Wagons West! Traveling the Oregon Trail

You have been studying westward movement with a concentration on the Oregon Trail through this project.  If you were living in the 1850s, would you be willing to travel 2000 miles on foot?  Knowing what would lie ahead of you through the Internet resources used and your brochure, poster, radio jingle, or television commercial, do you think you could better prepare yourself and your family for the unknown?

In history we study people and events.  Do you think the Oregon Trail was a great influence on our American history? Would this event in history make your top five events that shaped our country? (Consider the events we have studied so far only.)  In history we do see great advances, but we also see the bad that comes with these great advances.  Do you think you could totally escape the bad if you read every brochure possible before you left for this trip?  If you could see into the future, and know the good and bad, would you leave on this trip? 

Discuss these questions with your group members after you have completed your project.  We will then have a class discussion on how each group answered these questions.  Be prepared to support your answers.