The Donner-Reed Party: a gruesome, tragic story in the history of United States Westward migration. But what exactly happened with the Donner-Reed party? Who were these pioneers? How did they go about traveling to California? And how did their expedition result in doom? In this course, students will learn the answers to the questions above as we explore the facts surrounding the infamous Donner-Reed Party.

This class is designed to teach students about life before and after the expedition of the aforementioned pioneers. Students will learn about the pioneers who migrated to California in a wagon train from the Midwest, taking a look specifically at the series of mishaps that left them spending a winter snowbound in the Sierra Nevadas. Students will be provided with detailed descriptions, original photographs and illustrations to understand key facts and ideas regarding that fateful winter. Furthermore, students will be encouraged to compare and contrast the Donner-Reed Party to other journeys of Westward migration. 

The goal of this course is to provide students with background information to 1. give insight into the Donner-Reed Party, and 2. inspire students to continuously dig deeper to learn more about fascinating historical events and the people who lived through them. All in all, this class will be highly interactive, with all of the work happening in the here-and-now of the class session.