Westward Ho! 

 

 

 

 


              

 

 

Introduction

In the years following the Civil War, the United States was transformed. It seemed as though everyone was moving everywhere. By the end of the Civil War, both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts were settled. However, there was a vast territory in the middle that had yet to be tamed. Many exciting and sometimes tragic tales come from the journey itself. Once the settlers reached their new setting, they had to adapt greatly to their surroundings.

 

 

 

 

 

      Cowboys on the range.

 

Annie Oakley 

 

 

Task

You and your partner are cousins. One of you has moved his/her family to the Great Plains While the other has set off on his/her own to rough it on the range with the cowboys. You must write five letters to your cousin who lives in the other area to describe your journey, where you live, what you do everyday and what’s going on around you in the world. You will use the web sites listed on this page to help you explore the lives of these people and to complete the Fact Finder Info Page.

 

The Letters- Really get into the character you are portraying. Use a fictional name and semi-fictional address and get into the emotions that the character may be feeling. (Don’t just say “I’m frustrated.” Express your frustration.) You and your partner may work together in the sense that you may answer each other’s letter. However, each partner is responsible for the research and writing of their own letters. Each letter should be at least a page typed single-spaced (appx 500 words). Extra credit will be given for letters that are hand written and yellowed, like a letter that has survived 100 years in an attic somewhere.

 

Info Page- Each of you will be required to answer the Info Page that I will pass out. The Info Page consists of questions about the historical causes and implications of both the rise of the cities and westward expansion. Later on, you will be tested on the info from the Info Page.

 

 

A shingle-roofed sod house in Wheat Ridge, Jefferson County, Colorado, is covered with vines.

 

 

Evaluation

The entire project will be worth 85 points. The Info Sheet will be worth 25 and the letters worth 60. You may also receive up to 3 bonus points for each letter that appears to be “authentic.” You will be graded individually on your assignment. This is not a group assignment per se. However, you will be able to help your partner on the Info Page.

 

Points shall be given for your group of letters based on the following criteria:

-15 points for an accurate representation of the time period

-15 points for using facts and keeping them straight

-15 points for displaying the emotions and feelings of the characters

-15 points for describing the sensations of the area (sights, sounds, smells)

 

Links

Homesteaders

 

http://www.sover.net/~barback/ot/wagons.html

A site detailing Wagons on the trails west

 

http://www.i5ive.com/welcome.cfm/19th_century_recipes

19th century recipes

 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/donner/index.html

American Experience: The Donner Party

 

http://members.aol.com/DanMRosen/donner/index.htm

The Donner Party

 

http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/

Use the episode guide to get to specific info.

 

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award98/nbhihtml/pshome.html

Photos and letters from a family on the Plains.

 

http://websteader.com/wbstdsd1.htm

A sodhouse site.

 

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/hns/domwest/vehicle.html

Descriptions by women on the trail

 

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/hns/domwest/build.html

Descriptions of sodhouses by women

 

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/hns/domwest/food.html

Food on the frontier.

 

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/hns/domwest/cloth.html

Clothes and the washing process.

 

Cowboys

 

http://www.lonehand.com/

Traces the history of western expansion. Includes chuck wagon lore, music, cowboy stories, and recipes.

 

http://www.blackcowboys.com/

Lives of black cowboys

 

http://www.avicom.net/doane/dwdef.html

Cowboy lingo.

 

http://social.chass.ncsu.edu/slatta/cowboys.htm

A site dedicated to the real cowboy.

 

http://www.chicagohistory.org/AOTM/oct99/oct99fact2.html

Cowboy terms and other info.

 

Comprehensive

 

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/award97/codhtml/hawphome.html

This site has lots of pictures from the Old West.

 

http://www.AmericanWest.com/

This is a pretty comprehensive site about the Old West.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Credits

 

This site was created by Eric Helbig, a teacher at Woodlawn (IL) High School with assistance from Kelly Owens, Tammy Knox and Alicia Heggemeier. This project was inspired by a project by Kim Daniel.