For Grade 5
Web Quest: Who Survived? Why?
For
Grade 5
The Donner Party of
1846 –7 is the most famous of the emigrant parties to cross the Sierra Nevada
along the “Truckee Route.” This
is a tragic page in the saga of westward migration.
Poor judgment, heroic sacrifice, struggles for survival and plain bad
luck all played their part. Though
other parties made it through Donner Pass intact, the winter of 1846-47 was one
of the worst ever recorded in the Sierra Mountains.
There is much to be learned
from studying the expedition. By analyzing the accurate databases of information about
people that traveled in the Donner Party, one is able to determine the important
factors that allowed certain people to survive while other factors led to the
demise of others.
The hardships experienced by the Donner Party, although extreme, are not unlike
the experiences encountered by people today in their personnel treks.
We can learn important rules for survival from the Donner Party
experience that we can apply to our present situation.
Working
in pairs, the students will create a database of the information archived about
the members of the Donner Party. After
creating the database, the students will use the database to determine who
survived the experience and what were the factors that led to their survival.
Websites:
The
Donner Party – Brief
history, lists the members of the party
Donner
Party - daily log, diary
entries, trail location, maps, photographs and drawings.
Donner
Party Home Page - Donner Party documents, recollections, interpretations and
other information.
The
Donner Party Story
Books,
reference:
History
textbook
Encyclopedias,
such as Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 99
Example
of Donner Party database (Access File)
1. Review the above sources to gain an understanding of the history of the
Donner Party.
2. Using Microsoft Access, create a database with the following fields for
each record:
·
Last Name
·
Sex
·
Age
·
Whether they lived or died
·
Where they died (if they died)
·
Miscellaneous information
You
may look at the sample database provided, listed under resources.
3. Brainstorm, ideas as to factors you think might be
relevant to the survival of these folks. Such
as, did more males live than females? Did
age play an important factor? Write
your ideas as to what these factors were in your notebook.
4.
Using the sort, filter and/or query tools, start analyzing the database
to determine which factors were important.
Record the results of each of your searches in your notebook.
5.
Once you have determined the factors that were important, summarize in a
paragraph the factors that were important, how you determined they were
important and how they led to the survival of the members of the party.
6.
Bring your findings to the whole class discussion.
7.
After the whole class discussion, add another paragraph as to what you
now feel are the important factors that led to the survival of the party
members. Does this information have
any relevance to your life? Why or
why not?
8.
Turn in your reflections.
Evaluation
(Top)
50
pts for creation of the database
25
pts for identification of factors
15
pts for support as to why these factors are important
10
pts for relevance to today’s society
The trail west was filled with many trials and hardships. The ability to problem solve, given an unfamiliar situation, was crucial. Being able to sort through what is factual and what is just hype, deciding whether to take the “easy” road or the tried and true tough road, keeping your cool or choosing to rage, setting priorities, pulling on resolve or succumbing to defeat are all situations we have and will encounter. How will you choose?