Westward Expansion
The Westward Expansion is included in the Fourth Grade Social Studies Standards. The Westward Expansion is the westward movement of the American people from the east coast to the west coast and what persuaded them to go. This includes the California Gold Rush, the Oregon, California, and Santa Fe Trails, and the Pony Express. The digital objects located below will help Fourth Graders develop a better understanding of the Westward Expansion in the United States.
All About the Trail
With this digital object, students can read to discover more about life on the trail. This site has articles about the route west, the hardships the pioneers faced, and even some fantastic facts about the Oregon Trail. This information will help create background knowledge prior to starting our Pioneer Simulation. Students may also use this resource to research for different tasks during the simulation.
Build Your Own Sod House
Students build their own sod houses just like settlers on the prairie by answering questions based on how settlers traveling west used the land around them to build a home for their families. This is a good review resource following our pioneer unit of study.
How Many Ways Can You Use a Buffalo?
How Many Ways Can You Use a Buffalo? is an interactive text-based digital object. Students can use their mouse to click on different parts of the buffalo to discover the uses for that particular part of the buffalo. Also on the webpage is a link to a text explaining the strategy the Native Americans used to kill the buffalo. To access that link, click on the bold print "powerful strategy."
Oregon Trail 1852 Fiddling Music Introduction Video
Oregon Trail 1852 Fiddling Music Introduction Video is a video about fiddles and fiddle music during the time of the American Pioneers. Students can listen to the music they would have heard if they had traveled on the Oregon Trail. Students can also compare how fiddle play was different back then, compared to how they are played today.
New Perspectives of the West
Students can use this text-based digital object to discover more about the lives of the people who helped shape the west. Students can select the name of the person and it links to a biography of the person. This digital object is a good resource for research.
Emigrant Road Quiz
Emigrant Road Quiz is an interactive quiz to test students' knowledge of the Oregon Trail. Students can click on the question to reveal the answer. This would make a good digital object for reviewing.
All About the Trail
With this digital object, students can read to discover more about life on the trail. This site has articles about the route west, the hardships the pioneers faced, and even some fantastic facts about the Oregon Trail. This information will help create background knowledge prior to starting our Pioneer Simulation. Students may also use this resource to research for different tasks during the simulation.
Build Your Own Sod House
Students build their own sod houses just like settlers on the prairie by answering questions based on how settlers traveling west used the land around them to build a home for their families. This is a good review resource following our pioneer unit of study.
How Many Ways Can You Use a Buffalo?
How Many Ways Can You Use a Buffalo? is an interactive text-based digital object. Students can use their mouse to click on different parts of the buffalo to discover the uses for that particular part of the buffalo. Also on the webpage is a link to a text explaining the strategy the Native Americans used to kill the buffalo. To access that link, click on the bold print "powerful strategy."
Oregon Trail 1852 Fiddling Music Introduction Video
Oregon Trail 1852 Fiddling Music Introduction Video is a video about fiddles and fiddle music during the time of the American Pioneers. Students can listen to the music they would have heard if they had traveled on the Oregon Trail. Students can also compare how fiddle play was different back then, compared to how they are played today.
New Perspectives of the West
Students can use this text-based digital object to discover more about the lives of the people who helped shape the west. Students can select the name of the person and it links to a biography of the person. This digital object is a good resource for research.
Emigrant Road Quiz
Emigrant Road Quiz is an interactive quiz to test students' knowledge of the Oregon Trail. Students can click on the question to reveal the answer. This would make a good digital object for reviewing.