Grade 5 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 15, Lesson 2

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
America Will Be

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 15, Lesson 2: The Road to Oregon (pp. 377-382)

The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Change Cheap fertile land and the chance to start a new life made settlers willing to take the difficult journey to Oregon.

Work with students to make a chart showing the pros and cons of migrating to the Oregon Territory along the Oregon Trail. Encourage students to include in the list conditions that could have existed before and after as well as during the journey.

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

Have each student write three journal entries, one from a home in the East, stating why they would want to move to Oregon; one from a wagon train along the Oregon Trail, describing the difficulties of the journey; and one from the Oregon Territory, describing life in this new home.
Have students work together to draw a wall mural showing a wagon train along the Oregon Trail. Encourage them to include the items that a family would need in the wagon as well as the natural setting of the land along the trail.

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