Richmond Chapt. 4 Trails and Early Transportation

We have already concluded a large study of the Oregon Trail in my classroom this year. We read about all of the different kinds of trails and the chronology of transportation in Kansas. (I am finding that much of the information in this book is in our Kaleidoscope magazines on a much smaller scale and lower level. They really are terrific resources for elementary students!) Some of this chapter would be great to read out loud to my students when studying the trails. I found the diary segments especially interesting since they tell of how life actually was on the trail. We did a great Webquest in which my students had to research the Oregon Trail. They had jobs that made them research things such as their wagon team, route, supplies, and diary entries. They really enjoyed it and learned a lot along the way, including the importance of the South Pass.