Oregon Trail
Simulation
A Westward
Adventure!
Pioneer Students
Today, you will be
pioneers who want
to settle in a new area
of land known as the
Oregon Territory
Pioneers were early settlers
in a new area of land.
(A.K.A.) “Trail blazers”
The Oregon Trail
2000 miles long
Missouri to Oregon
Travel Challenges:
Difficult terrain
Lack of supplies
Disease / Illness
Attacks from
Native Americans
The Story…
Your name is Alex P. Keaton, a factory worker
from Baltimore, Maryland. You have saved up
enough money ($100 total) to travel to the Oregon
Country and take your entire family with you.
You know that one out of every ten people die
on the Oregon Trail, but want to travel it anyway.
You desire your own land for you and your family.
Your adventure begins in Independence, Missouri
where you have bought wagons and are ready to
travel west. Your goal is to reach Oregon alive but
before the winter season begins…
Travel Power
Travel Power
First things first, you need an animal to pull
your covered wagon. Which do you choose?
A) Horses
B) Oxen
C) Mules
Travel Power
A) Horses – Although fast they would most
likely die of starvation – unless you gave
them your food! Minus 5 points.
B) Oxen – Although slow, it turns out these
are the least expensive and will survive under
almost any condition. Plus 5 points.
C) Mules – Faster than oxen but often
stubborn. You lose time trying to get them to
move. Plus 3 points.
Limited
Room!
Limited Room
As you pack your covered wagon you realize
you have too much stuff. Of the three choices
below, which would you decide to leave behind?
A) A can of coffee
B) Frying pan
C) Your personal Bible
Limited Room
Choice A) Coffee isn’t necessary but was a good
bargaining item. People would trade coffee for other
foods or services.
Plus 4 points
Choice B) You need this for cooking unless you want to
put all of your food on a stick to cook it. Plus 2 points
Choice C) Most travelers on the Oregon Trail decided
not to travel on Sundays. Instead, they would hold
worship services and rest. If you didn’t you may come
across other travelers who will call you a heathen and
throw things at you.
Plus 1 point
Mountain Man
(Travel guide)
Travel Guide
A mountain man who has traveled the Oregon
Trail before has offered to be your travel guide
for a small fee of $45 of your $100 dollars.
What do you do?
A) Hire him and pay him $45 on the spot
B) Hire him but only pay him $25 now and $20
when you arrive in Oregon Country.
C) Tell him “Thanks, but no thanks.”
Travel Guide
A) With his expertise and knowledge you will
most likely travel quicker and safer. Except you
don’t realize he’ll leave with the money half way
through… Plus 2 points.
B) Same as “Choice A” but he’ll travel the entire
trail to get all of his money. Plus 5 points.
C) Being from the east coast you are what many
would call a “city boy” and your lack of
knowledge will slow you down. Minus 5 points.
Kansas River Branch
Kansas River
You’ve approached the Kansas River. The
river is 200 yards wide with often rapid and
deep currents. – what will you do next?
A) Pay $10 of your total $100 to have a ferry
cross you over the river
B) Try to cross it yourself to save the money
C) Ride along side of the river and wait for a
better crossing spot
Kansas River
Choice A) You reach the other side safely
but have less money. Plus 5 points.
Choice B) One of your children falls off the
wagon and is swept away by the current and
drowns. Minus 5 points.
Choice C) You eventually find an easier
crossing path, but lost a couple of days travel
time. However, nobody died. Plus 2 points.
Ash Hollow (Valley)
Ash Hollow (Valley)
This is the first steep downward slope you come
across. What will you do?
A) Load everybody up on the wagon and ride
down holding on tight, then allow the oxen to
catch up.
B) Avoid the downward slope by traveling
around the hollow valley.
C) Detach the oxen and tie them up. You will
use rope to slowly lower the wagon down the
slope.
Ash Hollow (Valley)
Choice A) Are you kidding me? You would all
probably die! But for the sake of the game,
we’ll say you’re all badly hurt. Minus 5 points.
Choice B) The safe way keeps everyone alive,
but you lose two weeks time traveling the long
way around the valley. Minus 2 points.
Choice C) This took a lot of work, but was the
best approach to traveling down this valley.
Plus 5 points.
Scott’s Bluff
Scott’s Bluff
As you reach the Platte River, you pass a high
cliff. You stop for the night but there is no
wood to burn. What do you do?
Choice A) Force the children to pick up
Buffalo chips (droppings) to burn for fire.
Choice B) You decide you do not need a fire
tonight and go without firewood.
Choice C) You take a few planks of wood off
of the wagon and burn some of your wives
extra clothes for a fire.
Scott’s Bluff
Choice A) Surprise! People actually did this on the
Oregon trail. It burned well and did not make a bad
smell. Who knew? Plus 5 points
Choice B) Though nobody died from lack of fire,
your grandmother caught pneumonia from the cold
and is hacking everywhere. Minus 3 points
Choice C) Bad idea. Your wagon is now damaged
& your wife is really mad at you. Minus 5 points
Independence Rock
Independence Rock
It's the 4th July and many other travelers have
stopped at a huge rock that looks like a giant
whale. What do you do?
A) Keep going! You want to get ahead of
everybody else and get there sooner.
B) Stop and join the celebration for 2-3 days
C) Stop and join the celebration for a weeks rest
Independence Rock
A) Your entire family becomes mad at you and
forces you to turn around. You lose a lot of time
having to backtrack.
Minus 2 points.
B) The family is happy after patriotic singing,
dancing, and picnic lunches. Bonus -- you did
not stay too long!
Plus 5 points.
C) It was fun, but you stayed a too long. Your
brother became drunken and picked a fight with
a guy twice his size. Bad idea. He is beat up and
cannot help steer the animals. Minus 3 points.
Sweetwater River
Sweetwater River
You camp near the river because it is a lush
area with good water and grass for the animals.
However, in the evening, Native Americans
attack. What do you do?
A) Send out one person to try and make peace.
B) Fight back!
C) Circle the wagons together and hide in the
middle of them.
Sweetwater River
Choice A) Your Grandfather was immediately killed
with a tomahawk trying to make peace. Unprepared for
battle, 5 others die.
Minus 5 points.
Choice B) You successfully killed six natives before
they left. However, it came at a cost – your oldest son
and brother died in the battle.
Minus 3 points.
Choice C) You protected yourself, but the natives set
one of your wagons on fire. One person died before the
natives left.
Minus 2 points.
South Pass
South Pass
As you cross the Continental Divide, your
brother-in-law is suddenly ill. You believe he
may have the Cholera illness. What do you do?
A) Take the short detour to Fort Bridger where
they may be able to help him.
B) Leave him on the side of the trail to die. You
don’t want anybody else to get sick.
C) Stop and wait for him to either get better or
die of the illness.
South Pass
A) Turns out there is no cure for Cholera! He
not only dies but two of your cousins get sick
and die too.
Minus 5 points.
B) Sadly, this is the best option. Nobody else
gets sick and you don’t lose any time. He
probably didn’t suffer for long… Plus 5 points.
C) He died the next day but as you waited
looters robbed your campsite at night and stole
food and supplies.
Minus 2 points.
Fort Hall
Fort Hall
Although this isn't the nicest fort you've stopped
at, it does sell fresh vegetables, which you've
not had since the trip began. However, bison
(buffalos) are also near. What do you do?
A) Spend $10 to buy enough food for a week.
B) Hunt the buffalo that are near the fort.
C) Buy vegetables and hunt buffalo.
Fort Hall
Choice A) You now have enough food for a
week until you reach another outpost or hunting
ground. Plus 5 points.
Choice B) You now have plenty of food but
can only eat it that night. Otherwise, the meat
would go bad and you’d get sick. Plus 3 points.
Choice C) This seems very smart, but it takes
awhile to do both and turns out you don’t have
enough room to carry everything! Plus 1 point.
Grande Ronde Valley
Grande Ronde Valley
As you are getting closer you come across a
beautifully lush valley with berries everywhere.
What do you do?
A) Forget the berries and keep traveling.
B) Slow down to have the children pick berries
but don’t stop in the valley.
C) Spend several days picking fruit and resting.
Grande Ronde Valley
A) Not needing any berries you didn’t need to
waste any time.
Plus 5 points.
B) The children did not know poisoned berries
from healthy ones. Because you were in a rush to
keep going many of your family are sick. Your
great aunt Ethel even dies!
Minus 3 points.
C) The berries and rest were enjoyable but you
lost time and were caught in a storm with no
protection in the valley.
Plus 2 points.
Barlow Road
Barlow Road
You can use the road through the valley but
pay a $5 toll or pay a boatman $10 and raft
down the Columbia River. What do you do?
A) Take the Barlow Toll Road in the valley
B) Raft down the Columbia River
C) Sneak onto the toll road at night without
paying the fee…
Barlow Road
A) The road turns out to be dangerous and plunges
down cliffs. You slow your wagon by wrapping
rope around trees to gently guide it down the steep
incline.
Plus 3 points.
B) This turns out to be a quick route but one of
your daughters is bitten by a poisonous water
snake and soon dies.
Plus 2 points.
C) Not a good idea. The toll collectors catch you
and attempt to hang you. You survive by paying
them double and leaving them an oxen.
Minus 5 points.
Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
You've reached your destination in the Oregon
Territory and it's as beautiful as you‘ve heard!
What will you do next?
A) Continue traveling south to California
B) Build a house and farm or try to start a
business.
C) Travel back east and work as a travel guide
along the Oregon Trail.
Willamette Valley
A) Unfortunately California is still ruled by
Spain. Angry Spaniards chase you off their land
back to Oregon Territory.
Minus 5 points.
B) Good idea! That’s what most people did.
Plus 5 points.
C) A select few would choose this since they
increased their chances of dying by traveling
back and fourth.
Plus 2 points.