What Would Betsy's Life Have Been Like?
The Oregon Trail took place during the 1800's. In your journal there is a page that has two columns. One says "1800's" and one says "Present". Your job is to compare life from these two times. It will help in writing Betsy's story to know how she would have been living during the days of the Oregon Trail. Take a look at the following web site and answer the questions below in your journal while you search. When you find something that happened during the 1800's try to think of how the same type of activity would be done today. For example:
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1800's
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Present
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no running water
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running water
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Web sites to look through:
Welcome to the End of the Oregon Trail
Schools in the 1800's <----Check this one out. You'll be surprised by how Betsy would have gone to school.
Questions:
1. How were the schools different in the 1800's? Would you like to attend one of those schools today?
2. How would you feel if you were a part of a family traveling on the Oregon Trail?
3. Would you want to give up what you have now to travel the Trail? Why or why not?
4. Locate the prices of 4 items the pioneers would have taken with them on the trail. Do you think the items cost the same as they did back then? Why or why not?
5. Using the list of items on the Prices and Provisions web page, see if you can figure out pages 5 + 6 of your benchmark. It asks you to unscramble the words to figure out what the travelers used on their journey.
Make sure you have your journal page filled and as much other information that you think you may need before heading on to Activity #2.
Activity #2 is What Was the Oregon Trail Anyway?