Math
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When you visit
the Mission site make sure to bring rulers, yardsticks and string.
This would be an excellent time to do some outdoor measuring.
- The perimeter
of the locations of the mission buildings are outlined with cinder
blocks at Whitman Mission. Have the students measure the distance
around each building. Various forms of measuring could be used.
Students could work in groups. Dimensions of each building could
be recorded and compared. An interesting activity would be to
compare the sizes of mission buildings with sizes of present-day
homes!
- As an extension
to the above activity is to have student use graph paper and draw
the buildings on paper.
- With measuring
tapes or strings, have the students measure the circumference
of trees at the site. Are circumferences of one type of tree noticeably
different from other types of trees? Why do you think they are
different?
- Determining
age of trees. Obtain core samples from the local Forest Service
Office. (These are free!) By counting rings, core samples clearly
reveal the age of trees. By comparing various core samples with
similar trees to those at Whitman Mission, students could estimate
the age of the trees at Whitman Mission. A second way to determine
the age of trees is to examine a cross-section from a log. Students
add up the rings determine the age of the tree.
- With the
tree-ring samples, have students look up specific dates in almanacs
and determine what significant events occurred on various dates.
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OREGON
TRAIL MATH
Math can easily
be incorporated into the Oregon Trail unit. One form of math was
used daily by pioneers to measure distance traveled as well as estimating
distances between two points.
- As the pioneers
traveled, they would measure distances by the revolution of their
wagon wheels. If you have a wagon wheel available, have students
measure distances (by counting revolutions of the wagon wheel)
between various points. Students can then compare this distance
with that of more standard measurement such as tape measures,
meter or yard sticks, rulers, etc. Which form of measuring distance
is the easiest to do? Measure the circumference of a wagon wheel.
Have students determine how many revolutions of a wheel it would
take to cover approximately one mile of ground.
- The prices
of supplies differed from one trading post to another. Have the
students figure out these differences, and using shopping advertisements
of today, have them compare the prices and dollars spent.
| |
Fort
Hall |
Fort
Boise |
Whitman
Mission |
The
Dalles |
| Flour |
0.20
per lb. |
0.20
per lb. |
0.05
per lb. |
0.18
per lb. |
| Beef |
---------- |
0.20
per lb. |
0.07
per lb. |
0.25
per lb. |
| Sugar |
0.50
per lb. |
0.40
per lb. |
0.20
per lb. |
0.20
per lb. |
| Bacon |
----------- |
----------- |
----------- |
0.50
per lb. |
- The pioneers
would have to estimate the distance across a river in order to
ford it safely. Try using the pacing method in "Jack's Math",
to estimate the distance between two points in the school yard.
How how many steps would it take to walk the 2000 mile Oregon
Trail?
- Families
loaded only things they needed in order to survive the hard trail.
Below is a partial list of some items. Have students look up the
cost of these items (catalogs or advertisements) and total up
the amount.
Ax, rope,
shovel, saw, 1 pair of shoes per each person, 2 pairs of boots
per each person, 3 iron pots, skillet, 3 knives, tin dishes,
spoons, 2 sets of clothing per each person, flour/600 lbs.,
sugar/75 lbs., salt/25 lbs., rice/30 lbs., meat/300 lbs., small
camp stove, tent, and 1 blanket per person.
- Practice
regrouping with subtraction by finding the differences between
today's date and important dates in Oregon Trail history.
- The following
list is a breakdown of the cost (1849 prices, St Louis Missouri)
of certain supplies that pioneers might purchase before leaving
on the Oregon Trail. Have students find the difference and compare
these prices with to those of today. How much more expensive are
they now?
| Coffee |
0.08
per lb. |
| Tea |
0.55
per lb. |
| Bacon |
0.05
per lb. |
| Flour |
0.02
per lb |
| Sugar |
0.04
per lb. |
| Rice |
0.05
per lb |
| Dried
fruit |
0.06
per lb. |
| Salt |
0.06
per lb. |
| Soap |
0.11
per lb. |
| Candles |
0.11
per lb. |
| Lard |
0.05
per lb. |
| Tent |
$5.00
ea. |
You can
also have the students compare these prices to those found along
the Oregon Trail. Note how the price usually increases as they
get further towards Oregon Country. Some sample questions might
be:
Why did
the cost of supplies increase as they traveled further West?
Why were the prices at Whitman Mission cheaper than some of
the posts and forts?
What was lard used for?
Why did they purchase dried fruit?
What was the importance of dried fruit?
- The following
is a list showing the approximate number of people by year whose
destination was either Oregon or Utah/California. (Note the year
1849 as it shows the impact of the California Gold Rush and the
years just prior to that show the beginning of the Mormon migrations).
Have students utilize and practice place value as they find differences
between the years. They can also review basic addition and subtraction
skills.
| Year |
Oregon |
Utah/California |
| 1840 |
13 |
0 |
| 1841 |
24 |
34 |
| 1842 |
125 |
0 |
| 1843 |
875 |
38 |
| 1844 |
1,475 |
53 |
| 1845 |
2,500 |
260 |
| 1846 |
1,200 |
1,500 |
| 1847 |
4,000 |
2,650 |
| 1848 |
1,300 |
2,800 |
| 1849 |
450 |
26,500 |
| 1850 |
6,000 |
46,500 |
| 1851 |
3,600 |
2,600 |
| 1852 |
10,000 |
60,000 |
| 1853 |
7,500 |
28,000 |
| 1854 |
6,000 |
15,167 |
| 1855 |
500 |
6,184 |
| 1856 |
1,000 |
10,200 |
| 1857 |
1,500 |
5,300 |
| 1858 |
1,500 |
6,150 |
| 1859 |
2,000 |
18,431 |
- Obtain some
old currency and have kids feel and observe the difference between
today's money and that of many years ago. How do they differ?
Have students count out change using the old currency.
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Last modified on:
January 31, 2004
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