American Pioneer Notebooking and Activity Unit for Middle School
Use this American Pioneer notebooking unit for middle school.
It’s a great way to focus your teen’s attention, while giving them plenty of American history activities to make it interesting.
Whenever we are working on American history in our home school, I try to make it as fun and interactive as possible. The last thing my teens want to do is spend their days reading from dry textbooks.
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That’s why when we were studying about the American pioneers, I created this Notebooking & Activity Unit for us to use to help guide our lesson plans.
American Pioneer Notebooking Unit
In 1803, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France. This began the great western movement of the 1800s. Half a million people took a risk and headed west, searching for land and adventure.
They were brave. They were the American pioneers.
This is the perfect guide for you to use as you study the pioneers of the American frontier. Use it as a way to record what you are learning in your history curriculum or as a springboard to direct your learning. With teens, consider letting them take the lead completing the guide, fostering independent learning.
Exploring the American Pioneers Notebooking and Activity Unit Study will hopefully make your family’s life a bit easier as you learn about this period in history.
In it, you and your teen will find sections for:
- Mapping the Trail – map the various routes (the emigrant and southern trails) the pioneers took when heading west
- Traveling – research the reasons why families risked it all to move west, how they traveled, and what they encountered along the way
- Settling – research why the pioneers settled where they did, the homes they built, and what their new lives were like
- Famous Pioneers – list some of the famous pioneers
- Government Influences – research some of the acts of government that contributed to the westward expansion (like the Louisiana Purchase and Manifest Destiny)
- Discussion Questions – get your teen thinking critically as she answers questions like “What qualities do you think were important to be a successful pioneer?”
- Drawing Pioneer Life – let your teen show his artistic side by adding some simple art into your lessons, like drawing a quilt
- Let’s Cook – get your teen cooking with a pioneer inspired recipe
- Let’s Create – complete this pioneer inspired craft
- Let’s Play – play a game that the pioneer children played
As you move through the guide, you’ll find lots of questions your teen will need to answer. They are a way to focus your middle schooler’s attention while learning about such a large subject.
Where should you look to learn more about the settlers? Read your favorite living history books, watch YouTube videos, or do an online search. In the back of the guide, there’s a resource page full of books and websites you can use to teach your teen about the American frontier.
It’s my hope that by using this guide, your study of the American Pioneers is easy, engaging and memorable!
I would love to know how the Exploring the American Pioneers Notebooking Unit works for you, so feel free to share your comments with me.
More American Pioneer Activities
- 6 Easy Pioneer Recipes to Make with Your Teen
- 6 Pioneer Crafts for Teens to Make
- Hands-on Activities for Studying the American Pioneers
- Pioneer Braided Rug Craft
- Pioneer Life Activities for Kids
Additional American Frontier Resources
- A Pioneer Sampler: The Daily Life of a Pioneer Family in 1840
- Pioneer Days: Discover the Past with Fun Projects, Games, Activities, and Recipes
- You Wouldn’t Want to Be An American Pioneer
What is your family’s favorite resource for learning about the American Pioneers?
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