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Our Lesson Plan
This site is also used as part of a student run lesson plan. Here is
the plan we used to teach our class about the lifestyles of the pioneers during the westwaard expansion:
Life As a Pioneer- A Lesson Plan
I. Introduction to settle the students- By Sara -1 minute
Imagine this… You are a child in the early 1850's. You and your family reside in a sturdy and well-made farmhouse
on acres of land in New England. The family has lived on this property for generations. Your father is not a rich
man, and so when he makes this announcement after dinner, you knew that one day this would happen.
He says, "The soil lately has not bore as much grain as it used to, it is giving us sickly plants and weeds.
I have heard much of the large expanses of land in the west. The wide-open land will have perfect soil to grow
wheat and grain in. That is why I have decided that our family will sell the land and leave. I need to make a living"
There was no more to say about it. Your father was the leader of the house. Over the next month, you collected
the small things that were dear to you. Your family of six people and all of your belongings had to fit in a covered
wagon. There was no prediction on what would happen next….
II. Timeline of events- Presented by Ilana and Omar- 15 minutes
The way people familiarized themselves with the new land, personal accounts, and important events-
Some bullets about the events on the timeline:
Homestead Act:
-May 20, 1862
-Took a long time to be passed
-Involved giving land grants (up to 160 acres) in the newly purchased land in the west to small farmers and other
pioneers who wanted to settle the land
-The land cost $1.25 per acre
Packing:
-Women were in charge of packing
-Had to bring portable furniture and nonperishable foods
-They sold the items they could not take with them on the journey
Traveling:
-They had to ration their food to take only what they could carry
-There was almost never enough food to go around
-The groups of wagons got lost frequently
Settling in:
-They liked to be in isolation- away from other families
-They would build log cabins
-If enough people settled in that area there was the possibility of forming a local government, towns and small
cities
III. Computer lab- 15 minutes- website by Sara
Break the class into two groups by pointing to each one and saying 1, 2, 1, 2 etc… and give the handouts out. (Jane
and Rocco) the ones group will go to www.oocities.org/uncoveringthewagon/quiz.htm for the online quiz and the
twos will go to www.oocities.org/uncoveringthewagon/hunt.htm for the online scavenger hunt. The whole group should
be accessible to answer any questions. After 7.5 minutes, the groups will switch web pages
IV. Scenarios- Rocco and Jane- 5 minutes
*Just in case* Based on what the class Rocco and Jane have made up a scenario for the class to free write a solution
to. The class will then share what they have learned
Scenario:
Imagine you are a young Indian Boy or girl. How do you feel about pioneers traveling in your land? Write about
it for 5 minutes
V. Questions and answers- 2 minutes
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