Reflection
The Standard Course of Study that I would use in the classroom relating to this project is as follows:
Competency Goal 1: The learner will apply key geographic concepts to the United States and other countries of North America.
Objective 1.07: Analyze the past movement of people, goods, and ideas within and among the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America and compare it to movement today
Competency Goal 4: The learner will trace key developments in United States history and describe their impact on the land and people of the nation and its neighboring countries.
Objective 4.02: Explain when, where, why, and how groups of people settled in different regions of the United States.
I have always enjoyed learning about the Oregon Trail. From the time I was in elementary school, I can remember being captivated by the pioneers traveling the trail and the hardships they endured. It is difficult to imagine traveling over 2,000 miles by wagon to get to a destination, and taking months to get there. We have become very spoiled with modern technology today, but also very grateful. I have come to have a much deeper respect for those that endured such a great task. This project examines when, where, why, and how the emigrants got from the east to the west, and how they settled. Also, it analyzes the movement of the emigrants and compares it to movement today through discussion of the railroads and transportation that has evolved over time.
There is so much history related to the Oregon Trail that it was hard to narrow it down. I really wanted to talk about how and why people traveled the trail, as well as what it was like compared to today. I enjoyed learning new information on it that I do not remember learning in elementary school, such as there is more than one man that is credited for discovering the trail. There were so many people who traversed up and down the mountains discovering new territory and blazing the trails for the emigrants that would follow. I also enjoyed seeing what the Oregon Trail is like today. It is amazing to still be able to see the wagon ruts in some places along the trail. The scenery is beautiful and I would love to visit the states where the trail was originally paved.
As an elementary social studies teacher, I think that students would enjoy studying the trail and discussing what it took for an emigrant to make the trip to the west. I would love to teach a unit on the Oregon Trail and attempt to bring to life this fascinating part of history through examining actual diaries and journals of the emigrants and looking at pictures of the trail to get a sense of what life was like on the trail. The students could also work together in groups to create a script between emigrants and create different incidents that might possibly occur on the trail, and come up with ways to solve the problems. There is so much that students could learn and so many people that they could learn about.
Competency Goal 1: The learner will apply key geographic concepts to the United States and other countries of North America.
Objective 1.07: Analyze the past movement of people, goods, and ideas within and among the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America and compare it to movement today
Competency Goal 4: The learner will trace key developments in United States history and describe their impact on the land and people of the nation and its neighboring countries.
Objective 4.02: Explain when, where, why, and how groups of people settled in different regions of the United States.
I have always enjoyed learning about the Oregon Trail. From the time I was in elementary school, I can remember being captivated by the pioneers traveling the trail and the hardships they endured. It is difficult to imagine traveling over 2,000 miles by wagon to get to a destination, and taking months to get there. We have become very spoiled with modern technology today, but also very grateful. I have come to have a much deeper respect for those that endured such a great task. This project examines when, where, why, and how the emigrants got from the east to the west, and how they settled. Also, it analyzes the movement of the emigrants and compares it to movement today through discussion of the railroads and transportation that has evolved over time.
There is so much history related to the Oregon Trail that it was hard to narrow it down. I really wanted to talk about how and why people traveled the trail, as well as what it was like compared to today. I enjoyed learning new information on it that I do not remember learning in elementary school, such as there is more than one man that is credited for discovering the trail. There were so many people who traversed up and down the mountains discovering new territory and blazing the trails for the emigrants that would follow. I also enjoyed seeing what the Oregon Trail is like today. It is amazing to still be able to see the wagon ruts in some places along the trail. The scenery is beautiful and I would love to visit the states where the trail was originally paved.
As an elementary social studies teacher, I think that students would enjoy studying the trail and discussing what it took for an emigrant to make the trip to the west. I would love to teach a unit on the Oregon Trail and attempt to bring to life this fascinating part of history through examining actual diaries and journals of the emigrants and looking at pictures of the trail to get a sense of what life was like on the trail. The students could also work together in groups to create a script between emigrants and create different incidents that might possibly occur on the trail, and come up with ways to solve the problems. There is so much that students could learn and so many people that they could learn about.