as he learns more. Before he begins, discuss with him about how accurate he thinks this sort of guide was and who wrote them.

He might include some of the following things:

Wagons: what type you need and what supplies you need.

Tools and ammunition you need.

Amount of food you need for each person.

Description of landmarks along the trail.

Distances between landmarks.

Description of the rivers and where and how to cross them.

Tips on how to stay healthy on the trail.

Suggested remedies for illnesses.

How to treat snake bites.

What kind of medicines to take with you and what they do.

Plants that can be found on the trail, what they do and where to find them.

Suggestions for cooking along the trail.

What kinds of weather to expect, on the Prairie, in the dessert, and in the mountains.

How to take wagons up and down steep mountainous areas.

Include a map, but have him sketch it without looking at his notebook.

Friday: Role-Play

There is some dissension among the wagons in your train. Some of the trains that did not bring extra livestock are getting tired of standing night guard and collecting strays. Immediately the guide calls for  a wagon train meeting to decide how to solve this problem.  If you are able to resolve it satisfactorily, nothing happens. 400 DPs if it is left unresolved.

When you stopped for your mid-day meal, your spouse and youngest child (or two members of your party) wandered off while picking herbs. It is noon time and suddenly realize that they are missing.  You and a number of other members of your train must take the afternoon looking for them.

Some of the livestock disappeared overnight.  There is no sign of their remains, so they were probably stolen. Roll to see if it one of your animals. If it is, you get to choose which one it was. If it was an oxen, subtract 2 EFs,  if it was a cow, goat, mule or horse, subtract 1 EF.

A scorpion gets into your shoe in the middle of the night.  When you put your boot on, the scorpion bites you. If you write a good research paragraph on scorpions and what you should do about the bite, you get 200 DPs,  400 for an acceptable paragraph and 1000 if you do not turn in a paragraph.

The wagon train is ready to cross a river. There are four wagon trains, with a total of 60 wagons, waiting to cross before your wagon train can cross and there is no ferry. While you are waiting the guide asks you your opinion of how you want to get the wagons across? How will you get all the things in the wagons across?  Who will take the cattle across?

Pioneers, part 4: Landmarks on the Overland Route

part 4: Landmarks on the Overland Route 

Monday: Timeline

Have your student add to his timeline: 1841: The first overland wagon train, led by John Bidwell, to make the entire trip.  The small wagon train left together at Independence, Missouri. At Soda Springs,  Idaho,  half went on the Hedspeth Cutoff to California and half went on to  Oregon.

Tuesday: Research: Landmarks and Signposts

Have your student research landmarks and signposts pioneers saw, writing a short description of each in their notebooks.

Courthouse Rock

Jail Rock

Chimney Rock

Scott's Bluff

Independence Rock

Devil's Gate

Split Rock

South Pass

Natural Bridge

Soda Springs,  Idaho

The Dalles

• Have your student determine the distance between each landmark.
• Invite your student to make a model of a landmark.

Wednesday: Writing

You are now about 480 miles west of the Missouri River and you have been on the trail about one month.  You are following the Platte River.  What kind of terrain do you see? Are there any flowers or trees? What kind of grass is available for the cattle?

Thursday: The Role-Play

Water still is a problem. You think your luck is about to change as you see a well in the distance,  but as you come closer you see that the people around it are not people getting water, but are people guarding the well. What do you do?

If he decides to fight the men for the water, roll as for any attack. If he decides to sneak up on well and loses the sneak roll, the guards see him and a fight breaks out.

One of your party fell over a stone and landed in the fire last night while cooking dinner and burned both hands. To recover, you must write a research paragraph (50-100 words), with sources indicated, on burns and how they were treated. 100 DP's for a good paragraph, 200 DPs if an acceptable paragraph is turned in. If no paragraph is turned in, the burns become infected and you lose 2 EFs.

The wagon train's dogs have been running wild over the Prarie at night, howling and chasing coyotes and other animals.  A number of people are complaining that the dogs are keeping them awake. Several people have said that they will shoot the next dog that howls tonight. Your guide is calls for a brief wagon train meeting to decide what to do. Tell the Games Master/Teacher what the group's decision is. If your student chooses to restrain the dogs to keep them closer to the wagon train at night or some other solution to continue using the dogs as an important warning system, the wagon train continues without delay. 100 DP's if he chooses a solution which basically ignores the concerns of those who are upset by the dogs, allowing them to shoot the next howling dog. 400 DP's if no solution is offered.

Your daughter  (if he hasn't a daughter,  the daughter of a friend or of nearby wagon acquaintance) fell off the wagon seat, the wheel rolled over her leg and broke it. It will be a number of weeks before she will heal. You must write a research paragraph, as before, on how a broken leg was treated. 100 DP's for a good paragraph,  400 DP'S for an unacceptable paragraph and 400 DP's and 1 EF for no paragraph turned in.

The yolk on your oxen breaks and you need to spend time repairing it. It takes longer if you do not have a repair kit.

Friday: Writing Research Paper

Your student should now begin deciding on a topic for his research paper. It can come from the notes he has been taking, or he can think of a new topic to explore.

Pioneers, part 3: Weather and the Landforms

part 3: Weather and the Landforms 

Monday 

Timeline

Have your student add to his timeline: Late 1830's: Missionaries began developing the Oregon Trail.

Literature

Begin reading a novel or a nonfiction book of length about the pioneers. Invite your student to reflect on the readings in their notebooks.

Tuesday: Research: Weather on the Overland Route

The weather played a key role in the pioneers' westward migration. Specific weather data can be obtained from Government Depository Libraries. Have your student research what the weather was like for each of the following locations and weeks in 1844, 1852 and 1864.

Independence,  Missouri; 1st week of May

Fort Kearney; 1st week of June

Fort Laramie; 2nd week of July

Fort Boise; 3rd week of August

Fort Walla Walla; 4th week of September

Oregon City;  2nd week of October

San Francisco;  2nd week of October

Have your student find descriptions of the thunderstorms, sand storms, cold nights, hot days and snowstorms the pioneers encountered.

Wednesday: Writing

Have your student synthesize all he has learned about how the landforms and weather for each geographical region made travel easier or more difficult for the wagon trains and write his conclusions in his notebook. He will be using this information later when he begins making a Travel Guide later.

Thursday: The Progress So Far...

Math

The wagon train has been on the trail for three weeks. Have your student figure out about how many miles does his wagon travel each day? How far has the wagon gone? The wagon train went through Alcove Springs to Fort Kearney and along the south bank of the Platte River. How far is Fort Kearney from Independence, Missouri?

Journal Writing

Write about the most significant things that have happened to you, or what you have seen. Be as descriptive as possible. As well as the significant events, also describe what people do in the wagon train before they go to bed. Describe the morning activities from the time everyone wakes up until the wagon train is on the trail.

Friday: The Role-Play

You are beginning to see the need for the all-purpose weapon to a settler, the rifle. It is used for hunting,  fighting and protection. If you do not have a rifle, subtract 1 EF.

Your wagon train is having some trouble because some members did not bring along water and are suffering from the lack of it. If you have the water, do you sell some to those who do not have it? If you do not have enough water, do you decide to continue without it? Or, do you decide to pool your money with others and buy some from another wagon that brought extra water? Remember that not having the money you spent on the water may become important later when supplies are running low, when you have to pay Indians for crossing their land, or when you need other supplies.

Games-Master / Teacher: If he decides to buy the water but not share it, roll a six-sided die 1-no change, 2-add 1 EF. 3- subtract 1 EF, 4 -no change, 5- subtract 2 EFs, 6- add 2 EFS. If he buys the water and shares it, have him roll a four-sided die and he loses that number of EFs and one head of livestock. If he decides to continue without water, have him roll a six-sided die and he loses that number of EFS and 1 head of livestock.

The heat has shrunk the green wood in your wagon wheels and the iron rims on the wheels keep slipping off. You must stop and repair them. 50% 100 DP'S, 50% 200 DPs.

Sagebrush is three feet high and growing as thick as hair on a hog's back and has clogged up the trail and the wagon cannot pass. You must stop and clear the trail. 50% chance that he will get 200 DPs.

You caught your sleeve on a tree branch and tore it. If you have a sewing kit, it can be repaired,  otherwise you cannot use the shirt. Hopefully,  you have a s pare shirt.

You need to  gather some fresh greens and herbs to supplement your diet. If you have brought along a basket to collect them in, this goes quickly, otherwise it takes you some time and you are delayed.

Pioneers, part 2: The Geography

 part 2: The Geography 

Monday: Timeline

Have your student add to his timeline: 1812: Robert Stuart,  a trapper, and six companions discovered the South Pass and the trails along the Sweetwater and Platte Rivers, which later became known as the Oregon Trail.

Tuesday: Videos

Watch a movie, television show or documentary with pioneers as the theme. Have your student jot down notes in his notebook on observations and questions that came to him as he watched the program. These notes can lead later to a research paper.
Some ideas to get you started:
How the West Was Won
Ken Burns, The West 
Little House on the Prairie 

Wednesday and Thursday: Research: Geography

Have your student locate information about the terrain, landforms and geography of the regions between Missouri and Iowa in the Midwest and Utah, Oregon and California on the west coast. This includes prairies, rivers, deserts, and mountains.

Have your student map all of these features, including the Continental Divide. Have him include the Platte, Snake, Sweetwater and Colombia Rivers. What were some of the hazards of rivers? How did the Pioneers cross the rivers -their wagons and their animals? What gave them problems? Did crossing the rivers differ according to the river they were crossing?

Have your student research and include the following mountains on their map:

Rockies, Blue Mountains,  Cascades and the Sierra Nevadas.

Have him research how the difficulties going down a mountain differed from climbing up a mountain.

Have your student research desert areas and include them on the map.

What made travel in the desert so difficult.

Friday: Role-Play

As the scenario unfolds, you, the Games-Master/Teacher, will be keeping track of the points your student has earned, the wagon current energy factor, and any delay points accrued. The totals of these numbers will determine how far along the wagon has gone each day of game time. At the beginning, the people in the wagon train are healthy, their spirits are high, their animals are well-fed and healthy,  their wagons are in good repair and their supplies are not yet depleted,  so at the beginning each wagon has an energy factor of 50. The total points you student makes on the assignments he has been given x 50. It takes 340 points to move the wagon 100 miles.

As the  trip progresses, supplies diminish, people and animals get sick, wagons begin to fall apart as well as the characters' spirits. These Fates will reduce the Energy Factor number.

Your beginning point is Independence, Missouri. Have your student mark Independence our on his map and note when he left Independence. He meets with the other men.  Who are they? Where did they cone from? There are plenty of women meeting and talking and lots of children playing. The atmosphere is very festive.

Just west of Fort Independence, you already learn that water is vital for survival for your wagon, for both the people and animals. The spring has been extremely dry and so the water you brought with you has become crucially important.  Searching for and collecting water along the trail is risky and time consuming.  If you did not bring water barrels with you, you lose 1 EF. If you only brought 1 barrel, you get 200 DPs. If you were wise and brought more than 1 barrel, you watch as you pass by others in the other wagons in the wagon train collecting water and ending up at the back of the train as they are delayed.

The day is otherwise uneventful  but you are thinking ahead to the eveing meal. As you had a cold lunch, you'll want a hot meal, but first you'll have to start a fire. If you did not bring along firewood, you must spend time throughout the day searching for wood, bushes and buffalo chips since the prairie has very few trees. This takes time and delays your wagon. 200 DP'S if you did not have firewood.

The wagon train has stopped for the night. The women and bachelor men without women in their wagon make the evening meal while the boys and young men feed and water the livestock and milk the cow, if you have one. If you do not have a flint and steel, it takes some time to light a fire.

At night, you settle in the back of the wagon, or, if it is warm enough, the ground around the fire. You learn the importance of a blanket. Anyone in your wagon who foes not have a blanket risks catching a cold, which won't stop you from your duties, but will make you feel miserable. Subsequent nights you have a 25% chance of catching pneumonia,  which will keep you bed ridden for 1d6 days while you recover.

This routine follows for days until one night one of the members of the wagon train failed to make his family fire in a trench and embers blew out and started a prairie fire. You and the other members of the wagon train spent all night and most of the next day fighting the fire. This costs you 600 DP's.

A few days later, your oxen, if you have oxen, ate Loco weed and are too sick to travel. You lose 500 DP's. If you do not have oxen, you possibly see this fate affect another wagon in the wagon train and they fall behind.

Another night, you hear rustling as if someone is walking near. Or, perhaps it is an animal? If you have candles or a lantern, you see that it is a deer. Otherwise, you stay up for some time, worried about what it must be and are very tired the next day. Add/subtract 1 from your rolls.

sources

Pioneers, part 1: Modes of Transportation

part 1: Modes of Transportation 

Monday: Timeline

Have your student begin a timeline that spans from 1803-1869. Have him complete the first entry on it by writing 1803: The Louisiana Purchase: The United States bought the land between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains from France. This can be kept in the back of the notebook or on as a separate item.

Tuesday: Research: Photographs and Pictures

Have your student locate photographs and pictures of westward movement. Encourage your student to write in their notebooks their observations and any questions that might arise as they study the photographs and pictures. These questions can later serve as a basis for a research paper. (More step-by-step directions can be found here: Hands On History: Old Photographs.)

Wednesday: Research: The Prairie Schooner

Have your student research the Prairie Schooner. Have them sketch it in their notebooks and include it's dimensions. Have your student brainstorm what the pioneer families would take with them in order to live for six months, keeping in mind the size of the schooner.

Thursday: Research: The Steamer

Some pioneers took steamships  (or "Steamers") and traveled west by sea. Have your student research steamships of the mid-1800's. Have him sketch a cabin on a Steamer with the typical dimensions of 7 feet by 10 feet. How many passengers would travel in this space?

Have your student research the sea routes to California from the east coast.  What were the advantages and disadvantages of each route? What were some of the dangers?

Friday: The Role-Play Scenario: Creating a Wagon Party

The first decisions about the role-play need to be made by the Games-Master/Teacher. Do you want to run an overland scenario or a sea voyage. I will be giving you the events within a overland scenario,  but many of the same things happened on sea voyages. I will give some suggestions for different events for a sea voyage at the end of this unit for those who would rather do this type of scenario with their students. The sea voyage is particularly good for older students who have already learned about the more traditional Oregon Trail.

Once the Games-Master/Teacher has made his decision, then the student(s) can begin character creation (specifics on how to do this can be found here; scroll down to the purple section). Appropriate skills for the character could be:

Brute Force (pushing, lifting or dragging) STRENGTH + SIZE

Dance DEXTERITY + CHARISMA

Dodge DEXTERITY × 2

Drive horse drawn vehicle over treacherous terrain, etc. DEXTERITY + INTELLIGENCE

Evaluate the market value of an item INTELLIGENCE + CHARISMA

First Aide to heal minor wounds, 1d6 hit points DEXTERITY + INTELLIGENCE

Gun Combat INTELLIGENCE + DEXTERITY

Influence the ability to persuade another to change his mind CHARISMA × 2

Insight the ability to figure out another character 's motivations by listening to their voice, watching their body movements, body language,  etc. INTELLIGENCE + POWER

Perception  ability character has to detect objects or other characters.  It covers such situations as listening for something creeping about, listening for sounds in a distance,  etc. INTELLIGENCE + POWER

Persistence covers situations when trying to concentrate in the face of distractions such as reloading a gun when bullets are flying all around. POWER × 2

Resilience is the ability to handle adverse physical conditions such as weathering a storm, surviving a drought or overcoming the effects of disease. CONSTITUTION × 2

Sing audience being pleased by the character's performance POWER + CHARISMA

Commerce when characters trade, barter or otherwise negotiate over the sale of goods INTELLIGENCE + CHARISMA

Craft such as basket-weaver, butcher, candle-maker, carpenter, mason, etc. DEXTERITY + INTELLIGENCE

Gambling INTELLIGENCE + POWER

Healing INTELLIGENCE +POWER

Oratory a dressing large groups of people POWER +CHARISMA

Play Instrument DEXTERITY + CHARISMA

Ship-handling INTELLIGENCE + CONSTITUTION

Survival test required every day that a character lacks food, water or a safe place to sleep Failure means he will go without, which, over several days, could result in serious consequences POWER +CONSTITUTION

Track locate the tracks of a specific creature and follow them INTELLIGENCE +CONSTITUTION

Have your student imagine a background for his character. Is he moving to Oregon because of failed crops in Illinois and there is land available in Oregon for anyone who wants to work it? How has he heard about Oregon? Perhaps a brother is already there and has written to his character about the wonderful growing conditions for crops there?

Or, perhaps the character wants to go to California because he read an advertisement in the newspaper about an inexhaustible supply of gold that has been discovered in California?

Or, perhaps the character is a Mormon who had settled along the Mississippi River in the southern part of Illinois in 1839? Now it is the 1840's and the Mormons are being persecuted, including the character's leader, Joseph Smith,  who was already killed by a mob of people. The character's new Mormon leader is Brigham Young and he has decided that the Mormons have to move to Utah.

Have your student create his own character that has a historically accurate reason for migrating west, a destination in mind and a background to go with it. Next, he needs to create the party of 4-6 people that will be in his prairie schooner. Is the character the head of the family?  If so, what are the ages and sex of the family members? Or, perhaps he is a single man traveling with his brother and/or friends? Or, perhaps he is bringing his brother's family.

Supplies

Survival in the wilderness depends on careful planning. Stocking and packing a wagon is serious work. In the mid-1800's covered wagon pioneers took with them some or all of the following 90 items. Your student cannot hold every item on the list, so he will need to select them carefully. He will need to consider the usefulness and importance of each item both on the trail and once he gets to his destination.  Your student's character's fate, even survival, may depend on how wisely your student selects his supplies.

Each item on the list has a number behind it. This is the item's bulk weight (or BW), which is a combination of the item's size and weight. The capacity of the covered wagon is 1000 bulk weight units, so your student will have to keep track of this as he picks his items. The final list must be kept in his notebook with the BW units listed and totaled, as it will be referred to from time to time as the role-play unfolds.

Household Items

Baby cradle  (15)

Bed frame (30)

Bedding (5)

Bible, family heirloom  (2)

Blanket  (3)

Butter churn (10)

Butter mold (2)

Candle sticks, 1 pair (2)

Candles, 5 (1)

Chest, for clothing  (35)

Clock  (5)

Coal oil, 1 gallon (12)

Coffee grinder (3)

Coffee pot (3)

Cooking and serving utensils  (6)

Cooking stove (75)

Dishes, family set (20)

Dutch oven (6)

Fabric, 15 yards  (12)

Family heirlooms (20)

Flint and steel  (2)

Frying pan  (6)

Lantern  (3)

Loom (35)

Mirror  (10)

Sewing kit (2)

Piano or small organ (100)

Pitcher and bowl, for bathing (10)

Plants (10)

Rocking chair  (15)

Rug  (25)

Spinning wheel  (25)

Stool (8)

Table and 4 chairs  (50)

Trunk, for storage (20)

Wooden bucket (5)

Woven basket  (4)

Personal Items

Boots, extra pair (4)

Clothing,  1 person (20)

Children's toys (8)

Eating utensils, 1 person  (1)

Fiddle (5)

First aid kit, enough for a family (10)

Guitar  (6)

Hunting knife  (3)

Pistol (4)

Powder horn (4)

Rifle (10)

Snow shoes (4)

Tools

Anvil (40)

Axe (7)

Axle grease  (13)

Bellows for fire (10)

Corn seller (25)

Crosscut saw, two-man (7)

Grain cradle  (10)

Grind stone, large (20)

Hammer (2)

Hatchet  (4)

Hoe (4)

Metal plow (40)

Oxen yolk repair kit (15)

Pick axe (5)

Pitch fork, 3 prong (6)

Rope, 100 feet (6)

Scythe (7)

Shovel  (7)

Steel animal traps, 4 (20)

Tool Assortment  (10)

Twine, 100 feet (1)

Vise (5)

Food

Bacon, 25 pounds (25)

Coffee, 10 pounds  (10)

Dried beef, 25 pounds  (25)

Dried fruit, 10 pounds  (10)

Dried beans, 25 pounds  (25)

Flour, 50 pounds  (50)

Salt, 25 pounds  (25)

Spices, assorted  (1)

Sugar, 20 pounds  (20)

Vegetables, 25 pounds (25)

Vinegar, 3 gallons (24)

Miscellaneous Supplies

Animal feed, for 2 animals (30)

Chicken coop (12)

Gun powder, keg (20)

Olive press (25)

Saddle (25)

Seeds, 50 pound bag (50)

Water barrel,  20 gallon  (160)

Wood box, full of wood (25)

In addition to this list, students may also bring with them up to 6 animals from this list:

Horse

Ox

Cow

Chicken

Dog

Goat

Pig

In addition, your student can roll for the amount of dollars he has with him to buy items along the way and to start his new life once the trip is complete.

First, roll one six-sided die.

Next, roll that number of six-sided dice.

That is the amount of dollars your student's wagon has with him.

For example, if he rolled a 4 on his first roll, then he rolls 4-six-sided dice. Suppose he then rolled a 3, a 4, a 2 and another 3. Add those up and you get 12, and so he has $12 with him to buy things with.

Next week we research about the geography on the trail and watch videos about pioneers.