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7:45-8:20 Computer/Make Up Work

8:20-8:30 Snack and Restroom

8:30-8:45 Test Windmills

8:45-9:45 Wonder

9:45-10:15 PPT on Sectionalism

10:15-Lunch Reader's Theater

12:05 12:30 Sort and Comp Questions

12:30-1:00 Liberty Kids

1:00- Recess Party

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Liberty's Kids 134 - Conflict in the South | History Cartoons For Kids

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7:45-8:45 Start Reading Wonder + Activities

8:45-9:00 Snack and Track

9:00-9:40 Introduction to Westward Expansion: Oregon Trail Resource Before Learning Column and then BrainPOP video

9:40-10:40 Genius Hour

12:05-12:35 Westward Expansion Map Activity

12:35-1:30 Play Oregon Trail PPT and Online Game

1:30-1:50 After Learning Section of Oregon Trail Resource

* We can do a Conestoga Wagon craft as an option. It can be carried into Tuesday if needed.

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What makes cars go? Fossil fuels! What lights up gas grills and stoves? Fossil fuels! What’s non-renewable and really bad for the environment? You know…

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Complete Before Section before any information is shared.  Complete the After Column at the end of the day.

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Complete Before Section before any information is shared.  Complete the After Column at the end of the day.

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Video and Quiz

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History vs. Andrew Jackson - James Fester

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Video and Quiz

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The War of 1812 - Crash Course US History #11

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Watch following BrainPOP's and take quizzes:

California Gold Rush

Texas Revolution

Mexican American War

Once finished, here are some topics you can research:

Diseases during Westward Expansion: dysentery, cholera

Buffalo hunted to near extinction.

Indian Reservations

Conestoga Wagons

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I love the acting out! We could make them take everything out of their desks and backpacks and walk around the school...

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Andrew Jackson and Trail of Tears Lesson for Kids

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Aug 8, 2018 - Fun hands-on American History lesson for elementary children on the Andrew Jackson, Trail of Tears, & John Audubon in 45 minutes for Kindergarten, 1st, & 2nd grade-level children - Notebook & lapbook pages & book suggestions - Use with your class, homeschool, after-school program, or co-op! US

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Oregon Trail PPT Game with Educational Feedback

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Oregon Trail PPT Game with Educational Feedback

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Can post to Clever or Teams

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If you've ever dreamt of traversing the American frontier as a pioneer, making crucial decisions, and hunting for food along the Oregon Trail, then The Oregon Trail is the game for you.

In this historical educational strategy video game, you'll be transported back to the year 1848, leading a covered wagon party from Independence, Missouri, to the fertile Willamette River and valley in Oregon.

Your leadership skills will be tested as you make choices about supplies, resource management, and your route while overcoming various challenges and setbacks.

Historical Beginnings

The Oregon Trail has a rich historical background. It was initially created as a text-based game in 1971 and later published by the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium ( MECC) in 1975.

The game was re-imagined and released in its graphical form in 1985 for the Apple II. The year is 1848, and you'll assume the role of a wagon leader guiding a group of settlers from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon's Willamette Valley via a covered wagon.

You'll make pivotal decisions on supplies, resource management, and the route you take while navigating treacherous rivers and facing unpredictable events such as storms and disease.

Creating an Educational Icon

The game was the brainchild of a dedicated team at MECC led by game designer R. Philip Bouchard. Over a ten-month period from 1984 to 1985, they crafted this educational masterpiece. The Oregon Trail marked a pivotal shift for MECC, transitioning from games and software on mainframe computers to home computers.

It was MECC's first product primarily aimed at home consumers rather than schools.

The game made history by being one of the first educational video games of its kind, blending entertainment and learning seamlessly.

The Journey

As you embark on your journey to Oregon, you'll face a series of challenging decisions. You start by selecting your character's profession: banker, carpenter, or farmer.

Each choice comes with its own difficulty level and an initial sum of money to begin your journey. Then, you'll name your character and the four members of your party.

You'll need to purchase essential supplies like oxen, food, clothing, ammunition, and spare wagon parts from Matt's General Store.

The journey is divided into sixteen segments, each concluding at a landmark, such as a river crossing or a fort. These landmarks offer various choices, like acquiring supplies, conversing with fellow travelers, or deciding how to cross a river.

You'll need to make critical choices when navigating rivers, including fording, caulking, or paying for a ferry. The state of the river and weather conditions affect your chances of crossing without any hiccups.

Along the way, the prices for supplies rise, and you'll need to make the right decisions to ensure your party's survival.

Surviving the Trail

The journey between landmarks involves traveling for days over hundreds of miles. You'll receive updates on the date, weather conditions, the health of your party, available food supplies, distances to the next landmark, and the distance covered.

Embrace the spirit of the pioneers on a treacherous journey to the Wild West.

Random events can occur, like storms causing delays or party members falling ill. The player can control the pace of travel, the amount of daily food rations, rest periods, trade with other parties, and even hunt for food.

The hunting component is presented as a mini-game where you control a character who shoots animals for food. Careful resource management and strategic choices are key to success on the trail. The game concludes when your party either reaches Willamette Valley or when all members succumb to illness or injury.

Your performance is scored based on several factors, creating a sense of competition and replayability.

The Oregon Trail: A Legacy Preserved

The Oregon Trail has left an indelible mark in the world of education and gaming. It gained immense popularity in schools during the 1980s and 1990s, serving as an effective teaching tool.

The game's enduring legacy has earned it a place in the World Video Game Hall of Fame. Generations of players have experienced the trials and tribulations of the trail, making it a cultural landmark.

Play The Oregon Trail online

The Oregon Trail game is accessible online, without the need for downloads or emulators.

You can relive the experience in your web browser, making it a convenient option for both desktop and mobile devices. Play The Oregon Trail online, in a web browser.

Conclusion

The Oregon Trail is not just a video game, it's a piece of educational history.

With its roots dating back to the 1970s, the game has introduced countless players to the trials and tribulations of westward expansion in the 19th century.

The combination of historical context, strategic decision-making, and resource management makes it a compelling and enduring experience.

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The Oregon Trail is not just a game, it's a cherished piece of gaming history that transported players to a bygone era of exploration and survival.

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End of War, Battle of New Orleans, Andrew Jackson, Trail of Tears

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End of War, Battle of New Orleans, Andrew Jackson, Trail of Tears

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Topics:

Photosynthesis

Food Webs and Chains

Fossils

Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition

Potential and Kinetic Energy

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Grudgeball: An Engaging Classroom Review Game ⋆ The Trendy Science Teacher

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Grudgeball: An Engaging Classroom Review Game is the perfect way to host a friendly competition while reviewing content.

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5 Minute Basketball Timer with Music | Soothing Lovers

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{ASMR} Basketball Court Game- 1 Hour Of 1080p HD Peaceful Sounds For Sleep Relaxing (NO TALKING)

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Space Jam Quad City DJ's  Theme Song (official)

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1 Minute 🏀 Basketball 🏀 Countdown Timer - Buzzer Beater Sound and Crowd Cheers!

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Thurs- Fri:  REFLEX, Frax, and Splash Learn

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Thurs- Fri:  REFLEX, Frax, and Splash Learn

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At the end of 4th grade, we have an activity where students play pioneer games. In the past, our students decorated a wagon, and we had a parade. We have not had this return, so your wagon was engaging as they decorated their own wagons.

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Prairie Covered Wagon Craft and Writing- Kansas Day

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Students can build the covered wagon and write about life on the prairie. ...

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Create an Assembly Line: An Activity to Teach About the Industrial Revolution & Factories

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Create an Assembly Line: An Activity to Teach About the Industrial Revolution & Factories

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Students learn best by doing. Social studies teaching strategies should incorporate this fact into lesson plans and not just rely on lectures, reading, and note taking. In this lesson plan, students will already have background knowledge about the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and Henry Ford's assembly line. They are going to make a "hamburger" out of cookies and icing and package it by themselves. Then, you will form an assembly line in your classroom, and students will make several "hamburgers" using the assembly line. When finished with both projects, students will reflect on the experience in a response journal. They will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the assembly line.

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Hey everyone!

I'm getting ready to wrap up my favorite social studies unit in 4th grade, the Oregon Trail and Oregon history.

Last year I wrote a few blog posts about what I did to start the unit , how I used realia , and how we had a few fun days of making butter and playing pioneer games.

I'm going to fill in the rest of the gaps right now and give you a basic outline of what I do with my class.

The first thing I did was send out a KWL in my Google Classroom for my students to fill out. Then I show them some posters about heading to Oregon, the land of milk and honey. The land where pigs are roasted and running around with forks in them. I tell them this is the propaganda told to pioneers to get them out west.

The next day is when I hook them in to my unit by setting up shop and at each table, they work as a "wagon" to choose supplies with a weight and money constraint. I feel that this day sets the whole mood for the unit, so I go all out. There is fiddle music, I wear a bonnet and apron, I've got a table with realia and supplies. They also decide who is on the wagon train council and who is the wagon master. They vote and everything!

Our next day, they set up a journal and pick out a pioneer name. I put up a list of pioneer names I found and they put it on the front of their journal.

I do a quick slideshow about Independence, Missouri and why people are leaving.

I have a map of our journey.

We only have social studies four days a week, so a typical week will have us at a landmark 1-2 times, fate day, and then some sort of research or activity.

Landmarks include: Ft. Laramie, Chimney Rock, Independence Rock, Ft. Bridger, Ft. Hall, Soda Springs, and the Whitman Mission. There are some others I could definitely include. Right after the landmark slideshow and/or video, they write in their pioneer journals. They write about what they saw, how they felt, and what they did at that landmark. At Independence Rock, they "carved" their names into the rock. At one of the forts, they get new supplies to finish the trail.

The second to last day of the unit, they decide whether to go on the Columbia River or go over Barlow Pass. Students research the pros and cons of each decision and decide as a wagon, not as a wagon train, how they will travel. Then it's fate time and they roll a dice to see what happens. The last day, for those that made it, there is a celebration in Oregon City.

Activities done: Compare and contrast with pioneer children typical day, pioneer game day, Oregon Trail game day (I found it on a DOS website and also there is a card game!), butter making day, wagon making, pioneer quilt day (they make quilts out of construction paper). We also do this unit during December, so I have them make snowflakes right before winter break and talk about other things pioneer kids did to decorate their homes.

I thoroughly enjoy this unit and I think it comes through to my students because they get so excited at social studies time. My vice principal seems to visit me during this time a lot too, so I think he enjoys it as well.

Let me know if there is anything else you want to know specifically or more details on a certain part of my unit. I hope this helps those of you teaching or gives you an idea to include in your classroom!

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The rants, tales, opinions, ideas and ramblings of a FORMER substitute teacher.

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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer