No matter where you are on the Social Studies teaching spectrum - from "I love Social Studies and could teach it all day long" to "Please just shoot me", it is hard to
1. engage students
2. just simply squeeze it in.
Pioneers tell a story of hope, adventure, and new beginnings. There is also risk, despair, and death. With engaging lessons, students become enthralled in the dangerous perils each adventurous family had to face.Here are some ideas for engaging your students in the adventures of pioneer life.
1. Books about Pioneers
Here are some books that are great reads about westward expansion. I like to have several copies of each book for students to choose from. I also like to use them as read alouds. As we read, we talk about the collective feelings, themes, and similarities that describe life as a pioneer.
Dandelions by Eve Bunting
In Dandelions, a girl named Zoe moves with her family to Nebraska Territory in the 1800s. They build a sod house. Zoe and her mother are not happy about the move west. As excited as Papa felt, Mama and the girls felt the loneliness of the frontier.
You Wouldn't Want to Be an American Pioneer by Jacqueline Morley
If you've read any of the You Wouldn't Want to Be... series , you know how much the kids love these books. This book is funny and informational.
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Sarah, Plain, and Tall and Skylark are easy chapter books that show the relationships of the pioneers. In Sara, Plain, and Tall, Papa has to put an ad in the paper for a new wife/mom for the kids. Sarah answers the ad and moves to the frontier. Skylark is the second book in the series. There is a Hallmark movie series (rated G) based on these books.
The Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz
The Cabin Faced West is a historical fiction story based on Jean Fritz's great-great-grandmother. It's a story about a pioneer girl's joys and hardships.
2. Videos
Little House on the Prairie pilot.
My students loved watching Little House on the Prairie because they got to see what the pioneer wagons and cabins looked like. In the pilot, the family has to leave their family knowing they may never see each other again. There is also a scene where they have to cross a river with the horses and wagon. Eventually, they reach the spot to build their new home. This scene is very similar to a part in the book Dandelions.
We watched about 30 minutes of the show. I was surprised at how much the kids connected with it. They wanted to watch more. I found the pilot on Hulu (be careful of the ads) , but you can also find it Little House on the Prairie on Youtube.
What It Was Like to Be on the Oregon Trail by Weird History
This video about life on the Oregon Trail by Weird History is pretty funny. It presents the information in an entertaining way that kids can relate to.
3. Interactive Pioneer Activities for Elementary Students
Mr. Nussbaum.com has a great interactive site that kids love. There are several games and interactive activities. There are 3 interactive activities that kids enjoy playing.
I almost always place a Social Studies topic in my ELA center work time. If it's a new topic, we'll talk about it, watch a video, or read one of the books, but then, they need to read about it independently. I allow students to work together. I assign a packet that has informational reading, one or two graphic organizers, and a quiz. It's due at the end of the week, and I can grab 1-2 grades from it.
5. Scavenger Hunt
Have you tried any Social Studies scavenger hunts yet? I love scavenger hunts. You can implement your social studies curriculum while getting the kids up and moving. I place the cards around the room (out of order). Then, during ELA centers or Social Studies block, students move around the room to the answer the questions that correspond to each card.
Tape the cards to the walls or place around the room. Your students move around the room to answer the questions that correspond to each card. If you don't like the idea of students moving around room, place them in a center and the students can dig through the cards. With scavenger hunts, learning is colorful and kinesthetic.
6. Stem Activities
Here is a Stem project that your students will love! The challenges center around the story of a pioneer family trying to make it on the frontier. Each student/team of students have to create a home, water heater, tower, and more.
Are there any other must-see Pioneer Activities for elementary students that you like to use in your Westward Expansion unit? I would love to hear from you! Comment below!!
