Mrs. Manahan

Whoa! Many of our Dallas
School District's 4th graders
embarked on the adventure of a
life time....traveling along the
famous Oregon Trail.
While the original Overland Trail
may be out of the children's
reach by thousands of miles
and many years, the children are
participating in a trail
simulation.

At the start of the five-week
endeavor, students created trail
families.

As pioneer Henry Manning
(Drew C. ) writes, "I am going to
Oregon because there is more
land and space for people to
live.....I am leaving behind a few
friends and my Grampa, but I
am taking my dog with me".

The project is coordinated
annually by educator, Leni
Dolan, and available free of
charge on the CyberBee web
site.



Starting in late January and
continuing until February 17th,
the students joined hundreds of
other classes around the
country to learn about the past
using modern technology.

As the wagons moved westward
the students solved problems
and made trail 'Decisions' like
the real pioneers. For example,
what do you do when a
rattlesnake bites a member of
your wagon train?

For members of our group that
dilemma meant researching
snakebite remedies for
homework.

After deciding on a course of
action, the students received
their �Fate�. In the snakebite
incident, it really paid to do
your homework. If you didn�t you
limped all the way to Oregon!

After each fateful encounter the
students recorded their thoughts
and feelings in journals, much
like those kept by the actual
emigrants.

"Are we going to have Travel and
Fates today?" It sounds like an
odd question, unless you are
familiar with life on our own
Oregon Trail.

The decisions are sometimes
difficult. 'Mary Sterling' (Katy C.)
writes, " We took a break near
Register Rock. We did so
because of the wonderful
springs and views." While the
group rested, several children
wandered off! What is a wagon
train to do?

The experience was a wonderful
mix of old-fashion academics
and new technology. Each week
the classes, from Texas to
California, used the Internet as a
way to compare notes, make
decisions, and just plain have
fun!

Several parents commented on
the level of excitement and
interest generated by the project.
In addition to being fun, students
had a chance to practice their
reading, writing, and
mathematics skills as they
learned about America's history.

In addition to traveling this well-
worn trail. Each fourth grade
classroom visited with one of
the original American
pioneers ....explorer M. Lewis
of "Lewis and Clark" fame. The
visit was made possilbe through
the efforts Ms. Laura Matechak
and the district�s distance
learning lab.

Our scouts are a mix of
"Seasoned Mountaineers" and
"greenhorns". Special thanks to
those scouts visiting from
"cougar territory".

Although some of us are making
our third trip to Oregon,
we still appreciate the wonder
found in the eyes of our young
travelers.