Egyptian Reed Boat Model

Since we are beginning our study of Ancient Egypt with the Nile River, we made a model of their reed boats.

At our time spent at Turner's Creek park last week, we gathered some willow branches.

We wanted to make some Egyptian-style reed boats for our study of Ancient Egypt. This pile of branches made two small reed boats, so you need to collect a good amount of them to make the boats.

We followed the directions from Creekside Learning.

We stripped the leaves off the branches and cut them into 12-14 inch pieces in order to make them Playmobil size. Using one of the branches, we tied a bundle of them together, and then bent the bundle by using a rubber band to hold them into a "U" shape, and left it for a few days to dry in that position. We added a couple of zip ties to them to make sure they keep together.

Once dry, you can remove the rubber bands and the boats are ready for display and play.

Originally posted Nov 22, 2013

Curriculum and Roleplay: The American Civil War: A History Curriculum for Middle and High School

I would like to introduce to you my latest Role-Play Curriculum for Middle and High School students, The American Civil War. It is a six week curriculum, one lesson for each year of the Civil War, plus one for the coming of the war. This series includes writing, research, hands-on projects and even a bit of math and a field trip suggestion or two. I will be linking each week's lessons to this post for your convenience. More specifically, there are suggestions on:

• Readings
• Timeline
• Role-Playing
• Researching and Writing Telegrams
• Maps
• Researching and Writing a Newspaper Article
• Hands-On Projects
• Writing Outlines

Here are a few examples of the writing activities and expectations for the unit.:

Journal Writing

• Each entry should be between 3/4 to a full page.
• Each entry should be dated parallel to the events of the week. For example, if you are studying the year 1860, then your entry should be dated sometime in 1860 and the events in the entry should be seasonally appropriate to the month you have picked.
• You should write two entries a week, one from the field identity, and one from the home identity.
• Fill your entries with the things learned about -the events, people and life from the Civil War era. Your writing should always be historically accurate. Each entry should include at least 4 historical facts learned during the week. Highlight the facts with a highlighter pen.
• Try to write as you might write to a relative today but do not use modern slang or references to inventions and conveniences not yet in use or people not yet born. The tone should be conversational.
• Stay in character when you write, referencing the reactions to the events taking place through the character's eyes.

Telegrams

Each week you will be researching information about the events of the war and condensing them into a brief and interesting telegram to include in your notebook.

This program is designed for students from Middle School level to High School grades. You will, therefore need to establish for yourself the level which meets the standard for your student(s) grade level(s). The highest level work is complete and has details. The writing should reflect analysis and decision making. Research assignments should be graded on both content and writing skills. They all need to have two resources. Everything should reflect the students' mastery of the material covered.

Students will need a blank notebook to record information. I ask my students to keep wide margins on the left side of their notebook pages and double space their writing so that they can go back and add questions,  comments and reflections in the margins.


Week 1: The Coming of the War

Week 2: 1861

Week 3: 1862

Week 4: 1863

Week 5: 1864

Week 6: 1865

Civil War Presentations Projects For Middle and High School
Civil War Projects

Sources:

• Renaissance, Peter Cakebread and Ken Walton 
• Civil War Interact Simulations, A Simulation of Civilian and Soldier Life During the American Civil War,  Terry Handy and Bill Lacey, grades 5-11
• Abraham Lincoln's World, Genevieve Foster
• Kingfisher History Encyclopedia

Civil War, Part 4: 1863

Readings

Part IV: When Abraham Lincoln was a Lawyer from Illinois

Kingfisher, pgs 346-353

Monday: Timeline

1848-1861
Franz Josef
First World's Fair
Napoleon III
Richard Wagner
Mark Twain
Nana Sahib
Florence Nightingale
Oil Well
Jenny Lind
Stephen Foster
Japan and Perry
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Victor Emmanuel II
Woodrow Wilson
Wilhelm
Theodore Roosevelt
Hans Christian Andersen
Stephen Douglas
Jefferson Davis
Willie and Tad Lincoln

Tuesday: Telegraph Office

President issues proclamation to free slaves.
Lincoln signs first Draft Law.
Lee wins Pyrrhic victory at Chancellorsville.
Gettysburg is crucial to victory; Lee retreats.
Mississippi fortress of Vicksburg falls to Grant.
Draft riots erupt in New York City.
Confederates win savage battle at Chickamauga.
President issues Thanksgiving Proclamation.
Lincoln delivers address at Gettysburg.
Union forces win Chattanooga.

Field Trip

Gettysburg, PA

Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center is open 8 am - 6 pm April - October and Park Roads are open 6 am - 10 pm and Soldiers' National Cemetery is open Dawn - Dusk.
From November - March, the Museum & Visitor Center is open 9 am - 5 pm, the Park Roads are open 6 am - 7 pm and the Soldiers' National Cemetery is open Dawn - Dusk.

Entry to the park and visitor center is FREE OF CHARGE
There is a fee for the film "A New Birth of Freedom" at the Museum and Visitor Center, and there are additional fees for Licensed Battlefield Guides and the David Willis house.

Hands-On Activity

Reenactment of Pickett's Charge

If you have enough people, you can reenact this will actors, if not, your student can use plastic soldiers and either take pictures or a video. There is a beginning monologue, but the rest of the action should be described by the student. He should write his script in advance.

Narrator: It is July 3, 1863. For about two hours Southern gunners have sent a firestorm of artillery shells against the Union at a point called The Angle. These guns, however, have not fallen silent. Union Commander George Meade thinks the imminent attack will be a frontal assault on The Angle. He and his men are ready. The stillness is ominous. 

1. Confederate troops start moving forward. (If using actors, start the Confederates 175-200 yards away and have them move at a rate of about 1 yard every second.)
2. All Rebs release their best rendition of the Rebel yell and yell it several times over the course of the battle.
3. Two or three Rebel soldiers are hit and fall to the ground dead; one Union man falls dead.
4. Two or three more Rebs are hit and fall to the ground dead. One is carrying the colors. Another Red picks up the flag and moves forward.
5. A Confederate officer with his sword drawn says, "Home, boys, home. Remember home is over beyond those hills." Two Union boys fall dead.
6. One or two more Rebs fall, one is shot in the chest, another receives a fatal head wound.
7. All Union troops chant several times, "Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg!"
8. One Union officer yells, "Glory to God! Glory to God! See the Vermonters go at it!"
9. One Union officer yells, "See 'em! See 'em!"
10. One Union officer yells, "Fire! Fire! Another says, "Come on, boys. Give them the cold steel! Who will follow me? One Union soldier falls dead.
11. The remaining Rebel army turns around and retreats quickly to the woods where they began.
12. General Pickett puts his hands to his forehead and shakes his head in disgust and grief.
13. All Union troops cheer enthusiastically for several seconds to several minutes.
14. General Lee flits back and forth, telling his troops as they return to the woods, "It's all my fault...all my fault."

Culture

Wednesday: Poetry

Research and read poetry composed during the Civil War. (Walt Whitman 's O Captain, My Captain is an example.) Can you write a poem with a Civil War theme?

Thursday: Delivering a Speech

The Gettysburg Address

Have your student deliver this speech, hopefully in costume.

Civil War, Part 3: 1862

Readings

PART III: When Abraham Lincoln Kept Store in Illinois

Kingfisher, pgs 340-345

Field Trip

Antietam /Sharpsburg

Monday: Timeline

1830-1848
Andrew Jackson
Chicago
William Lloyd Garrison
Charles Dickens
Postage Stamps
Black Hawk
Texas
Boers Great Trek
Oregon Trail
China, Hong Kong
Victoria
Louis Philippe
Clipper Ships
Rubber
Telegraph
Ether
Matches
Bathtubs
War with Mexico
Zachary Taylor
Winfield Scott
Gold
Steamships
Photography

Tuesday: Telegraph Office

Battle between ironclad ships ends in a draw.
Grant wins decisive battle at Shiloh.
Admiral Farragut captured New Orleans for Union.
Federal Homestead Law signed.
Stonewall's classic offensive highlights Shenandoah campaign.
McClellan loses Seven Days 'Battle;  Lee could seize momentum.
Confederates win Second Bull Run battle.
Sioux uprising put down in Minnesota.
Bloody Antietam gives Union victory.
Union disaster at Fredericksburg;  Burnside replaced.

Wednesday: Journal

Write a one page narrative describing a chance encounter your character had with someone  (or something ) famous during the Civil War. Perhaps you were at Ford's Theater, or  you ran into a congressman with a box lunch at the first Battle of Bull Run or perhaps you heard Lincoln deliver his Address...use your imagination. You will need to do some research before writing this entry.

Thursday: Projects

Begin Civil War Museum display. Research something that was in important person place or thing in the Civil War and construct a display as if it were to go in a museum. It could be a diorama, a video production or a visual presentation. Visit museums to research how information is presented in a professional manner. Observe how captions, titles, models, pictures and documents are used in the displays. Plan carefully. Your presentation should be both accurate and entertaining. Think about colors, borders, lettering, labels, and the use of audio or video components. Use bright and contrasting colors.Try to limit the written word on your display, while at the same time conveying all the key elements. Use many visuals such as pictures, props or maps. Your presentation must have:

• a neat and clear title
• borders and mats around pictures, captions and maps
• precise lettering
• lots of visuals. Try to keep the word limit to about 500 words. Use pictures, drawings, maps, timelines and props to convey the information.
• Integrate into your display audio or video components.

Civil War Culture

Friday: Music

Listen to recordings of songs people sang during the Civil War. (Dixie. The Bonnie Blue Flag, John Brown's Body, Marching Through Georgia,  Battle Hymn of the Republic, When Johnny Comes Marching Home). If you are musically inclined,  can you compose a Civil War song?

Hands-on History

Baseball

If you have a large enough group to play, baseball the way it was played then would be so much fun! Gloves, masks and other specialized equipment were not used. The ball was, instead a tightly wound ball of twine and bats were long pieces of wood.

Civil War, part 2: 1861

Reading

part II: When Abraham Lincoln was a Boy in Indiana

Kingfisher,  pgs 322-329

Monday: Timeline

1815-1830
Noah Webster
Monroe Doctrine
Simon Bolivar
Sequoia
John Adams
Harriet Beecher Stowe
John James Audubon
Washington Irving
Benito Juarez
Charles Dickens
Victoria
Charles Darwin
William  Gladstone
David Livingston
George Stephenson
Naosuke II
Garibaldi
Leopold
Lion Hong Zhang

Field Trip

Manassas /Bull Run National Battlefield, Virginia

Tuesday: Telegraph Office

Research and include at least 3 supporting details for these headlines in the form of a Telegram.
Seven Southern states secede from the Union.
Jefferson Davis is the new president of CSA.
Abe Lincoln inaugurated 16th president.
Rebels shell Fort Sumter!
President Lincoln calls for 75,000 volunteers.
Robert E.Lee turns down Union Command
First casualties of war are in Baltimore riots.
Richmond, Virginia becomes new CSA capital.
A hero's death helps Union to secure Alexandria.
Confederates feast on Union civilian lunches after victory at Bull Run.
First income tax in US history levied in North.
Wilson Creek battle extends war in the west.
McClellan is new army chief.

Wednesday: Research

Write an in-depth analysis of your state during the war. What was this state's position and what was the war's impact on it?

Begin work on Presentations project. You may pick one from this list or come up with your own project.

Thursday: Photography

Research Mathew Brady or Alexander Gardner to find examples of Civil War photography. Then, using the style of 19th century photographers, create your own Civil War pictures by staging scenes or posing soldiers that you photograph with your own camera.

Friday: Hands-On History: Marching and Drilling

This needs to be done with a group of students,  but the group doesn't have to be that large. I have done it with three students before. It is a great activity to do in a co-op.
Organize students into two lined with each line 13 inches apart from the row in front of them. Students in each line should be touching shoulders of the persons to the left and right.
The teacher yells,"Company,  attention! "
Students are to stand straight,  facing forward, heels together and the rest of their feet at a 4-5 degree angle. Their arms are to be relaxed with  the pinky of each hand angling their jacket hem. Their head and shoulders are back and facing straight ahead. If they have a weapon,  it is resting at their sides, holding it between their thumb and forefinger along the tight side with the butt resting next to their right foot.

Teacher yells, "Company,  in place, rest!"
Students keep their left foot in place and slide their right foot behind their left in order to form a T. They hold their hands in front, left, over right, relaxed.

Teacher can now roll call soldiers,  if desired. Students respond with "Here, Sir!"

Teacher commands, "Right, face."
Students, two at a time, turn right, the second set, stepping into the space left by the first set.

Teacher yells, "Front" and students move back in previous formation.

Teacher yells, "Forward,  march!" Students step out with their left feet. Teacher keeps rhythm with, "Left, right, left right..."

When marching with a weapon,  teacher should first give the command, "Shoulder, arms!" Students should hold the weapon off the ground with their index and middle finger under the trigger guard. At the command,  "Right shoulder shift, arms," and students should  bring their weapons up to their right shoulder and carry it flat against the shoulder,  holding the rifle under the bottom with their right hand.

When the students are to halt on the march, the command to slide the weapon back to the ground is, "Order, arms!"

Civil War, part 1, The Coming of the War

part 1, The Coming of the War

Reading

Abraham Lincoln's World, Genevieve Foster, Abraham Lincoln is Born, The Story Begins, and part I: When Abraham Lincoln was Born in Kentucky

Kingfisher History Encyclopedia, pgs 318-321

Timeline

Make a timeline that includes the years 1800-1815. Add the following people to the timeline in the appropriate places.You must decide whether you are going to add them at their birth time, death time or when they made their greatest impact on history, or all of these.

Napoleon

Beethoven

Dumas

Wellington

Nelson Bucher

Alexander I

Victor Hugo

Thomas Jefferson

Robert Fulton

John Marshall

James Madison

Tecumseh

Henry Clay

Daniel Webster

John Calhoun

Francis Scott Key

Andrew Jackson

The Constitution /Old Ironsides

George III

Role-Play: Making Characters

For this scenario,  you will be making two characters. One will be the field army identity,  a soldier (always male), whatever rank you decide to be and the second will be a home identity, who is a wife, sister, brother,  father,  mother, son, daughter or whoever you want this character to be. The only requirement is that this character must be close to the field army identity. Determine the names, ages, relationships, rank or occupation, family, Hometown, education, character traits and opinion on slavery for both characters.

Write a one page autobiography, fleshing out the character statistics. Fabricate your character's life up to 1861 when the war breaks out.

Journal Writing

• Each entry should be between 3/4 to a full page.
• Each entry should be dated parallel to the events of the week. For example, if you are studying the year 1860, then your entry should be dated sometime in 1860 and the events in the entry should be seasonally appropriate to the month you have picked.
• You should write two entries a week, one from the field identity, and one from the home identity.
• Fill your entries with the things learned about -the events, people and life from the Civil War era. Your writing should always be historically accurate. Each entry should include at least 4 historical facts learned during the week. Highlight the facts with a highlighter pen.
• Try to write as you might write to a relative today but do not use modern slang or references to inventions and conveniences not yet in use or people not yet born. The tone should be conversational.
• Stay in character when you write, referencing the reactions to the events taking place through the character's eyes.

Vocabulary 

Use these words in this week's journal.

Abolitionist

Battery

Cartridge box

Deploy

Envelopment

Flanks

Hardtack

Main attack

Rank

Salt pork

Yank

Telegrams

Each week you will be researching information about the events of the war and condensing them into a brief and interesting telegram to include in your notebook. This week research what was going on in the year 1860 (and before, if you wish) and jot down some of your own conclusions about how what happened before the war, led up to the start of the Civil War. You will have to condense what you have learned into about three facts that you could write in a telegram form.

Map

On an appropriate map :

• Color and label the seeding states in 1861, which made up the Confederacy. Locate the capital. Draw the Confederate flag.
• Color and label the Northern states which fought as the Union. Locate the capital. Draw the Union flag.
• Label the four border states.
• Label the major rivers and mountain ranges in the Confederacy and border states.
• Label the major bodies of water touching the Confederate states
• Label Fort Sumter and add add the date of when the war began.
• Label these major battles:
• Battle of Manassas /Bull Run
• Battle of Antietam /Sharpsburg
• Battle of Gettysburg
• Sherman s March
• Appomattox Court House 

Newspaper Article

Research and write a newspaper article with the headline about the shelling of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861.

Civil War Presentations Projects

• Write a mini play on one significant event during the Civil War. You may act out all the roles yourself, using quick costume changes and different voices, or you may organize a cast.
• Research both Confederate and Union flags used in the war and replicate an authentic flag.
• Find and make a recipe from the South and one from the north, authentic to the Civil War time period.
• Research uniforms and present the information you learn graphically and create a presentation to explain the information.
• Research Civil War maps in terms of their use and accuracy and create a presentation comparing a Civil War era map to a modern map of the same area.
• Make a diorama of a famous battle or event.
• Research artillery pieces and how effective they were in the war, and create a presentation to convey what you have learned. 
• Research hats of both soldiers and civilians. Discuss them in terms of both fashion and function.
• Research the music of the era. Include the background to one of the pieces.
• Research doctors, medical personnel, medical tools and supplies. Compare to modern methods.
• Research Matthew Brady, Timothy O'Sullivan and photography of the era. Show examples of their work.
• Research Civil War money. Both sides had trouble financing the war. What role did inflation play in the Union victory?
• Compare two generals, one Union and one Confederate, other than Lee or Grant. What common threads run through the biographies of both men?
• Research spies of the war. What made an effective spy? How difficult was it to detect spies in a civil war where both sides are nearly identical in dress and language?
• Research drill manuals. Demonstrate how soldiers drilled in preparation for battle.
• Research Lincoln's speeches during the war. Give an analysis of one of them and recite it in costume.
• Create a re-enactment of a famous event in Civil War history and film it with you as the narrator explaining the action.
• Research artists, sketch artists and painters who worked during the Civil War. Compare and contrast two of the works.
• Research recruitment posters of the war. Make one of your own using the techniques you believe were most effective, and explain your choices.
• Research the Red Cross during the Civil War and Clara Barton's contribution to the organization.
• Research inventions of the war. Which aided one side or the other? Which dramatically altered history? Which have changed little over the years to the 21st century?
• Research ironclads and how they were used by both navies in the war.
• Research the role of the bugler and the drummer in the armies of both sides. Perform one of the era's tunes or either drum or bugle.
• Research prisons of the Civil War, and make a presentation on them in general or one or two specifically.
• Research fortification techniques used by both sides. Begin your research with abatis, palisades and chevaux-de-frise.
• Take an event of the Civil War, explain what happened and then write an alternate history, a "what if" based on something dramatic changing the event.
• Research the rioting in Baltimore, and then compare it with a similar protest, like Kent State in 1970.
• Research bayonets and make a presentation on them.
• Research the role of the African American soldier.
• Write a history of blockage runners in the Civil War. 



John Wilkes Booth Escape Tour

• Research Lincoln's assassination. If possible, take a field trip to Ford's Theater or the John Wilkes Booth Escape Tour. 
• Research Sherman's March to the Sea. Using maps and illustrations or photographs explain why it took place and what happened.
• Research the role of your state in the Civil War. Take photographs of as many of the sights as you can.
• Research censorship in the war.
• Research the role of religion and chaplains in the war. Research the US Christian Commission and its role.
• Research pistols and rifles used in the war. Show how they were used.
• Research conscientious objectors and how both governments dealt with them.
• Research desertion and deserters. Why did they desert and how did both governments deal with them.
• Research corps badges and make a visual presentation of the information.
• Research Lincoln's actions during the war that could be labeled "unconstitutional." Did these actions make him a dictator?
• Research the role of submarines in the Civil War. How were they important?
• Research the role of the foreign-born soldier in the Civil War. Which side benefited the most from them? What kinds of incentives were offered?
• Research the origins of the Medal of Honor during the Civil War.
• Research the Copperheads and the Peace Societies and present your findings of these dissidents organizations.
• Research the role of Allan Pinkerton and the Secret Service during the Civil War.

See more of The American Civil War curriculum, sources and resources here.

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.