Dig Deep

 

Contributions to the settlement of Washington State

 

 

PRINT RESOURCES: NON-FICTION

     Note: requested grade 2-3 reading level for most selections. 

 

     Explorers

 

Exploring the Pacific Northwest

http://tinyurl.com/m6v3sz

Reviewers state that this book is for grades 2-3, so should be at a your students reading level.  Each chapter highlights discoveries of one or two PNW explorers.

 

How We Crossed The West: The Adventures Of Lewis And Clark, Rosalyn Schanzer

http://www.amazon.com/How-We-Crossed-West-Adventures/dp/0792267265/ref=pd_sim_b_7

Another lively book that looks engaging for kids and presents accurate information.  You can see inside this book by clicking the link.

 

The Lewis & Clark Expedition: Join the Corps of Discovery to Explore Uncharted Territory, Carol A. Johmann

http://www.amazon.com/Lewis-Clark-Expedition-Discovery-Kaleidoscope/dp/0613581563/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243914496&sr=8-2

You can view inside this book as well.  You may be interested in the whole series as they have a book on "Going West" as well. 

 

Lewis and Clark : explorers of the American West, Steven Kroll

http://www.amazon.com/Lewis-Clark-Explorers-American-West/dp/0823412733/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243865613&sr=1-3

Text reads like an adventure story but it sticks to the facts.  Should be a fun read for your students! Gr 2-5. 

 

The Lewis And Clark Expedition, Christin Ditchfield

http://www.amazon.com/Lewis-Clark-Expedition-True-Books/dp/0516252224/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243915955&sr=1-1#

From the True Books series, useful information in readable sections.  Look inside the book for more on content.

 

     NW Coast Native Americans

 

If You Lived With The Indians Of The Northwest Coast

http://www.amazon.com/Lived-Indians-Northwest-Coast-You/dp/0439260779/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b

You may have this copy already, but if not, it is a very basic one that should be accessible to your students. 

 

People of salmon and cedar, Ron Hirschi 

http://tinyurl.com/ptk8gm

Opens with excerpts from Chief Seattle's 1855 speech that welcomes the salmon and the white people.  Has great photographs from Edward Curtis collection (see archival link below for more of his photos.)

 

Nations of the Northwest Coast, Kathryn Smithyman & Bobbie Kalman

http://tinyurl.com/r9adbz

 

Sea and cedar; how the Northwest coast Indians lived, Lois McConkey 

http://tinyurl.com/ob6vpn

 

The Northwest Indians : daily life in the 1700s, Judy Monroe

http://tinyurl.com/qwhzw7

This is a basic book series written at the 3rd grade reading level and may be just what you are looking for.   

 

     Fur Trading, Trappers, Guides 

 

Mountain Men of the Frontier (Frontier Land series), Charles W. Sundling

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Charles%20W.%20Sundling

This is a link to the whole Frontier Land series (6 books total, each one about 30 pages long.) You may be interested in more than one title as they cover your topics and include information that seems accurate and presented in an interesting way.  I looked for previews of the text so you could see it, but did not find any online.  These titles are also available through WCLS if you wanted to preview a copy.  Reviewers state grade 3-5 reading level, so might just be on the edge for you. 

 

The North American Beaver trade / Cobblestone.

http://tinyurl.com/mekg4x

A single Cobblestone magazine on fur trade. The articles here are usually closer to 4/5th grade reading level, but are interesting to kids and you might just check out a copy from the library and use just one of the articles in class.

 

     Westward Expansion

 

A frontier fort on the Oregon Trail, Scott Steedman

http://tinyurl.com/nforns

This may be hard to get, but it is in the WCLS library.  Shows how forts were built and why.  Gr 4-6.

 

If You Traveled West In A Covered Wagon, Ellen Levine

http://www.amazon.com/Traveled-West-Covered-Wagon-You/dp/0590451588/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c

Uses question and answer format to teach about the Oregon Trail.

 

Children of the Wild West, Russell Freedman

http://www.amazon.com/Children-Wild-West-Russell-Freedman/dp/0395547857/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243868778&sr=1-1 

Actual photographs of children from the 1800's and their lives in the pioneering west.

 

Life on the Oregon Trail, Sally Senzell Isaacs

http://www.amazon.com/Life-Oregon-Trail-Picture-Past/dp/1588103021/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244000334&sr=1-11

A K-3 reading level that has short chapters on topics such as "Children", "Getting Food", "Clothes."  Might be good for someof your lower-end readers.

 

The eagle & the fort : the story of John McLoughlin, Dorothy Nafus Morrison

http://tinyurl.com/l46gfe

This 1979 book has no information on it, but thought I'd list it as it is shelved in Children's Biography and might be a helpful resource.  About the man who developed Fort Vancouver for Hudson's Bay Company.

 

The Oregon Trail (True Books), Elaine Landau  

http://www.amazon.com/Oregon-Trail-True-Books/dp/0516279033/ref=pd_sim_b_7#

Look inside for more information about reading level, but it looks about right to me. 

 

Wagon Train, S. A. Kramer  

http://www.amazon.com/Wagon-Train-All-Aboard-Reading/dp/0448413345/ref=pd_sim_b_26#

This might be for some of your lower end readers.  Has good information about wagon train life and early pioneers.  

 

You Wouldn't Want to Be an American Pioneer!: A Wilderness You'd Rather Not Tame, Jacqueline Morley  

http://www.amazon.com/You-Wouldnt-Want-American-Pioneer/dp/0531163695/ref=pd_sim_b_6#

These are visually really appealing to kids and presents the information in a fun way.  Look inside the book to check out the reading level.

 

 

PRINT RESOURCES: FICTION

 

Facing West: A Story of the Oregon Trail, Kathleen V. Kudlinski

http://www.amazon.com/Facing-West-Story-Oregon-America/dp/0140369147/ref=pd_sim_b_13#

A boy travels west fears the dangers ahead.  He befriends the wagon train leader, Ben, who helps him overcome his fears.  Reviewers state historically accurate and moving story. 

 

Footsteps in the snow : the Red River diary of Isobel Scott, Carol Matas.

http://tinyurl.com/ntr53l

From the Dear Canada series, a young girl's family is caught between the rivalry between Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company.  Might be appropriate for more advanced reader or read aloud.

 

Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dog's Tale,  Laurie Myers

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0805063684/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Higher reading level than Seaman's Journal, this book uses excerpts from journals, maps and illustrations to describe the journey through the dog's eyes. Very solid reviews.  Gr 3-6. 

 

Westward To Home: Joshua's Oregon Trail Diary, Patricia Hermes

http://www.amazon.com/Westward-Home-Joshuas-Oregon-Trail/dp/0439388996/ref=pd_sim_b_4

From the My American series, this book might be good for a motivated reader as a read aloud in your class.  Tells the story of a young boy on the Oregon Trail and the difficulties faced.  There is a second book in this series that describes his life in Oregon.

 

 

DVD/CD-ROM RESOURCES

 

The expedition of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806, 100% Productions

http://tinyurl.com/mrrr4y

Tells the story of Lewis and Clark journey; includes excerpts of journal entries. VHS.  These history videos can often be mesmerizingly boring, so do preview.

 

The West (PBS Documentary): Westward I go to Freedom

http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/program/episodes/two/westwardfree.htm

Has clips of Ken Burn's The West that you can show as well as teacher resources.  This link takes you to one about the Sager family as they made their way across the country and to the Whitman mission. Lots more here to use.  

 

ONLINE RESOURCES

 

Historylink.org

http://www.historylink.org/

Free online encyclopedia of Washington State.  Here are just a few articles I pulled up.

Blaine, David and Catherine Plaine Blaine (Early Seattle missionaries)

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=1447

 

Esther Clark Short and her family settle near Fort Vancouver on December 25, 1845

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8528

First American settlers near the British owned Hudson's Bay Company in what is now Vancouver, WA. 

 

Washington State timeline for students

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5366

 

Whitman Mission

http://www.nps.gov/whmi/index.htm

Check out this site for information about the Whitman Mission.  There is a "Teachers" section as well as traveling trunks- though oddly,  none on the Whitman mission itself.

 

The Oregon Trail Website

http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Oregontrail.html

Site created by the two teachers who contributed to PBS special on the Oregon Trail.  Lots here to explore! Here are some samples:

Whitman Missions http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Whitman.html

Whitman Diaries http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/00.n.dairies.html

 

 

CURRICULUM RESOURCES

 

Nan McNutt's Activity Books: many are also available from WCLS

The Spindle Whorl: An Activity Book Ages 9-12, http://www.amazon.com/Spindle-Whorl-Activity-Northwest-Discovery/dp/1570611157/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243479681&sr=1-1

The Button Blanket: An Activity Book Ages 6-10 http://www.amazon.com/Button-Blanket-Activity-Northwest-Discovery/dp/1570611181/ref=pd_sim_b_1

The bentwood box : an activity book for kids from ages 9-14, http://catalog.wcls.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?index=.TW&term=bentwood+box&profile=#focus

 

Westward Ho!: An Activity Guide to the Wild West,  Laurie Carlson

http://www.amazon.com/Westward-Ho-Activity-Guide-Wild/dp/1556522711/ref=pd_sim_b_6 

This book has a companion in the series for Native American crafts and activities. 

 

 

GENERAL RESOURCES

 

Mt Baker School District: Elementary Libraries

http://www.mtbaker.wednet.edu/elemlib/

They have put much of their CBA material online.  

 

National Archives   

http://archives.gov/research/american-revolution/pictures/

 A great source for art from the era and primary documents. You may wish to look up other key documents by searching on the home page.  

 

Washington State Library

http://www.secstate.wa.gov/library/

This is a very useful resource with so much here from an online history textbook to many digitalized documents that show our state's history. 

Classics: http://www.secstate.wa.gov/history/publications.aspx 

So much here that you can download and use - from railroad brochures luring folks out west to journals, this should give you lots in terms of primary source material.

 

Washington Territorial Timeline

http://www.secstate.wa.gov/history/timeline.aspx

This is an "interactive" timeline of the settlement of Washington State. 

 

 

Whatcom County Library Tours and Card Applications

http://www.wcls.org/content/view/93/172/    

 

 

MAPS

 

Washington Territory Indian Nations and Tribes

http://www.washingtonhistoryonline.org/treatytrail/teaching/pdfs/1854-Lambert-census-map.pdf

This is off of OSPI's website. 

 

Washington State Historical Maps

http://www.secstate.wa.gov/history/maps.aspx

Off the State Library website - should have lots here that you could download and use.

 

 

MUSEUM RESOURCES

 

Burke Museum: Burke Boxes

Classroom Collections: http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/education/study.php

This is such a great resource!  They have boxes on all sorts of NW topics. You can sign up online and boxes come with lots of extras depending on the topic you picked.

 

Archives: http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/collections/ethnology/collections/browse.php?ID=170561

If you do the activities using McNutt's books, there are great photos of actual button blankets etc on this site.

 

          Burkemobile: http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/education/burkemobile/

A new program that was piloted this past year.  They bring museum to your classroom, for free!, and help students connect with the artifacts.  They have 3 lessons, one called Living Traditions: Native People of Washington State.  Looks superb!

 

Teacher guide for Basketry of NW Native Americans

http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/baskets/Teachersguideforbasketry.htm

Gives information on the different types of weaving and patterns from various groups, then has students draw on patterns using basic outline on paper.  Maps in the beginning are worth looking at and using.  If you do more on baskets, there is a DVD through WCLS called Baskets of the Northwest People: Gifts from the Grandmothers that you may be interested in pairing with this project.

 

Museum of History and Industry

http://www.seattlehistory.org/edu_resources.cfm

They also have classroom collections, trunks,  that you can request, and one specifically on PNW Native Americans. 

Visual Resources- another fabulous resource.

These are slide collections you can request - one on logging from 1854-1910 might be helpful in explaining the growth of the logging industry.