The Oregon Trail and the Donner Party - Lesson

KS4 creative lesson for Edexcel GCSE History module: The American West c.1835-c.1895, introducing the Oregon Trail, using the Donner Party as a case study.

Accessible for all ability groups and the resources are easily differentiated for more and less academically able students.

This lesson includes…

• ISM Video Starter Activity - Overview/summary of the difficulties faced on the Oregon Trail.
• Introduction/Overview of the Oregon Trail
• 5Ws Donner Party Case Study Exercise - Looking at the key figures and the ‘Forlorn Hope’.
• Creative Guidebook Activity - Are you tough enough to take on the Oregon Trail?
• Peer-review of guidebooks plenary
• End with a debate over the Donner Party case study by definition of ‘pioneer’.