Students will learn, why people came west, how they traveled, what they brought, what animals they would see, what chores they would do, what they ate, how they would go to school, what they did for fun, and how we know about what life was like on a wagon train. 

I have had an interest in western history since I was a child. My great-uncles worked on the shows Wagon Train and Laramie among others providing horses, wagons and stuntmen. My goal in college was to teach history. I was also a docent at the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum in the mid- 1990's. 



In order to be sensitive to Native American culture, our focus will be on the experience of traveling west as listed above: why people went west, what they brought with them, what they ate, what animals they saw, what young people did for chores and for fun, and what students did for school on the wagon train. We will not be covering the Native American experience. 

No homework.

Assessment will be informal, as students who wish to may answer questions throughout the class. 

50 minutes per week in class, and maybe some time outside of class.