Wagons, Ho! Created by Allison Deane

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel across the country in a covered wagon? Well, here is your chance!!! Over the next few weeks, you will be learning about how pioneers packed up everything they had, and traveled across the country in a covered wagon. So fasten your seatbelts, and get ready to become a pioneer from the 1800’s!

Before you leave for your journey West, you will need the following items: If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon by Ellen Levine Pens/Pencils KTWL Chart Venn Diagram Journal/Diary Computer with an Internet connection Native American Indian Tribe Study worksheet

Meet with the members of your wagon train group and do a 5-minute picture walk of the book If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon by Ellen Levine. Then, take out your KTWL chart and fill out the first two sections with your group: What You Know/Think You Know About Traveling West in a Covered Wagon, and What You Want to Learn About Traveling West in a Covered Wagon (see next slide).

What I Know/Think I Know: What I Want to Know:What I Learned:

Visit the following website and add any new information you learn to the last section of your KTWL Chart.

Read each of the following sections with a partner. Stop after each section and add information to your Venn Diagram (see next slide). Pages 5 – 19 Pages 20 – 34 Pages 35 – 49 Pages 50 – 64 Pages

Pioneer Life My Life Similarities

When you have finished reading If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon by Ellen Levine, go back to your KTWL Chart and add more information into the last section: What I Learned About Traveling West in a Covered Wagon.

Now that you have become an expert on the Oregon Trail, you will assume a pioneer identity and write a diary entry about what a day traveling West in a covered wagon is like. Go to the hat in the front of the room, and pull out an identity. You will be writing your diary entry from the point of view of your identity. See the next slide for what you need to include.

In your diary entry, I want you to include the following things: Why you left home and what you brought with you Your feelings about traveling West Who are you traveling with What are some things you have seen on your journey Describe 2 major hardships you have already faced on your journey Include at least three things that you learned from reading If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon by Ellen Levine, and underline them.

Visit the following websites and discuss your new learning with a partner:

Now that you know what it was like to be a pioneer on the Oregon Trail, I want you to learn what it was like to be a Native American living along the Oregon Trail. Your job is to pick one of the following Native American Tribes on the following slide, and complete the Native American Indian Tribe Study worksheet. You will use this information to write a journal entry from the point of view of a Native American living in the 1800’s along the Oregon Trail. You will then read this journal entry to the members of your wagon train. Good luck! Don’t forget to use the rubric to guide your writing!

Cheyenne Pawnee Cherokee Creek Delaware Mohawk Navajo Choctaw Seminole Iroquois

Name________________________________ Date_________________________ Native American Indian Tribe Study You will be doing research on one of the tribes that the Pioneers may have encountered on their journey. You can locate this information by performing a Google Search which will be supervised by Mrs. Deane and/or Mrs. Weber. Your report will be presented to the rest of the members of your wagon train group. Good luck! What is the name of your tribe:_____________________________________________________________________________________________ Where did they live:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Were they farmers or hunters:______________________________________________________________________________________________ Did they have any alliances with other tribes? If so, which ones?: _____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What was the main type of shelter they lived in? ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What kind of clothing did this tribe wear? __________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What different types of food did this tribe eat? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Bonus: What myths or legends are associated with this tribe? _________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

AssignmentExemplary 3 Proficient 2 Unacceptable 1 KTWL Chart Student completes all 3 columns of the chart. K/T section includes at least 3 ideas, W section includes at least 3 higher level questions, and L section includes accurate information drawn from the text. Student completes all 3 sections. K/T section includes 1 – 3 ideas, W section includes at least one higher level question, and L section includes accurate information drawn from the text. Student does not complete all 3 sections of the chart and/0r K/T section is empty, W section does not demonstrate higher level thinking, or L section does not contain accurate information drawn from the text. Venn Diagram Student completes all 3 sections of the Venn Diagram. “Pioneer Life” includes accurate information from text, “My Life” includes information about the student’s life, and the middle section shows a clear connection between the two. Student completes all 3 sections of the Venn Diagram. “Pioneer Life” includes some accurate information from text, “My Life” includes some information about the student’s life, and the middle section shows a connection between the two. Student does not complete all 3 sections of Venn Diagram and/or “Pioneer Life” is missing accurate information, “My Life“ does not include information about the student’s life, or there is not a clear connection between the two. Diary Entry - Pioneer Journal entry is written from the point of view of a pioneer, and includes details and examples of feelings about the journey, sights, hardships and demonstrates new learning drawn from the text. Journal entry is written from the point of view of a pioneer, and includes a feeling, a hardship, some sights, and evidences some new learning. Journal entry is written from the point of view of a pioneer, but is missing feelings, hardships, sights or evidence of new learning. Diary Entry – Native American Journal entry is written from the point of view of a Native American, and includes 4 – 5 details and examples of information drawn from the Native American website. Journal entry is written from the point of view of a Native American, and includes 2 – 3 details and examples of information drawn from the Native American website. Journal entry is written from the point of view of a Native American, but does not include accurate information from the Native American website

If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon by Ellen Levine

Students need teacher to model how to complete the KTWL chart and the Venn Diagram. Make sure to give the students one or two examples of how to fill out the Venn Diagram based on the information from the text. You may want to decide who your students are going to be partners with for this activity to avoid future problems. Go to your local library or school library and find some read aloud texts about Native Americans to give your students some background knowledge about what it was like to be a Native American in the west during the 1800’s.